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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VALOR: MOST WANTED ALIEN BRIDES BOOK EIGHT (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Candice Gilmer
She thinks no one sees how much she’s carrying. I’m an empath. I feel every ounce of it. Brooklyn keeps the whole station running and never lets anyone see what it costs her. Perfectionism kept her safe growing up, and she’s not about to unlearn it now — least of all for a blue-haired Dalgurian warrior who looks at her like she’s the answer to a question he’s been asking his whole life. Falkin came to Libra Station to broker the most important trade deal in his people’s future. He didn’t expect the Intergalactic Dating Agency to match him with the one woman who refuses to believe anyone ever stays. He’s ready to open his heart. She’s spent a lifetime learning not to leap. But Falkin is patient, honor-bound, and can feel exactly how lonely she is behind that careful smile. There’s just one problem: Brooklyn’s found out he made a bet before he ever arrived — and now she has to decide whether she’s a woman he chose… or a prize he won.
AZYR: DRIFITNG FOR HER (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) (CONSUMED BY THE ALIEN HEAT BOOIK FOUR) by Zoey Indiana
I said no to my alien match. Then I had to process his arrival paperwork. Ninety-one point three percent compatible. I declined. I run the Earth Liaison Office. I’m the one who waves goodbye. I don’t go. The IDA honored my rejection. My job didn’t. Azyr of the Veyathi filed his first-contact request before I said no, and I’m the only officer cleared to receive it. So now he’s in my office… Tall, quiet, skin burning cerulean every time I walk in. His translator just called me the harvest. He booked one week. He’s charted eleven unnamed systems and never stayed in a single one. I’ve watered the same windowsill herbs for twelve years. It would never work out. He should be gone by now, but he keeps filing extensions. I’ve spent four years telling other people they deserve to know the real size of their own life. I never once said it to myself. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
KING OF SERPENTS (DARVEL EXPLORATORY SYSTEMS BOOK SIX) by S J Sanders
Therxian’s plan had been to live out the rest of his life as the leader of the hunt among the Vehal. He had never planned to return to the Aglatha or the shinara that raised him. But when his younger brother, Slengral escapes, Therxian must face all that he had left behind in order to be a vehicle of change and destroy the power of the council. Even that means taking on a Seshanamitesh mate from among their numbers in order to destroy the system from within. But the gods have a sense of humor. Not only does he suddenly have the burden of caring for and hiding a crash-landed and stranded human female, but his carefully designed plan to strategically select a mate is thrown into chaos in the form of a rotating breeding program among the noble females. It is an impossible situation that he cannot escape. Though having a clever female hidden in his nest rapidly proves to be quite beneficial… and far too alluring. Until proximity begins to stir his instincts in ways he never planned for. Beyond that, however, an older story within the shinara is playing its part, and a betrayer is waiting to spring her trap. But who is it? And what does fate hold for him and his Alex? AmazonKU
VS Note: Sapphic SFR.
The world burned three months ago. Lenora Bristow is still learning how to survive what remains when she finds Eden Creek. The isolated village looks Amish, untouched by the devastation beyond its fences. Its people offer Lenora everything she needs to recover: food, shelter, medicine, and safety. But something about Eden Creek is wrong. Its gardens are too healthy. Its medicine works too quickly. Its residents speak and move as though they learned how to be human by watching from the outside. Lenora should leave as soon as she is strong enough. Then there is Greta Miller. Patient, watchful, and impossible to ignore, Greta makes Lenora want things she thought the end of the world had taken from her. Trust. Home. Love. But Greta is keeping secrets of her own, and the closer Lenora gets to her, the harder it becomes to ignore one terrifying possibility. Greta Miller may not be human at all. If Lenora discovers what Eden Creek is really hiding, she will have to decide whether the strange sanctuary behind its fences is another threat to survive or the first place since the world ended where she might finally choose to stay. AmazonKU
STORM CALLER (STORM BREAKER BOOK TWO) by Nisha J Tuli
Poet Graves has only ever wanted to be free. But no matter where she turns, she’s held captive—by a power she doesn’t understand, a truth she no longer believes in, and a love she can’t deny. As Poet is drawn further into Rook’s world, his secrets force her to question who she can trust. But when friends turn into enemies, enemies prove to be allies, and the place that was once a safe harbor is revealed as the eye of the storm, Poet’s only choice is to fight for what she believes in. When New Manhattan’s darkest secrets refuse to stay hidden, the cause Poet and Rook fight for will be called into question. The answers are out there…and they could destroy everything. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
MUTINY (COMPANIONS TO THE LEVIATHAN BOOK FIVE) by Deiri Di
He’s big, dangerous, and watching my every move. Too bad for him, I’m not asking for permission. Mei – I didn’t break out of my cage just to sit quietly and trust that everything will be fine. I’m a maker, and I build things that go boom. If we want to secure our freedom, we need firepower…and I’m going to forge it myself. The only problem? The massive alien warrior lurking in the shadows of my workshop. He’s stern, intense, and possesses a lethal charm that makes my pulse race for all the wrong reasons. He tracks my every move, but I can’t let him get close enough to discover what I’m crafting. I refuse to be controlled again. Bulwark – The tiny human is going to blow herself to pieces. She thinks she’s crafting a weapon of salvation, but her device lacks a crucial failsafe. One spark, and she takes down the entire deck…along with every human on this ship. As a prospective crew member, it’s my duty to stop her. As a male who has claimed her in his heart, it’s my torment. She just won her freedom, and she guards it fiercely. How do I step between my stubborn mate and total destruction without making her hate me forever? AmazonKU
TROVE’S PURPOSE: FOURTH IN THE DELIVERY SERVICE SERIES by Talia Rhea
Delivery Details: One cup, standard size, crystalline in structure, to be delivered to a very wealthy client. Being stranded on a desert world with an entire starship recycling facility at their mercy, Trove and his crew had certainly managed to do more with less. Though the plane itself is lifeless, they continue to keep watch in the silent halls. Just in case some random little human female happens to track them down across the galaxies. Like this pretty little thing he greets by putting a pistol right in her face. Chee has one mission. To complete it, she has to find the crew of the Humble Delivery Service. Not that they’re hard to find. Her rather wealthy and mysterious benefactor already tracked them down, got her a starship, and sent her on her way with instructions on how to complete that mission. It seems easy enough. Until she meets Trove and finds him to be the most irritating, disgusting, frustrating playboy she’s evermet. Except there’s something about him that keeps pulling her back in. And every time she thinks she understands him, he proves her wrong. And maybe they have more in common than she initially thought. This is just a job. She has too much riding on her success to risk failure. But there’s a lot going wrong, and she isn’t sure that it’s even possible to complete this job. Chee has already sacrificed everything. She’s putting it all on the line. No matter what he’s like, Trove isn’t going to keep her from succeeding. Even if he’s probably the strongest person she’s ever met. AmazonKU
EMPIRE OF STARLIGHT (OLYMPUS SECTOR BOOK THREE) by Eden Ember
The Gods thought they ruled the stars. They were wrong. The Titans have returned. Massive, silent, and ancient, they have come to judge the galaxy for its sins. Their verdict is silence. Their sentence is extinction. Haid and I are the only things standing between humanity and total annihilation. To save us, we must walk into the heart of the enemy’s lair. We must return to the Golden Station where it all began, not as prisoners, but as executioners. But the closer I get to the source of my power, the more I lose myself. The human parts of me are dissolving into starlight. The only thing tethering me to this reality is Haid. He is my anchor. My shield. My love. We have seven days to kill an immortal Emperor and break the chains of a God. If we fail, the galaxy burns. If we succeed, I might become something so powerful that I can never touch him again. AmazonKU
ALIEN KING’S BRIDE (DARK SUMMER BOOK TWO) by M Q Rush
My boss promised this transfer was a promotion. Me? I’d call it a hostage situation. Diplomat Tracy Diallo is used to handling tense negotiations. But there’s no negotiating when you’re forced to be a mail-order bride. Under Earth’s secret bride program, Tracy’s now expected to be a docile wife to a deranged alien king. But if docile is what the king wants, they’ve sent the wrong woman. King Jace Renn is a ruthless sovereign, expecting perfect obedience from his subjects. Now, he’s losing all his restraint, thanks to the fierce Dark Summer mating season. Add one smart, curvy human who has too much self-respect for blind obedience, and he’s got his hands full trying to bend Tracy to his dark will. And when dangerous secrets shake the palace, this battle of wills turns into a battle for survival. AmazonKU
LESSONS IN OBEDIENCE: SIX SHORT STORIES FROM THE KALL ALIEN WARRIORS UNIVERSE by Sue Lyndon
VS note: Two of the stories are new and the others are re-releases.
Their husbands will teach them to obey…Step beyond the pages of the Kall Alien Warriors novels and discover six steamy short stories featuring fierce, dominant Kall warriors, wayward wives, and lessons in obedience. From discipline and surrender to temptation and desire, these stories offer a closer look at the intense bonds between possessive alien warriors and the women they’ll never let go. Includes:
Forced to Wed – A Lesson for Chrisna – Draken and Lissa’s Wedding Night – Edek’s Wayward Wife – Punishing His War Bride – Submitting to the Head of Security – Return to the Kall Alien Warriors universe for six scorching-hot tales of steadfast devotion, dark desire, and undeniable passion. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
LEVEL UP FOR LOVE : A NOVEL by Lenora Woods
In college, Reagan Riley and Wesley Locke were constantly at each other’s throats, competing to be the best in their video game design program—until Wesley ghosts her after their unexpected hookup, severing their ties for good. Six years later, Reagan has set aside her game design dreams, opting instead to stay close to her family in Connecticut and channel her creative energy into D&D. When her longstanding group falls apart, she and her sister join their local game store’s new advanced campaign—only to find the demanding Dungeon Master at the helm is none other than Wesley. In the game, he is Vadrien, a merciless, power-hungry vampire lord, and Reagan is Sindra, the sword-wielding lady knight who will stop at nothing to cut him down. When a game design opportunity opens up in the real world, Reagan and Wesley find themselves doubly pitted against each other. But as their buried spark reignites and Reagan starts to question why Wesley left all those years ago, can they find a way to play nice—and are they playing for more than just to win? Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
CRESSIDA’S CIRCLE (EMPIRE OF THE SKY BOOK NINe) by Mikala Ash
VS Note: Steampunk and magic.
In a world overthrown by witchcraft, a giant love has been lost. Can Cressida be saved? Mourning the loss of her husband, Cressida Troy is on her way to Earth. Her mission; to meet the Queen of England and cement relations between the Lunarians and humans to present a united front in the approaching war with the Martians. For Cressida, the mission has a much deeper and personal meaning. Being human, as well as the Lunarian Empress, Cressida is plagued by doubt and guilt and seeks redemption for what is seen by many as the betrayal of her species. Matters are complicated when she is kidnapped by the pernicious witch, Lady Neva, who is hell-bent on revenge against Queen Victoria. Armed with unlimited magical power, Lady Neva is planning to usurp the crown and rule both Earth and space. Meanwhile Jacob McLeary, Cressida’s former fiancé, is under the watchful and lascivious eye of Lavinia Branscombe, a Lunarian agent. Knowledge of the dark secret at the heart of the Lunarian society fuels Jacob’s loathing of the aliens, but with so much at stake, can love overcome the barrier of hate? Will Cressida find redemption?…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page)
CONTRACTED BY THE ALIEN PRINCE by Tammy Walsh
She was paid a fortune to seduce a reclusive alien prince. One touch and a fated bond ignites between them. Now the prince is in full rut — and he just discovered the contract. Trapped with a massive, feral alpha who will never let her go. Amazon KU
REAPER SAID MINE by Athena Storm
I do not grant interviews. She forces her way onto my station anyway. Green eyes that refuse to drop. A mouth that keeps asking the questions every other reporter was too smart or too scared to touch. I deny her. Twice. Three times. Then the bond snaps into place and every refusal turns into a lie I can taste. She digs. She finds things that get people disappeared. Powers that have circled me for years suddenly look at her like she is a tool they can use. They do not get to touch her. She is under my protection whether she wants the weight of it or not. My corridors. My claim. My problem to solve. I will hold the lanes. I will break the ones who move against her. I will make the entire Badlands understand that the woman who came for my story now belongs inside it.
She wanted access. I am giving her ownership. AmazonKU
VS Note: Mixed reviews of the science worldbuilding on the anomaly at the center of the plot. Listed in Romance Literary Fiction so there might not be an HEA when it comes to the central issue the couple wants to solve in their private lives (loss of a child). I couldn’t find a review that gave spoilers on that. The relationship and emotions got favorable reviews.
“We wake up to tomorrow, never yesterday.” At the edge of the world, biologist Laurel Salter is hiding from everything she’s ever known. For ten hours a day, six days per week, she works as a dishwasher at McMurdo Station, an isolated research base in Antarctica. She tells no one that before she arrived, she was a renowned young scientist with a promising career and a family. But even in this remote outpost, Laurel can’t escape her past. When a strange light appears across the ice—and draws a group of physicists to McMurdo—her former husband, Eli, won’t be far behind. Laurel is captivated by the Arc: its surreal glow; the way it seems almost alive. And though Eli is reluctant to test her wildest theory, Laurel is convinced that the Arc leads down a rabbit hole and into a world they can barely imagine. Can she persuade him to risk everything to fix the burden that hangs between them—to turn back the clock and live their story a second time? A breathless page-turner and a love letter to our planet, Under Story grapples with the great questions of our time: human hubris, the precarity of the natural world, and the mysterious webs of consciousness that bind us. A modern epic of science and soul, of bravery and redemption, it offers a vision of the future that demands we reckon with what we owe to one another, and to the earth itself. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
WHEN DRAGONS PLAY: A DRAGON LORDS OF VALDIER ADVENTURE by S E Smith
VS Note: Listed in LGBTQ SciFi
Tag…Kelan Reykill is at his breaking point with the latest batch of recruits. They’re so unruly that even two sets of twin dragons have been driven to the brink, muttering threats of mayhem and murder. Just as Kelan is ready to call it quits, inspiration strikes in the most unexpected way. Trisha is amused and eager to help when her mate presents her with his dilemma. Thanks to her dad, she knows a thing or two about handling cocky recruits. She grew up tracking and tagging overconfident trainees for fun. When Kelan shares his struggle with the unruly group of misfit warriors, her solution is simple: challenge them to a game they can’t resist-a high-stakes game of tag. However, what starts as a game quickly turns serious. Can a simple lesson in humility prepare this group of young dragon shifters for the ultimate test of survival when they find themselves stranded on a hostile alien world?
NYSPD lieutenant Eve Dallas never knows what to expect when she gets word of a body. It could be an elderly man who made the mistake of climbing a ladder in slippery footwear. And the next call could be a wealthy biotech executive beaten to death in his home office—but what was Larry Chu’s mistake? The victim’s corpse is so mangled and damaged it’s hard to believe a lone, unarmed assailant could have managed it. The killer was clearly unnaturally strong—and smart enough to find a way into Chu’s highly secure building. Most of all, whoever did this was very, very angry. The excessive violence leads Dallas to conclude that this was a deeply personal act, born of a rage that she can’t excuse but can understand thanks to her own traumatic past. And though the motive seems rooted in heated emotion rather than cold hard cash, she can’t ignore the suspicious bank account in the Cayman Islands, or the shadowy, profit-hungry company Chu worked for. The mystery only grows when it turns out Chu isn’t the only victim—and Dallas will need to tear through one layer of secrecy after another to reveal what lies behind this explosion of fury. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
*******************BRIEF BREAK BEFORE THE FANTASY/PNR BOOKS!**************************************
VS Note: I had to feature this book from my backlist this week – book two of my Intergalactic Dating Agency Soldiers of the Ardannan series from 2025! Grumpy/ sunshine… (Book 4 releases SEPT 14 and is on preorder here:
LATHAM (SOLDIERS OF THE ARDANNAN BOOK TWO) (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Veronica Scott
Helaine Davies is an office manager on Earth whose life is routine, boring and dull. Safe. She accepts an all-expenses paid trip to the Intergalactic Dating Agency’s Resort Planet to spend five days with a hunky alien forest ranger. The only problem? She may have exaggerated a few things on her matching preferences sheet and told a few white lies but that shouldn’t matter, right? Latham Muirtx is ex-military, participating in this dating event under orders from his government which wants Ardannan-human matches in order to become more fully seen as members of the galaxy-wide Sectors civilization. He doesn’t want to be there. As a result of his experiences in the military he can’t handle crowds, he loathes clubs, doesn’t dance and isn’t looking for a mate. Give him the great outdoors and freedom to roam. Can these two totally opposite personalities find common ground? When catastrophe strikes will they pull together as a team to survive the chaos or will their differences drive a permanent wedge between them? The Intergalactic Dating Agency has been successfully matching humans and aliens for centuries. Now they’ve expanded to also operating a luxury resort just in time to help the interstellar Ardannan kingdom find human mates in hopes of smoothing their way into becoming well accepted Sectors citizens and allies. Every eligible Ardannan male between the ages of 20-50 has been ordered to spend a week at the resort with the woman the IDA algorithm says is their match These are a few of their stories. A 26K word novella crossover between the Sectors SF romances and the Intergalactic Dating Agency. It’s not necessary to have read any of the interconnected Sectors series to enjoy this book.
************************* 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!*********************
SEEING HARPER – RILEY’S PRICE 2ND GENERATION by Sandra R Neeley
VS Note: “Light on the supernatural” sez one review.
Harper has floated through life with few-to-no problems. It’s always been assumed she’ll take over her family’s tree farm, so her future was never a question — to anyone but herself. While she understands the family business must continue, it’s not her desire to be at the helm. She’d rather spend her life with the noble creatures she fell in love with as a child. Horses. That’s where her gifts lie. She’s practically a horse whisperer, and the only time she’s truly happy is when she’s working with them. The equine center near her home is her happy place. The horses fill her life, and she fills theirs. Special bonds were formed years ago with not only the horses, but the family who owns the equine center. Unfortunately, it’s an issue of contention in her family. Her father is resentful of the time she spends there…(much more blurb on ebook seller’s page) AmazonKU
HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR OWN DEATH (REAPER’S MATE BOOK ONE) by Nancey Cummings
Geri died. A little. She was feeling better. Turns out being sort-of-dead is complicated. The complication? She’s being stalked by a guy in robes with a hood and a scythe… Yeah, that guy. He claims she owes him a debt for saving her life and intends to collect. Nope. Not going to happen. Doesn’t matter if the reaper is awkwardly charming and is sweet to his dog. Over her dead body. How to Survive Your Own Death is book one of a three book series, The Reaper’s Mate. This is a slow burn! There will be a Happily Ever After but not until book 3. We take our slow burns seriously around here.
THE BANSHEE’S UMISTAKABLE LOVE by Alora Quinn
BRIAR – Blair never told me that Zander was returning to town. I’m unprepared when I spot him for the first time, and even more so when he approaches me. Then he calls me Blair, and my brain seems to turn off. So, what do I do? Not correct him. Stupidly, I pretend I am, in fact, my sister. Each moment spent with him afterward makes my childhood crush grow stronger—but my heart breaks a bit more each time. Can he really not tell the difference between Blair and me? We keep spending time together, and now I’m in too deep. I have to figure out how to tell him I’ve been lying about who I am this entire time. Even thinking of the outcome scares me. Will I break his trust far past repair, or will he reciprocate the feelings that I’ve been hiding since childhood? ZANDER – Getting back to my hometown after being away for four years feels great. I’m excited to go to my favorite local restaurants, see my childhood best friend Blair, and her twin sister—who I’ve been crushing on since the sixth grade. They may be identical, but there’s no mistaking Briar from Blair. Briar is everything I want, but have never been able to reach. So, when I get to town and she’s the first person I see, I’m flooded with the same feelings I had when I left. What I don’t expect is for Briar to pretend to be her sister when I jokingly call her Blair. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I decide to play along with her game of pretend. The more time I spend with her, the more my heart longs for her. I can’t wait for this silly little game to be over so we can stop pretending and I can tell her how I’ve always felt. AmazonKU
CHERRY MOON: A FOUR MOONS NOVELLA by Richard Amos
VS Note: MM PNR.
Ready for some freshly baked chaos? Akira and Gabriel are back in this brand new novella. But if you haven’t read The Four Moons series, or the sequel short story Christmas Moon, then I strongly recommend you do not read Cherry Moon until you have because here be plenty of spoilers. There’s a wedding on my horizon. I still can’t believe it. Me, Akira Murakami, is getting married to the love of his life. Pinch me. Hard. Oh, and I’m baking my own wedding cake. I mean, who else is going to do it? Unfortunately, impending marital bliss comes with a cruel sting in the tail. Before I can say “I do”, drama decides to rear its ugly head. I guess some old habits never die, eh? I’ve become a target for a new breed of nasty, ripped out of my love bubble to hide from the rising darkness wanting to end my life. It’s supposed Cherry Moon week – the holiest week of the year. Ugh. But I won’t stay hidden for long. And I won’t let the shadows win. They’re not taking this life from me. I’ll make sure of it. Mark my words, I’m marrying my hunky fiancé no matter what. Even if it kills me. AmazonKU
DAMASK DREAMS (HAVEN HOLLOW BOOK 48) by J R Rain
Some murders refuse to stay buried. Some secrets refuse to stay hidden. Wanda Depraysie has survived witches, demons, vampires, and more supernatural disasters than any fashion designer should have to endure. But this time, surviving may not be enough. A man is dead. The body has been drained of blood, the evidence points in impossible directions, and a relentless homicide detective is convinced Wanda knows more than she’s admitting. As suspicion closes in, she’s forced to juggle a murder investigation, dangerous new supernatural powers, and the growing realization that powerful enemies are moving behind the scenes. When unsettling visitors begin delivering thinly veiled threats and old foes resurface with mysterious offers, Wanda discovers the murder may be only the opening move in a far more dangerous game. One wrong decision could expose the hidden supernatural world—or destroy everyone she’s fought to protect. With a devoted vampire at her side, loyal friends she refuses to abandon, and danger closing in from every direction, Wanda must uncover the truth before the hunter becomes the hunted. AmazonKU
IGNITE THE INFERNOS (SECRET OF THE SYPHON BOOK TWO) by Ivy Asher
After her family curse is lifted, Ever’s on the run from her enemy, a shifter who’s both her foe and her fate, in this slow-burn sequel to Spark the Flames. With one murderous act, Ever Tenebrae has freed the Syphons. But breaking the curse was only the beginning of the daunting journey ahead . . .Ever’s once again on the run from the Horde and the dragon prince who’s become something far more dangerous than a mere enemy. Aeson Noctis is on the hunt, and the deeper he digs through the sands of the Scorch, the more truths he uncovers. Though the road’s fraught with peril, Ever will have to move quickly if she’s to reunite with her people and ensure their survival. Staying hidden should’ve been easy for the Syphons, but their protection weakens as the bond between Ever and Aeson grows stronger each day. Now, with old adversaries closing in and new threats rising from the shadows, Ever must decide once and for all who to trust. Because the Syphons’ secrets are coming to light, and what’s revealed could save them—or lead to their ultimate destruction. AmazonKU AB
PURSUING THE DREAMWEAVER’S LOOM (DAME OF THE MIDNIGHT RELICS BOOK 11) by Brenda Trim
I thought banishing two Princes of Hell would buy me some peace. Eighteen hours. That’s all I got before Phoebe called with news of twelve people dead in their sleep in Millbrook, Iowa—all reporting the same nightmare before their hearts gave out. The Dreamweaver’s Loom, an artifact designed to heal trauma by entering dreams, has been twisted into a weapon that traps consciousness and drains life force while victims sleep. My daughter Amelie asked me what happens if I don’t come back. For the first time since I was chosen for this job, I didn’t have an answer. Now I’m hunting a killer who doesn’t need to be in the same room to murder you. Someone who can pull you into shared nightmares while you’re awake, turn gardens into flesh-eating horrors, and hop between bodies to live forever. The local coven tried to investigate—three of them are in comas. The entire town is terrified to close their eyes. As a Relic Keeper, I’m supposed to protect artifacts from being corrupted. But this one’s already in the hands of someone who’s been body-hopping through the Hartley family for decades, and they’re not done collecting victims. Every person who falls asleep in a three-mile radius is a potential target. Every dream could be their last. My team and I have faced impossible odds before. Demons, possessed relics, apocalyptic rituals. But now we’re fighting something we can’t see. There’s no battling your own subconscious when someone else is controlling it. And the worst part? I have to sleep eventually. The nightmares are waiting. And this time, I might not wake up. AmazonKU
THE TEA WITCH’S PURPOSE (PURPLE OAK OASIS) by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade
VS Note: Sapphic PNR.
Most tea witches are healers, but that’s not what Lian wants. Tea witch and healer, Lian Ju Feng, has always been a woman of duty and order. Everything has its rules, and everything has its place. It’s what makes life simple, even when she has to relocate to a new country and leave her home behind. Pepper might be a tea witch, but there’s nothing she loves more in life than baking and testing the boundaries of what makes a good pastry. When the two women meet, they clash immediately over breakfast and their principles. It doesn’t help that Pepper challenges everything Lian thought was true about herself… but maybe that’s exactly what she needs. The Tea Witch’s Purpose is a cozy fantasy romance with a sapphic romance, a tea witch who likes things orderly, and one who loves to bake, unusual magic, a pinch of steam, and a happy ever after. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
THE FAE’S TREASURE by S C Principale
Dairmuid – I never meant to anger Saz, a succubus with a penchant for fae souls. After a few months of scorching hot encounters that threatened to melt the wings right off my back, it seemed love was in the air. Then, Saz made a demand—give her my soul, or she’d never reveal the location of the faeling she’s birthed and hidden in the mortal world. It’s clear now that Saz doesn’t truly love me, or she’d never threaten me like this. My son—a son she hid from me—is trapped, alone, and defenseless. Now, I have to race through the mortal world to find my child before Saz’s peak of power hits, or my baby will be doomed to remain a changeling forever. Deanna – The baby I found on my back porch is not quite… normal. I thought at first maybe it was just me, but… No, it’s definitely Rory. He sports tiny wings when the light is just right, and those red irises are a dead giveaway. I know the right thing to do would be to turn him over to the foster care system, but right for who? How can I trust that someone special like Rory would be safe in a system that…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page) AmazonKU
An incubus looking for a soul to feast on finds love on the menu instead…Stray is an incubus who isn’t quite like the others. He misses his old hunting buddy, who “turned good” and only sips on souls, without stealing them. But maybe All Hallow’s Eve is the perfect chance to lure his friend back to the dark side… If not, at least he’ll be walking among the mortals and sure to find a tasty dish. But when Stray finds Cara, everything changes. He’s never scented a soul quite like hers. Too bad it’s in such a miserable shell. He’ll never get a taste of her when she’s like this. What will an incubus with a craving do to get the girl of his dreams? What starts as a game to improve the taste of the girl on the menu ends up being a gamble for her entire heart. But will she share it with someone like him? AmazonKU
SLAYER by Leia Stone
They told me turning eighteen meant freedom. They never said it might kill me. All I wanted was cake, candles, and a fresh start after aging out of the group home I’ve been stuck in for six years. What I got instead? A vampire crashing my party and trying to drain me dry. Apparently, vampires are real and I can sense them. Right before I become dinner, a gorgeous, broody vampire hunter named Asher swoops in and saves me. He tells me I’m not just some orphan with a bad attitude… I’m a legacy. A born Vampire Hunter. And now I’ve got a full ride to Nightguard Academy, a secret school for hunters. Training to kill the undead? Kinda savage. Except there’s one problem: I’m hiding a secret so dark it could get me staked before graduation. And in a school full of monsters, secrets don’t stay buried for long. AmazonKU AB
VIRTUALLY GUARDED: VIRTUAL HAVEN PACK BOOK ONE by Karenna Colcroft
VS Note: LGBTQ+ PNR.
Newly-changed werewolf Ren Torres flees from pack members who assaulted him when his first shift from wolf form to human revealed him as a transgender man. Injured and terrified, Ren runs to the home of the Anax, ruler of all werewolves in the United States. There, Ren finds sanctuary—and his destined mate. On the eve of the annual gathering of the U.S. werewolf leaders, the Anax’s guard, Xavier Pelly, has traveled with the Anax to the secondary home where the gathering will occur. When Ren arrives, Xavier immediately recognizes the new, petite werewolf as his fated mate. The one he will protect at any cost. As the gathering progresses, Xavier works to gain Ren’s trust and to build the emotional connection Xavier requires. Feeling secure for the first time in his life with Xavier’s caring support, Ren finds his place in the Anax’s staff, helping to create Virtual Haven, an online support group for LGBTQ+ werewolves. But when the gathering ends, emotional demons from Ren’s past life on the streets cause Ren to run from Xavier—and when one of the pack members who assaulted Ren finds him, Ren’s life with his mate might come to an end. This book includes depictions of transphobia, including a trans-bashing; on-page death of werewolves (no major characters); discussion of past abuse and sexual assault; and discussions of prostitution. The book takes place in the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat universe, but is not a direct part of that series. AmazonKU
NEVER INVITE A VAMPIRE TO DINNER (WRONG MOVE, RIGHT MONSTER) by Honey Phillips
Love was never part of the menu. Penelope Harrington loves bringing people together. So when the mysterious owner of Blackthorn House returns to Black Harbor, she invites him to dinner. She doesn’t expect him to accept. She definitely doesn’t expect him to be a vampire. Or to keep accepting her invitations. After centuries of carefully avoiding attention, Julian Volkov wants nothing more than a quiet life. Then Penny barges into his world with themed dinner parties, endless questions, and a determined belief that no one should eat alone. Unfortunately for Julian, saying no to her proves impossible. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for Julian to stay hidden—and the harder it becomes to imagine a future without the woman who keeps trying to feed him homemade garlic bread. But when a paranormal podcast starts digging into the secrets of Blackthorn House, Julian’s carefully constructed life begins to unravel. Suddenly, the woman who invited him to dinner may be the only person who can protect both his secrets and his heart. AmazonKU
LITTLE BITE OF BLISS (CREATURE CAFE SERIES) by Clio Evans
Creatures of all kinds go to the Barista to find love, including the sexy winged sphinx known as Leni. Leni has waited over a thousand years to be loved. After rudely interrupting the Barista’s own date night, she demands the grumpy grim reaper do what he is known for—match her with her fated mate. Archer stopped believing that he’d fall in love long ago. Even though he’s part of the Barista’s extended family, he has spent his life believing he was undeserving of a match. But when the Barista sets him up with a gorgeous dominant monster, he submits to the hope for a future where he can finally be worthy of a happy ending. Will love be enough to heal Archer’s wounds and give Leni her own littl e bite of bliss? AmazonKU
BURN OF THE EVERFLAME: THE KINDRED’S CURSE SAGA, BOOK FOUR by Penn Cole
War has overtaken Emarion. In the north, Ophiucae and his army of bloodthirsty mortals seek to eradicate all Descended from the continent. In the south, the Guardians of the Everflame lie in wait, plotting a rebellion generations overdue. In Lumnos, Realm of Light and Shadow, the Crowns are gathering. Caught between two deadly foes, they must form an unlikely alliance to save their people.
But the Crowns have a secret—and a heart without its mate will burn the world down to fulfill its fate. Hatred reigns. Hope seems lost. With the future in darkness, can a flame emerge to bring the light? AmazonKU AB
EVERGREEN: A GAY DRYAD SHIFTER PNR ACADEMY ROMANCE (WIDDERSHINS ACADEMY BOOK SEVEN) by Blake R Wolfe
A grumpy witch. A sunshine dryad. A kiss that wakes the wood…Cass: I came to Widdershins to get away from home and party, not plant trees. After I accidentally set the campus greenhouse on fire, expulsion is on the table. Unless I work off every bit of the damage, dawn to dusk, until the semester ends. And the guy I have to answer to is Linden—seven-foot something, shoulders like a barn door, and the kind of smile that makes everyone’s heart melt, including mine. He wakes seeds with a touch, knows every plant by name, and calls me “Sparks” even though I hate it. I try to be unimpressed. My magic… does not cooperate. The more time we spend together—hauling charred debris, coaxing scorched beds back to life, rebuilding the whole ruined conservatory pane by pane—the calmer my storms get. A part of me wants to be with him, to give happiness a chance. But dryads are bound to their heartwood. Can I really commit to a guy who has to answer to the trees to keep his power? Linden: I like sunshine, water, and Cass Reed. I take care of the Grove, the bees, and anyone who wanders in looking tired. Cass pretends he doesn’t need help and I pretend I don’t notice his magic going haywire every time I’m near. I’m a simple guy. I lift heavy things, coax saplings to grow, and make Cass laugh at least once a day. I’d love nothing more than to sweep him up in my arms and run away, the two of us bonded forever. But roots matter. If I’m away from the Heartwood too long, I fade. And now a development company has bought up my family’s grove and means to raze it to the ground. I’m graduating with roots I can’t dig up, and Cass still has two years left at Widdershins. Our paths seem to be diverging. I have a forest that counts on me to survive. But my heart may never recover if I let Cass go. AmazonKU
HER DRAGON NERD: A FROG PRINCE RETELLING (FATED MATES OF MIRROR ACADEMY ROMANTASY SERIES BOOK SEVEN) by Demelza Carlton
When Diana Argyros vanished from a Mirror Academy ball, no one believed the story: that she’d found her fated mate and run away to be with him. Her brother Blaze searched. The whole academy whispered. The truth was stranger than any of them guessed — she’d knocked a golden ball into an old well and freed a frog. Not just any frog. Astrit, Duke of Pharamund — eighteenth-century scholar, exiled Frenchman, green dragon shifter, and the most reluctantly cursed man in the Highlands. A kiss is all it takes to free him… and leave Diana staring at a duke who’s two hundred years behind on the news, calling her the mate he’s waited centuries to find. She can’t simply take his word for it. A dragon knows her mate in her bones — but Diana has never once shifted, so all she can do is keep the lost duke close, show him everything he missed, and let him carry her through Highland skies she’s only ever watched from the ground. And somewhere in two centuries of catching up, the cover story starts to feel less like a lie and more like a life she could choose. The silver dragon she was always told she’d never become might be waiting on the far side of one impossible leap of faith — if she’s brave enough to claim a mate she can’t yet feel, in time to fly home for the sanctuary’s grand opening… and a wedding on the shore of Loch Sanctuary that’s been a very long time coming. Amazon
HOW TO CLAIM A SHADOW KING (WILDER OAK WOODS BOOK ONE) by January Bell
I always knew my bloodline would demand a price… I just assumed it would involve a dusty ballroom and a mortal lord. I never expected my stepfather to trade my hand to an ancient entity with burning ember eyes and zero respect for personal space. The moment the fabled King of Shadows claims me, I’m swept away into a ruined fortress hidden deep in the Wild Oak Woods. On the outside, Castle Shadow is all crumbling stone and creepy rumors. Inside? It’s a warm, sentient mansion that happens to be an aggressive matchmaker. Even worse, it turns out I’m a witch, and a light bursts from my skin every time the Shadow King gets under it. Malakai insists he can help me control my magic, but his lessons look a lot less like mentorship and a lot more like breathless kisses in the forest. The more time we spend together, the more I realize he isn’t a heartless monster… and I might even like him. But a wild fae magic is stirring, and my new home (and possessive new husband) are right in its path. If I want to protect the Wild Oak Woods, I’ll have to unleash the power inside me… and claim the Shadow King along with it. AmazonKU
PROTECTIVE PUCKING ORC by Veronika Kane
A single mom on the run. An intimidating orc hockey defenseman. One little girl they’ll both risk everything to save. I came to Bramblewood Bluff to disappear: keep my head down, wait tables at a breakfast diner, protect Rosa. And never, ever let anyone get close enough to ask questions. Then Dakvaar started sitting in my section every morning. I don’t know much about hockey, but apparently he’s the defenseman for the Teal Terrors. Which makes sense, honestly; this orc looks like he was personally built to stop bad things from getting past him. Huge, silent, fierce. The kind of male who could probably stare a charging bull into reconsidering its life choices. He barely talks. Just drinks coffee, leaves ridiculous tips, and somehow notices everything anyway… Like the fact that my five-year-old hides in the diner corner during my shifts. Like the way I flinch when strangers get too loud. Like the fact that I’m scared all the time. When the danger I’ve been hiding from finally catches up with us, and I take Rosa to run…we accidentally run smack into Dakvaar. Without blinking, he inserts himself between me and the man hunting us with the same cold focus he uses to defend the net. Now Rosa and I are living in his apartment while the entire hockey team closes ranks around us. Dakvaar says we’re safe; nobody touches what belongs to him. And the terrifying part is…I think he means it. But I can’t let him be hurt when my past finally catches us. AmazonKU
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TANK (SAVAGE DRAGONS BOOK FIVE) by Kathi S Barton
Tank Savage has waited centuries for one thing—his destined mate. He never expected to find her at a funeral. Sherman “Tank” Savage has faced danger, protected his family, and embraced the power of the dragon within him. But the moment he meets Serenity Jamestown, he knows his life has changed forever. She’s intelligent, compassionate, and carrying more heartbreak than anyone should have to bear. Still reeling from the loss of her sister, Serenity has no time for romance. Between settling an estate, fending off a greedy sister, and preparing to return to New York, falling for a charming man in a small town is the last thing on her mind. Tank isn’t willing to let fate slip away. With family standing beside them and a dragon’s heart refusing to surrender, Tank and Serenity must discover whether love truly can rise from the ashes of loss. Because when a dragon finds his mate…he’ll risk everything to keep her safe.
SORROW AND STRANGERS (AVALON UNIVERSITY BOOK TWO) by Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune
Fear. Fury. And Fire. To Know is Never Enough. Summer Tuatha De Daanan reluctantly returns to Avalon University for her second year after spending the summer with her vampire best friend in Draculea. She’s a shell of her former self, and the peace promised to her has never felt further from her reach. All Summer wants is to keep her head down and get through the year cloaked in her depression, but looming threats linger, and she quickly finds herself thrust into a dangerous position once again; entangled with a friend turned enemy, the protector of her beloved family, and the target of two very powerful kings. Unwilling to suffer any further loss, Summer must push through her emotions to prepare herself for the enemies who threaten everything she holds dear. Through runic training with the revered and brooding Headmaster Emrys, combat with the aloof and strong-willed Max, and improving her mental walls with the dark and mysterious stranger, each step pulls her further from the edge of despair. Yet, nothing will be simple for Summer, and the more she trains, the more she discovers who she truly is, forcing her to confront her inner darkness. The beast within that purrs for her enigmatic stalker. A darkness that is waiting to be explored. A darkness that will not be denied. AmazonKU AB
A PALE KINGDOM (MIDNIGHT REPUBLIC BOOK ONE) by L B Black
VS Note: MMF slow burn romance.
In Rouvelle, the guillotine has never failed. Until Callan. A human priest accused of practicing forbidden magic, Callan is sentenced to die beneath the guillotine. Lenore, the vampire chosen to carry out his execution, is meant to be the last person he ever sees. But when the blade falls, the execution goes wrong, and Callan vanishes, leaving behind a city on the brink of revolution. Lenore has spent her life proving that her family is loyal to the vampire crown. Her mother was executed as a traitor, and becoming the king’s newest High Executioner is her best chance to restore her family’s name. So when Callan disappears, Lenore chooses to hunt the man she could not kill. And Vail is hunting her. The king’s spymaster, Vail was once Lenore’s betrothed and the man she loved. Now their marriage is a political obligation, and Lenore no longer knows whether she can trust his heart or his loyalties. But as rebellion spreads through Rouvelle, the three of them are drawn into a conspiracy buried at the heart of the vampire court. To survive, Lenore and Vail must confront the love they thought they had lost, while Callan must decide whether he can trust the two people who should be his enemies. Because the king is searching for a forgotten magic that could free humanity from the vampire courts… or make their rule eternal. AmazonKU
THE MINOTAUR’S MARK: MM MONSTER ROMANCE (VAULTWORKS: MOMSTERS BELOW BOOK ONE by Morrigan Black
Nobody hires a killer with a juvie record. Vaultworks did. Night shift. No questions. No application. One elevator ride later, the wall sealed shut behind me — and I understood. I wasn’t hired. I was fed to the labyrinth. Then he found me. Ten feet of horns, black hide, and barely leashed muscle. The others wanted to carve me up and split the meat. Kjorvan didn’t ask. He claimed. They say he’s been trapped down here a hundred years. They say nothing warm survives the maze. But the first thing he gives me isn’t teeth. It’s protection. And every night in his den, his hands teach me something no one on the surface ever bothered to — what it feels like to be kept. The world above threw me away and called me a monster. It was right about one thing. Monsters keep what’s theirs. AmazonKU
MANY RUINED VOWS ON A FORBIDDEN FROLIC by Delilah Dare
Forbidden fruit tastes sweetest…Pikquarrys is the heroic spellcarver of Loreleivnna’s village and her father’s best friend. He’s spent fifty years away from the kingdom to avoid his feelings about a certain bratty princess. The king declares it’s time for her to marry…and there’s no one he trusts more than Pikquarrys to supervise her dates during the harvest, a time when flowers release aphrodisiacal pollen. Set in the partially sentient, mischievous elemental world of Mating the Elements and Tales From Eldrunna, this sweet & spicy novella is part of the multi-author series Spicetember AmazonKU
MADE WITH LOVE AND CURSES by Brianna Malotke
Welcome to Howling Point, where love & magic collide! Now that monsters roam the earth out in the open, finding your fated mate should be easier. Right? But love is never cookie cutter perfect. Bridget Raynor is a Kitchen Witch with a love for cooking. She’s clumsy as hell, bakes with love, and believes in soulmates. Life in Howling Point, MI is going soothingly. Until her so-called soulmate breaks her heart into a million pieces. After a nasty divorce, Bridget dives into her business and pursues starting a family on her own. She doesn’t want to wait for another chance on love. Why risk getting hurt again when she can just make a family on her own? Victor Aalto is a high-powered divorce attorney who sees couples break up every week. As a 200-year-old Kraken whose bloodline is cursed for eternity, his half form lurks beneath the surface at all times. He thought he had finally found the love of his life and the one willing to overlook his family’s curse. Then she left him at the altar. It took years to feel normal again. Why would he ever give his heart to another person again? Victor no longer believes in love…until he literally bumps into Bridget and starts questioning his every decision. Can the two of them overlook their pasts, share their secrets, and find happiness? Spice-tember. AmazonKU
ONE THIN LINE: FROGSBORO SWAMP STOMPERS by Brandy S Goodman
Kaleigh made the rules: 1. No strings. 2. No emotions. 3. No falling. Davis agreed—even though he’d already broken every single one. Now it’s senior year, tensions are higher, and every goodbye feels a little too final. Because what started as something easy…is turning into something neither of them can walk away from. Welcome to Spice-tember! One Thin Line is the perfect steamy short to start off your spooky season. Welcome to Frogsboro, NC! Where meet-cutes, rom-coms, and spice heat things up between monsters and their fated mate humans. Look out for other characters that intermingle between series, everyone will get their own book in due time. AmazonKU
HEAVEN’S GRAVEYARD by Grace Curtis
VS Note: Lesbian SF/F. From June 16.
Be careful what you pray for . . .Cod became an archaeologist to chase the ghost of her hero, Aleya Ana-Ulai. History may have written Aleya off as a myth, but Cod is determined to prove she existed, even if it means sifting through relics for the rest of her life. Then a message arrives summoning her home. Cod’s former teacher has found something monumental: the ruins of an enchanted city, slumbering beneath the soil. This could be the breakthrough they’ve always dreamed of. But with war brewing, rival powers circling, and ancient magics stirring underfoot, their discovery soon becomes far more trouble than it’s worth. Even Cod starts to wonder if some things are better left buried. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
FLAMES AND BLOOD (DRAGONBLOOD DYNASTY BOOK 15) by BE Brouillard
I fix things. People, mostly. The Guild sends me a name. The name stops being a problem. Sixty years. No exceptions. Then I saw her. Flaming hair, golden eyes. Chained to the floor of a truck bed. Three handlers keeping their distance. I’ve walked through blood and fire without breaking stride. One look at a woman I’d never met, and they had to stop me from following that truck into the dark. I don’t know what happened to me that day. I know I can’t undo it. I made a promise to find her. The truth is, I couldn’t refuse if I tried. But things are never simple in my world. She’s dragon royalty. Heir to a clan so old they’re spoken of like a myth. Promised to a male her family chose before she could fly. I’m a Turned vampire. No bloodline. No standing. In her world, I’m the help. The job is simple. Free her. Deliver her home. Walk away. I manage two out of three. Somebody sold her into those chains. Somebody close. And a dragon who comes home alive is a loose end that needs finishing. Someone’s put a target on her back. They should have thought that through. Because hurting her means going through me. And I’m very good at my job. AmazonKU
MONSTER DINER (PUMPKIN HOLLOW NOVELLA) by Nicolette Andrews
Lizzy’s life is in shambles. On the day she gets fired from her job and catches her loser boyfriend cheating, she finds out her estranged father died and left her a run-down diner. Now she has to return to her childhood home of Pumpkin Hollow, a hidden community for witches and paranormals like her, and run the family business. But Lizzy isn’t the sole owner. Her father left half the house and diner to Victor, his business partner and dangerously hot reanimated corpse. Victor’s maker crafted him to be the perfect man and cobbled him together from premium parts. But Victor’s desire to be a chef disappointed his creator, and he abandoned him. Since he didn’t have a family, he built his own. He adopted a newly turned zombie teenager and invested his life’s savings into buying half his friend and mentor’s diner to save it from ruin. Victor thought he had it all, then Lizzy, the girl that got away, returned. This time, he won’t let her go. Lizzy has no desire to run the diner or dating, the tall, scarred chef, but the diner is understaffed, in their busiest season. She agrees to stay until Halloween, help Victor out until after the yearly festival. But as the kitchen and their relationship heats up, she realizes it’s not just inheritance but hearts on the line. AmazonKU
MANE IN FINANCE by Vixen Voss and Milly Taiden
She thinks she’s the hunter. Wait until she finds out whose territory she’s been standing in. Four point six billion dollars. Sixty-three shell companies. A federal case with my name at the end of every road. She isn’t wrong about the money. She’s wrong about what it’s hiding. I should have let her file it. Instead I pulled her out of the treeline before the men hunting her arrived, and now she’s in my house with my ledgers open across her knees. Let her run the numbers. Every asset I have ends where she’s standing. She came for my empire. She can have it. I’m keeping something better. My mate. AmazonKU
ORC’S GALLOWS (THE VEIL LANDS BOOK 13) by Cyn Blade and Milly Taiden
Welcome to the Veil lands, where monsters are the only ones who can save you. Ismerie – I was just trying to survive in the slums, feeding on the leftover magic of the city’s executions. Then I stepped in to save the executioner, and everything went to hell. Now I’m marked by his primal magic, chained to an alpha orc who should have been my killer. The giant warden watches me with eyes like banked coals, his heavy silence wrapping around me like a predator’s trap. An ancient horror is rising beneath the scaffold, and it’s calling me its sister. He branded me to save my life. Now, I’m the only temptation he’ll burn the entire city to possess. Brannok – I calculate drops, tie nooses, and never look back. Then I was ordered to hang a defiant death witch with eyes like captured lightning. She was supposed to be just another routine job, another name to cross off my list. But when she looks at me, she demands a mercy I forgot I could feel. I was born to pull the lever that ends lives. But to keep her alive and in my bed, I’ll gladly watch the whole world burn. AmazonKU
IMPAWSSIBLE MAGIC (MISTVALE FILES BOOK ONE) by Milly Taiden
A fresh start, a grumpy tiger, and a crystal-clear case of fated attraction. Leire Firesinger is done with drama after a catastrophic betrayal left her covenless, heartbroken, and questioning everything she once knew. She’s moved to the magical town of Mistvale, determined to prove that a shattered past doesn’t have to mean a shattered future. While she tries to keep her unanchored magic from flickering, she can’t ignore the way the town’s newest “protection detail” makes her crystals hum with a traitorous, flirtatious energy. Keeping her distance—and her cynicism in check—proves to be an impossible task as her wards begin to welcome the very man they should be keeping out. Aslan Nexis has spent five years building walls higher than the mountains surrounding the town. The stoic tiger shifter and member of the Protection Network is haunted by the memory of the witch he couldn’t save. When he’s assigned to monitor the new charm witch, his predator instincts scream…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page) AmazonKU
GRAVE EXPECTATIONS: A GHOSTLY PUMPKIN HOLLOW NOVELLA by Katryna Lalock
For three hundred years, Alaric Blackwood has watched over Pumpkin Hollow as a ghost, cursed to witness the town he died protecting but never touch it again. Rosalin Graves has spent her entire life believing she’s the weakest necromancer in her family—until a chance accident awakens the town’s legendary founder. Suddenly, she’s the only person who can see him, hear him, and hold him. As they unravel the centuries-old curse binding Alaric to the cemetery, friendship blossoms into an impossible love. But freeing him may mean losing him forever, and some ghosts are far harder to let go than they ever expected. AmazonKU
THE MECHANICS OF BROOMSTICK RACING: A PUMPKIN HOLLOW NOVELLA by Vermilion H Baine
Air witch Zephyr McAllister is the world’s greatest broomstick racer. Well, she was, until a crash left her unsure of herself and bearing scars she won’t let anyone see. Now she’s retired early with an entire lifetime ahead of her. And with the realization that her dream career and ex-fiancé have left her behind. The once overconfident racer has returned to her hometown of Pumpkin Hollow, where she only uses her flying broomstick to deliver the mail. She falls into a lull until the local mechanic, Neil Finnegan, a Storm witch from her past, sparks a rivalry between them. Though her racing days are behind her, Zephyr can’t keep her competitive nature down. She knows she can make the stoic Neil drop his guard, but is she ready to drop her own? When fighting doesn’t faze him, and she turns to flirting, Neil might prove a challenge her bruised heart isn’t ready for. AmazonKU
OWL THE SMALL THINGS (OWL STAR WITCH MYSTERY BOOK 23) by Leanne Leeds
Astra Arden just wants one quiet week at home. After a locked-island murder investigation that left the whole team running on coffee fumes and borrowed sleep, she’s earned it. But the moment she walks through the door, she discovers Aunt Gwennie has been secretly dating Detective Briggs—and before Astra can process that, things around the house start going wrong. Small things, at first. A shelf collapses when no one’s near it. The garden gate swings shut on Briggs’s fingers. A batch of Gwennie’s famous snickerdoodles tastes like soap. Arden House has always had a personality, but this feels personal. Then the small things stop being small. Someone—or something—has Briggs in its sights. And with the human detective dodging hexes he can’t see, Astra has to figure out who’s targeting him and why before the small things turn deadly. But the deeper Astra digs, the more she realizes the threat isn’t coming from outside. It’s coming from inside the family — from a ghost who can’t let go and a house that takes sides. Welcome back to Arden House. The snickerdoodles are fresh, the owl is judging you, and the walls have opinions. AmazonKU
AN IMMACULATE DECEPTION: A NOVEL by Isabela Livino
VS note: Gothic horror.
1877, Pernambuco, Brazil: Raised in a deeply religious household, Madalena knows Dante’s Inferno by heart and fears her mother’s reaction as much as she fears God. When she falls pregnant with a child conceived in sin, her mother issues a threat: marry or surrender the baby. Madalena is confident that the father, the dashing Leandro Neves, will do right by her and propose. But just as she is about to tell him about the baby, a violent storm sends their carriage careening off the road. Madalena awakens in Leandro’s sprawling, secluded home, under the care of the mysterious and larger-than-life Doctor Lobo. Leandro is there . . . but he is no longer the charming poet she knew. He’s silent. Obsessed. Always watching. Strange perfume haunts a locked room. Pages vanish from books. Jewels lie untouched in a forgotten wardrobe. And mirrors begin disappearing after Madalena sees something—or someone—ghastly in the reflection. Leandro is unraveling. Doctor Lobo may be hiding something even darker. Trapped in a decaying house of secrets, Madalena must uncover the truth before the men around her destroy her, and before the hell she fears becomes the one she’s living in. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
FIRE POWER: A NOVEL by Mir Benitiz
VS Note: Very mixed reviews, especially on the romance.
The Silverscale Grand Prix is the national championship of dragon racing—a high-speed, often deadly, elite sport with an unimaginably big cash prize. Asta and her dragon Carmine are unlikely competitors. No sponsors, no high-tech gear, no fans out in the stands. Not to mention that a female rider hasn’t won the Prix for nearly sixty years. The odds are stacked against them, but Asta is determined to prove everyone wrong: the training school that kicked her out for fighting a classmate, her family who wished she’d never left the farm, and, most of all, her infuriatingly arrogant childhood-best-friend-turned-rival Felix, the poster-boy heir to the Seraphin racing dynasty and reigning tournament champion. Raw talent alone won’t be enough to get Asta and Carmine through these races—and it soon becomes clear that the risks Asta has taken to get to Silverscale could have devastating consequences. Time to think fast, or die trying.
A chilling horror anthology of 19 original short stories from a world-class line-up of the masters of horror, delving into the histories and traditions of the spookiest season of the year. Presented by Hugo Award winning editor and horror legend Ellen Datlow, and featuring stories by Josh Malerman, Stephen Graham Jones, Garth Nix as well as many more. Halloween, Samhain, Día de los Muertos—festivals across the world where we can commune with those we have lost, when spirits can cross over, and when the boundary between the living and the dead is far, far too thin. A young boy encounters a woman with an ancient and terrifying link to the holiday, a group of college students attend a Halloween party to die for, and a troubled girl exploits a local urban legend to try and turn her life around. From America to New Zealand via the rural Romanian wilderness, this anthology explores our worldwide obsession with the spookiest season of the year, when the veil is lifted and the spirits come alive. Featuring 19 original stories from bestselling and award-winning masters of the genre, and from Hugo, World Fantasy, Locus, Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson award-winning editor and horror legend Ellen Datlow, this anthology invites you to carve a pumpkin, light the lanterns and welcome in trick or treaters from across the world. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
BIG BAD WOLF (MAPLE HOLLOW) by Laurie Gilmore
The darker the woods, the bigger the secrets…Ruby Bellerose lives on the edge of the woods, in a cottage more akin to a fairy tale than modern day life. Her love life is practically non-existent, and she keeps away from the whispered gossip that travels through Maple Hollow. Until a chance encounter with Rafe. As mysterious as he is brooding, Ruby is drawn to the woodsman, curious to find out about the stranger who lives deep within the woods. But Rafe is hiding a secret. And with something lurking in the shadowy forest, will Ruby find that Rafe is her knight in shining armor, or something altogether more dangerous. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
DISENCHANTED by Lucy Jane Wood
Sage Hemlock has no interest in embracing her witchy side. Magic has betrayed her before, bringing nothing but heartache, and she will not let something so foolish happen again. Instead, Sage has thrown herself into her work and studies, running the local museum and largely preferring the company of her library and her cat to other humans. Her one goal is to fly under the coven’s radar so that she can finally shed her blasted powers forever. But when a strange historical book accidentally sets off a curse, Sage’s quiet small-town life is suddenly overrun and magic is running rife. A beanstalk grows in her garden, and her friend and coworker Casimir starts to look an awful lot like a handsome prince. Fairy tales are coming true. . . .Now, with the threat of the coven on her tail, Sage must confront the magic she’s always denied to solve the mysteries of the book and save everyone she’s come to love from being lost to a fairy tale forever. The question is, can she finally learn to be her own happily ever after? Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
THE ENIGMATIC MADAM INGRAM by Meihan Boey
When Letty Ingram arrives in Singapore in 1906, she is an enigma even unto herself. To the residents of the small Scottish village where she lives, she is a wealthy, half-Malay recluse who emerges from her home only for walks with her great beast of a hound. To Letty, she is a woman trying to lift a curse that causes her lose consciousness and wake up in strange places—sometimes, with blood on her hands—and no memory of what occurred. Letty has traveled across the world in hopes that the renowned medium Madam Kay can help her break the curse, but Letty is a mystery of tangled magics the likes of which Madam Kay and the rest of her supernaturally gifted family have never seen. Fortunately, the Kays know an expert with even more insight into otherworldly matters than they do: the formidable Miss Leda Cassidy. But even Miss Cassidy finds Letty to be a puzzle, one that pulls a fog over her memories as well. As she dives deeper into Letty’s past and find it unexpectedly intertwined with her own, Miss Cassidy begins to realize that if she’s going to free Letty from her curse, she’s going to have to take on an ancient foe: the terrifying jungle spirit known as the Bungadarah. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
HEXY BEAST (THE SHERWOOD WITCHES) by Avery Flynn
As the eldest daughter of the magical Sherwood family, I’m supposed to have everything together. Well, joke’s on them—I, Effie Sherwood, am chaos incarnate, and you’ll never be able to guess my next move. Like jumping on the back of Darius Aetos’ motorcycle. Not only is Darius grumpy, gruff, and hot, he’s also the head of the Aetos werewolf pack. My spur of the moment decision has quickly become a much bigger commitment, because a pack elder is convinced this hunk of a man (or wolf, depending on the hour) is my fated mate. Even though I’m a witch and he’s a werewolf, we’re stuck together until we can find our way out of the tricky pack politics. But under the light of the blue moon, it’s almost starting to feel like Darius doesn’t want to stay away from me. And I’m not sure if it’s my magic going haywire or the starlit skies, but I can’t imagine leaving his arms either. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
DARK DESTINY: A NEW THREAD IN THE TAPESTRY (CHILDREN OF THE GODS PNR BOOK 111) by I T Lucas
Truelove bonds never unravel. Even severed by death, they can be rewoven with the right bargain. Annani courted the impossible and won, lost everything, and then built an empire of light on the memory of the greatest love story of all time. For five thousand years, the memory sustained her. She guarded it, retold it, and refused to let it fade. When the Fates finally offered her a chance to reclaim what was taken, she struck a bargain and promised not to regret it. The tapestry is ancient, but the thread is new, and the Fates are weaving what was into what will be. AmazonKU
A SNAKE AMONG SWANS (THE WING AND THE WAYS BOOK ONE) by Hannah Kaner
“Death is come to take you home, death of blood and thorn and bone…” Tilde has always heard the whispers of the kithwood, the voices of her ancestors speaking through the mysterious forest of her homeland. But now both the kithwood and her kingdom are in danger, for Tilde is the only surviving heir of a conquered land. To stop the bloodshed, she must marry the aging Swan King, Liran, and bear him a son. But the king’s court is dangerous. Liran’s older sons will do whatever it takes to remove Tilde. And her presence stirs conflict in the heart of Liran’s daughter, the princess Elise, who has only ever known loyalty to her family. Yet none of them know that Tilde is a snake in their midst, with allies on her side and dark, forbidden power of her own. She wants her kingdom back, and she will sacrifice everything to claim it. For the queen to rise, the swans must fall. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
THE SWORDMASTER (VAMPIRES OF DUMAS BOOK TWO) by Kate Heartfield



















VS Note: Happy 60th Anniversary to Star Trek! I’vr updated this 2016 post a bit and added the 2016 USA Today HEA post about my experience (and who my “co-stars were” at the end of this post. 






















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































