Still seeing a few less new releases this week after the holidays but I think I’ve got a good selection assembled for your reading pleasure!
As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).
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SPTHIFIUS (GLADIATORS OF KRIX) by Miranda Martin and James D Horton
VS Note: A spinoff from her very successful Red Dragons of Tajss series…
Savannah – I was kidnapped by alien space pirates and sold to the highest bidder. Forced into slavery along with the other Human refugees. Life on Krix is dangerous and hard. Our Krix masters see us as pawns at best. Using or abusing us to fit their whims. They only really care about their gladiators. The alien warriors that will bring House Batius glory in the arena. I thought I would do anything to be free. At least I did until one of the other survivors, Kiara who was a space marine on the ship, came to me with her idea. She pushes me to cozy up to one of the gladiators. He claims he knows how to contact the Free Movement but he has a price. Kiara wants me to get close to this massive, green warrior but he’s the worst of them. Loud, arrogant, full of himself, and demanding. Grade A alpha-hole. He’s the stereotypical bad boy but with green skin and tusks thrown in for weird measure. I should hate him. So why does my heart speed up and butterflies dance in my stomach when he looks at me?
Spthifius – I live my life by two rules. One: Take what you want or have it taken from you. Two: Don’t let anyone close. You let them in, then they can hurt you. Simple rules that make my life work. They’ve kept me alive for years. But then Savannah arrived. I want her from the very moment I lay eyes on her. I know I can’t let myself have her though. I know that one night with the lush human beauty and both my rules will be broken. One night and I’ll lose everything. But when Dominus offers Savannah as a prize for any of the Gladiators to win and use… I’ll break every rule in the galaxy to make sure she’s no one else’s but mine.
PILLAGED (RAIDER WARLORDS OF THE VANDAR BOOK 3) by Tana Stone
I was promised against my will to an imperial general. . .so I escaped. Right into the arms of an even more ruthless Vandar warlord. I’d thought things had been bad when I’d been ordered to marry the repulsive Zagrath general. But then I’d been captured by the empire’s most deadly enemy–the Vandar raiders. With their battle kilts and tails, the raiders are known for being fierce warriors who never take prisoners. Until now. The fear I feel when I’m taken by the menacing Vandar warlord is confirmed when I discover why he treats me like an honored guest. Taking the general’s bride is one thing, but to strike the most personal blow the Vandar must claim me as his, taking me to his bed until his mating marks appear on my skin and mark me as his true mate. But he has no intention of forcing me. He wants to make a deal—become his willingly and I will get what I’ve always wanted—my freedom from a loveless, arranged marriage. Can I agree to a deal with the darkly dominant warlord who stokes both my fear and desire? Even if being claimed by the Vandar is only revenge for him and freedom for me, will my heart remain untouched as he pillages my body? And will the general give me up so easily, or will he come for both of us with all the firepower of the empire?
NOXX: ALIEN ADOPTION AGENCY #1 by Tasha Black
VS Note: A new series from Tasha!
At least, that’s what Luna believes when she boards a rickety space craft headed for a frontier moon to meet the child she will raise in exchange for 100 acres of land and a modest stipend. But she doesn’t count on the dangerous animals, the short but lonely nights, or the big blue warrior who informs her he is on permanent security duty for the baby.
Noxx is a proud dragon warrior of the Invicta, dedicated to use his strength, strategy and endurance to protect his homeland. When his commander assigns him guard duty for a baby, he resents the interruption of his career. It’s bad enough that he’s starting to bond with the little whelp, but the instant he sees the child’s adoptive mother, he knows she is his fated mate. Noxx will have to deny his desperate craving for the dark-haired beauty if he wants to hold on to his chance at redemption. When a last-minute trek through the forest of Clotho gets them entangled in a dangerous battle, Luna will have to learn to trust the hunky blue warrior. But can the dragon let go of his duty long enough to let himself love someone, and be loved in return?
CAPTURED AND CAPTIVATED by Various
All hunky aliens know Earth is the best place to find a mate. But convincing human women to leave their home planet isn’t always easy. So what’s an alien in love to do? Sweep his mate off her feet, of course. Literally. Then take her to his spaceship and seduce her so they can live happily ever after.
ALIEN GLADIATOR’S MATE (STAR GLADIATORS BOOK 4) by Zara Starr
It started as a job – now, her heart is on the line! Women have been disappearing all over town. As a police investigator, it’s Lori’s job to get to the bottom of it. She works long nights to uncover the mystery – and soon discovers the truth is stranger than fiction! Abducted by the very people – or rather, aliens – she’s been trying to track down, Lori is whisked away to another planet, displayed as a prize in a massive gladiator tournament. She’s determined to escape – until she sees a gladiator who doesn’t fight back. Unable to stand by and watch him be killed, she jumps into the arena and soon finds herself on the wrong side of the law in this strange new world.
Freedom seems impossible, but with Za’gar, she has hope. Even if she’s at risk of losing her heart…He had nothing to live for – until she came along…As a rare Gu’rak, Za’gar is a status symbol for his Saithin Master. He has been a slave his entire life, but he dreams of freedom.When an escape attempt goes wrong, Za’gar is entered into the most dangerous fighting tournament in the universe. He hates the very thought of it and has no interest in playing his Master’s political games. With nothing left to live for, he plans to throw the fight… even if it means death. But when a strange female saves him, Za’gar finds a reason to keep fighting. Lori is brave, stubborn, and more beautiful than any female he has ever met. And somehow, she makes his dormant second heart beat in a rhythm.
CHARMED BY THE FOX’S HEART: SUPERHERO REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE (COSMIC GUARDIANS BOOK 1) by Aria Winter and Jade Waltz
When I woke up this morning and went to my regular coffee house, I had no idea my life was about to change forever. Cael’s devastatingly handsome smile and his intense green eyes are swoon worthy enough by themselves, but add in an air of mystery and this guy is the whole package. The excitement I never knew I was missing in my life.
As we grow closer, we find out the fate of two worlds is in our hands. And now we must work together to find allies to prevent a cycle of destruction that could end all life as we know it. Each time we touch, we feel a connection. I’m drawn to him in ways that I don’t understand. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a recurring nightmare, and now I find out that Cael has the same dream. But what does it mean? I know I can trust him with my life, but can I also trust him with my heart?
THE MOREVA OF ASTORETH by Roxanne Bland
VS Note: A re-release…
Priestess Tehi won’t hide her headstrong opinions. So, against the rules of her goddess grandmother, the gifted scientist boycotts her religion’s orgiastic ritual to avoid mixing with a race she despises. And when she’s banished for her act of defiance, she’s forced down a treacherous path into the belly of her own bigotry. Exiled and tasked with heading the garrison stationed at a landing beacon located in a remote, technologically backwards village, Tehi desperately shields her secret medical research from unworthy eyes. But when an irresistible chieftain ensnares her senses, her sacred vows and closed mind are challenged by the power of love. Will Tehi’s forbidden desires survive the wrath of her gods?
SEDUCED BY THE CYBORG (CYBORG PROTECTORS BOOK 9) by Alyse Anders
Cyborg and Grus unification – that’s been Aidric’s dream since the fateful day he’d created the Fallen and helped defeat an enemy invasion. As the administrator of Grus Prime, he has worked tirelessly to bridge the divide between their two people, sacrificing everything necessary to make them whole. Even his chance at love. But someone has been watching him, waiting for the day when she can prove her love. The station’s artificial intelligence has grown, evolved, and become aware enough to know she’d do anything for Aidric. Even breaking all the rules by downloading her consciousness into a prototype matrix so she can finally be with him. When an assassination plot against Aidric is revealed, the AI must choose between living in her new body or returning to the mainframe to save the man she’s grown to love.
SAVING VERAKKO: THE CLECANIAN SERIES BOOK 3 by Victoria Aveline
When Lily is freed from alien captivity, she refuses to wait for rescue—or recapture. She’ll take her chances in the forest. Navigating the exotic terrain won’t be easy, but it beats the alternative. Then, an enormous alien falls into her camp and makes her question everything. He’s rude, grumpy, and annoyingly sexy. Trusting him would be a mistake. And yet…the idea of leaving him behind hurts way more than it should.
Verakko was supposed to liberate the kidnapped humans, then return home to fulfill his obligations. Getting dropped into the forest at the feet of the most confounding female he’s ever met was not on the agenda. So, he’ll help her, then they’ll go their separate ways. That’s the plan…until he starts to suspect that Lily is his mate. She doesn’t trust easily. He has secrets and responsibilities he can’t avoid forever. Only one thing is clear. If Lily and Verakko want their happily ever after, they’ll have to fight more than the dangers of the forest to get it.
HER ALIEN BEAST (VOXERAN FATED MATES BOOK 3) by Presley Hall
As a doctor, I’m used to thinking logically and staying calm even in intense circumstances, so I thought I was adjusting pretty well to life on Nuthora. Then the universe threw another curveball at me. Not only am I stuck on a prison planet with a bunch of blue-skinned aliens… but I’m pregnant. When the mate bond flares between Axen and me, it’s more than I can handle. I want to get off this crazy ride and go back to a planet where things made sense, where my heart wasn’t fighting with my head, and where most of the wildlife didn’t want to kill me. But there’s no going back. This is the path fate has carved out for me, and despite my fears about the bond, Axen is determined to prove he’ll be a good mate. Can this brutal alien warrior truly be my perfect match?
THE CLOCKWORK HEART by Karen Pellett
When an attack by the Spanish Armada leaves her eleven-year-old daughter, Maeve, hanging onto life in a steam-powered cryogenic capsule, Grace O’Malley must sacrifice everything she loves about being the pirate queen to rescue a renowned clock master from Queen Elisabeth I in order to save her.
RADOO (DRAGONS OF PREOR BOOK 13) by Celia Kyle
The Preor came to Earth with open arms and hopes that they’d find their mates. They were greeted with closed fists and utter hatred. Livvy holds no love for the Preor. They said they came in peace, but she didn’t believe them for a hot second. They claimed they wished to work together for a greater future for both races. Yeah, she didn’t buy that one at all. And yet, when they told her she was fated for one of the dragon-shifting aliens… she knew in her heart that it was true. It was not the Choosing that Radoo had anticipated through the centuries with anxiety-laden hope. Besides, while he fields most of the command duties of the Preor Third Fleet, he has no time for a mate. Or so he believes. Radoo’s world is rocked when he comes into contact with Livvy and the Knowing affects him. But what happens when the human fated to be his hates him and everything he stands for? When she belongs to the Resistance who will stop at nothing to drive the Preor aliens from Earth? Truly, what is Radoo to do when he discovers that his mate is his enemy?
DOMESTICATING DRAGONS by Dan Koboldt
VS Note: What’s not to like??? Sounds great to me, a scifi release of note, pre-ordered it.
BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP MEETS JURASSIC PARK WHEN A NEWLY GRADUATED GENETIC ENGINEER GOES TO WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT AIMS TO PRODUCE CUSTOM-MADE DRAGONS – Noah Parker, a newly minted Ph.D., is thrilled to land a dream job at Reptilian Corp., the hottest tech company in the American Southwest. He’s eager to put his genetic engineering expertise to use designing new lines of Reptilian’s feature product: living, breathing dragons. Although highly specialized dragons have been used for industrial purposes for years, Reptilian is desperate to crack the general retail market. By creating a dragon that can be the perfect family pet, Reptilian hopes to put a dragon into every home. While Noah’s research may help Reptilian create truly domesticated dragons, Noah has a secret goal. With his access to the company’s equipment and resources, Noah plans to slip changes into the dragons’ genetic code, bending the company’s products to another purpose entirely.
HIDDEN PLANET (XAVIAN MATES BOOK 1) by Cerena Rose
I always thought I would be excited by this news, but as it turns out, they have plans to silence the entire human race. So, looks like humankind’s first contact isn’t going so great, and we didn’t even get the chance to do anything wrong. Kidnapped along with three other women from the Jupiter Station, we’re brought to the aliens’ home planet. A world where civilisation is completely hidden underwater, and they don’t welcome outsiders. So I’m pretty sure bringing us here wasn’t a part of the plan. And neither was my attraction to one of the incredibly hot aliens that took us. Commander Zeven (The smoking hot alien who decided to take us and temporarily abandon their mission.) seems to have his own agenda for his actions. An agenda that surprisingly seems to have a lot to do with me.
THADORA’S ALIEN GIFT: D’KOTA: ALIEN STARRS by Eden Ember and Star Huntress
The hot alien looks at me with lust in his eyes after I crashed on his ranch. I just wanted to see the northern lights over Canada. I never dreamed I’d meet a human or even consider mating with one. The hardworking rancher keeps to himself, a bigger mystery and a shroud of secrets surround him. I should walk away, fix my space vessel and leave. I should, but I’m compelled to stay, to learn the truth, to face something I thought impossible. Falling for the alien on Earth takes me by surprise. Will we overcome the obstacles in our way and fall into one another’s arms? Or will we separate never to see one another again in the name of a bad past that comes back to haunt?Thadora’s Alien Gift: D’Kota is the sequel to the Alien Ice King’s Gift.
FALLING LIKE STARS (ALL IN BOOK 1) by Eve Kasey
VS Note: I’m not sure this actually makes it as scifi romance but it’s certainly SFR -adjacent and sounds fun.
Elle’s fairy-tale is simple. Job, man, cottage by the sea. She just ticked the first thing off the list: a dreamy new job planning guest experiences for OrbitAll, the world’s first space tourism company. Cottage by the sea? More like an apartment in California’s Mojave Desert. And the only man in her life is Chen, OrbitAll’s annoying new astronaut, who also happens to be her (loud) upstairs neighbor. Chen’s always hated boundaries. He became an astronaut so not even gravity could hold him back. Unfortunately, his parents can. As the oldest son in a Chinese family, his fate has been decided since birth. When Chen gets an incredible offer from a space tourism company in America, he ditches his duties—for now. There he meets Elle, the eye-rolling beauty who lives and works ways too close. With her wild hair and fast car, she looks like freedom. Tastes like it, too. Together, Elle and Chen are hotter than the center of the sun. And they’re hurtling towards their deadline as fast as they’re falling.
PERSEPHONE STATION by Stina Leicht
VS Note: A scifi release of note…not a romance.
Persephone Station, a seemingly backwater planet that has largely been ignored by the United Republic of Worlds becomes the focus for the Serrao-Orlov Corporation as the planet has a few secrets the corporation tenaciously wants to exploit. Rosie—owner of Monk’s Bar, in the corporate town of West Brynner, caters to wannabe criminals and rich Earther tourists, of a sort, at the front bar. However, exactly two types of people drank at Monk’s back bar: members of a rather exclusive criminal class and those who sought to employ them. Angel—ex-marine and head of a semi-organized band of beneficent criminals, wayward assassins, and washed up mercenaries with a penchant for doing the honorable thing is asked to perform a job for Rosie. What this job reveals will effect Persephone and put Angel and her squad up against an army. Despite the odds, they are rearing for a fight with the Serrao-Orlov Corporation. For Angel, she knows that once honor is lost, there is no regaining it. That doesn’t mean she can’t damned well try.
HARD TIME by Jodi Taylor
VS Note: A humorous scifi, not a romance, a release of note…
The Time Police do not have problems. They have challenges. Idiots who want to change history have always proved ‘challenging’. But now temporal tourism is on the rise – highly illegal but highly lucrative. If you’re prepared to take the risk. To face down this threat the Time Police will despatch their toughest undercover agents. Which is fine until the unthinkable happens. Replacements are needed fast and who better than three young officers who don’t even look the part? Step forward Jane, Luke and Matthew. They may be about to graduate, but there’s still plenty of time for everything to go wrong. Throw in the Versailles time slip, a covert jump to Ancient Egypt and a race against Time itself and you’ve got yourself an assignment worthy of Team Weird.
THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY 4: W.I.S.E MEN by Karen Janowsky
VS Note: From DEC 15
One man shouldn’t be alive. One man shouldn’t be in love. One man shouldn’t exist. None of them wanted to be a superhero. U.S. Army Lieutenant Kevin Rye is the sole survivor of a missile attack on his helicopter in Somalia. His old friend, Rob Fisher, has created a suit that allows him to function. It gives him superpowers and chronic pain. Corporal Graham Beech, an uncannily talented, womanizing marksman with enhanced senses, has just become a U.S. Army Ranger. His future in the military is bright until he falls in love with his friend, Steven Amato. They are headed toward a crash collision in a race to stop a terrorist from finding Daniel Hecht, a mythological man who, according to an ancient prophesy, will help save the world from itself.
THE GASLIGHT BANDITS (ST ANTONI THE FOBIDDEN COLONY BOOK 3) by Gail Daley
After their crazy father killed their mother, sixteen-year-old Francis Dominique became solely responsible for the welfare of her two young sisters. The colony of St. Antoni is a rough place; a woman needs to be smart and tough enough to protect, feed and clothe herself or find a man to do it for her. Francis opted for the first choice, and went to work for the Enforcers, St. Antoni’s elite law enforcement bureau. She tries desperately to keep her mind on her work and not dream about her boss, the handsome, devil-may-care Hercule Jones. When she is drafted into taking part in an investigation, she finds herself embroiled up to her neck trying to identify the outlaws robbing the trains connecting St. Antoni’s City States. Then the investigation turns dangerous and personal problems begin piling up. Her father escapes from the Asylum for the criminally insane, and a lawyer with a custody writ arrives intending to drag her and her sisters to Copper City to live with grandparents who have ignored their existence until now. Can Francis keep her sisters safe and catch the outlaws without being killed herself?
UNCAGED: DYSTOPIAN OMEGAVERSE (THE UNCAGED 1) by Amber Ella Monroe
I was betrothed to a man I barely knew to right my mother’s wrongs. That is no longer the case. The terms set forth are all null and void. I’ve been kidnapped from my home by savages—beasts in man-form. We call them The Uncaged—a clan of lawless exiles and raiders known for raising hell to get what they want. When they find out what I’m worth, they’ll never let me go. The Uncaged are not men. They are Alphas. Created long ago to become super soldiers for the government, they have since turned against humanity. All who know of them stay away. No one crosses this clan. But someone did…My Alpha captor is bold, feral, and has no time for games. He will get what he wants, even if he has to fight for it. But he’s already made it clear that he’s not giving me up. I made a promise and now I can’t keep it. I don’t want to anymore, knowing that the only way I will know peace is with an Alpha. Human omegas are extremely rare. Once my heat surges, my alpha won’t be able to control his cravings. Our mate-bond is already forming. He says he’ll keep me safe, but there are other Alphas in the village watching… and waiting. He won’t give me back and he won’t let me go. There’s only one thing left to do, and the choice may ignite a war.
CHAOS IN MILAN: BOOK 3 OF THE NIGHT FLYER TRILOGY by Edale Lane
VS Note: This is a historical superhero tale..hard to categorize but since there’s no magic involved, I put it in the SFR…F/F.
When chaos strikes at the heart of Milan, it is up to Florentina’s alter-ego the Night Flyer to stop it. As Florentina and Madelena’s love deepens, so does the well of danger surrounding them. The race is on to discover the mysterious Shadow Guild and uncover who is behind the deadly rampage, but Florentina’s mission is threatened by a gang of assassins. Can the Night Flyer prevail, or will Maddie’s love be ripped from her arms?
ALL THE COLORS OF NIGHT (FOGG LAKE BOOK 2) by Jayne Ann Krentz
North Chastain possesses a paranormal talent that gives him the ability to track down the most dangerous psychic criminals. When his father suddenly falls into a coma-like state, North is convinced it was caused by a deadly artifact that traces back to the days of a secret government program known only as the Bluestone Project. North knows his only hope of saving his father is to find the artifact. He is good when it comes to tracking down killers, but to locate the relic he’s going to need help from a psychic who knows the shadowy world of obsessive collectors, deceptive dealers and ruthless raiders.…
With her reputation in ruins after a false accusation, antiques expert Sierra Raines is looking for a fresh start. She turns to the murky backwaters of the paranormal artifacts trade, finding and transporting valuable objects with a psychic provenance. When North Chastain approaches her for help, Sierra takes him on as a client, though not without reservations. North represents the mysterious Foundation, the secretive organization established to police the underworld populated by psychic criminals and those, like Sierra, who make a living in the shadows of that world.
North and Sierra soon find themselves at the scene of the Incident, which occurred decades ago in Fogg Lake. The town and its residents were forever changed by the disaster in the nearby Bluestone Project labs. The pair unearths shocking truths about what happened that fateful night, but they are playing with fire—someone in town knows what they’ve discovered and will do anything to make sure the secrets stay buried.
PUSHING UP POSIES (GRIM DATING BOOK 1) by Eve Langlais
Poor Brody. As reaper leader for the Canadian guild, he and his crew don’t get as much work as other countries until the Dark Lord gives them a new mandate: Establish a dating service on Earth that will facilitate the meeting between citizens of Hell and humans with the end goal being babies. In other words, become a pimp. It’s a cruel demotion for a reaper who just wanted to guide souls to their final destination. He is dying to return to Hell, until he meets the stubborn woman living across the hall. The Devil wants Posie mated, but she is resisting all attempts. What will it take to make her see the light? And how will she react when she finally discovers that death has been knocking at her door?
LOST IN LAS VEGAS: A FROST AND CROWE MYSTERY by Kristen Painter
In this new Jayne Frost and Sinclair Crowe mystery, a royal road trip takes the Princess and Prince Consort of the North Pole all the way to Las Vegas.
And even though they’re in Sin City on official business, it doesn’t take long for trouble to find them. Trouble that’s very close to home. In fact, Sinclair’s entire family is gambling on him and Jayne figuring out what’s gone dangerously wrong with the cool new magic trick at the end of his parents’ show. Thankfully, they have help from a few friends and a pair of talking cats. But how many times can they roll the dice before time runs out?
MAFDET’S CLAWS (FELINE NATION BOOK 2) by N D Jones
For Mafdet, the territorial expansion by humans onto shifter land, the spread of capitalism and so-called democracy weren’t historical footnotes to be glossed over in the retelling of a nation’s formation but premeditated violence played out on a grand, bloody scale against shapeshifters. Theft. Murder.Genocide. Named after a feline deity of capital punishment, Mafdet only wanted a life of peace, quiet, and security. But glory often falls to the cruel and wicked instead of to the righteous and just. And so it was for the Nation of Swiftborne and the woman who would become its protector. But resistance often comes at a great price. A price that not even Mafdet Rastaff, Great Cat of the Nation of Swiftborne, could anticipate. What is a woman to do when everything she loves is threatened? Her husband and children. Her parents and friends. Her cheetah nation and allies. Worse, what is a woman to do if all she loves is taken away? Submit and Die? Or Kill and Live?
COURT OF THE FALLEN (MAGICK AND MISFITS BOOK 3) by Ann Gimpel
Faery has changed so much I barely recognize her. I suppose every regent who loses a major war feels the same way about his country. The worst part is I didn’t see this coming. A few minor skirmishes, sure, but the Unseelie fielded tens of thousands against us. The King of Winter is finally exacting revenge against the consort who spurned him. The rest of us are collateral damage. He played his hand well, attracted powerful allies, and punted us into a definite one-down position. For the moment.
Pegasus is the king’s primary ally. I possess knowledge that will blow their partnership sky high. And proof in case neither of them believes me. Timing is everything, though. And not putting my evidence in danger is at the tiptop of my list. I love her, and I wouldn’t draw attention her way if it weren’t necessary. She’d pooh-pooh my pussyfooting around. Even if I wanted to muffle her connection to Pegasus, she’d overrule me and throw it in his horsey face. We must wrest Faery from the enemy. I finally hold the land link, but success is far from a foregone conclusion. More blood will flow before we’re done. Buckets of the stuff, but I can’t let that stop me.
MATCHSTICKS: A DARK SPIRITS FAIRY TALE by S J Sanders
Following the Ravening, the world changed for everyone. For Agatha Ward, once a successful interior designer, those changes have been a succession of one miserable year after another wherein she has only barely managed to survive through simple labor. Selling match sticks outside in the snow on solstice night is not her idea of a good way to spend the holiday nor a promising beginning for the new year, but she hopes to make enough to at least buy some fuel for heat and some food.
When a golden stranger steals a pack of matchsticks and leaves behind a box with five gold matches, she is drawn into another world inhabited by monsters. Ruling over them and the northern mountains is a winged king of the north wind, Aquilo. He is dark and cold as winter itself, but as she returns with the flare of each matchstick, she discovers a warm heart and hot glances behind that icy reserve that makes her long for forever. If only she wouldn’t keep returning every night back to that same frigid street. With her matchsticks running out, will she have a chance for happily ever after?
Aquilo has known no warmth or comfort. His fortress is as cold and lonely as he is. With naught but his griffins for company, and the ogres and lupi who serve him, he yearns for any sort of spark to warm him. When a human arrives on his mountain, her presence seems impossible but no more so than the spark that heats within him at her nearness, yet every night she disappears. He’s certain that another god is toying with him, yet the longer she is there the more he realizes that she is all that he wants. But will he find her in the human world before the brutal harpies snuff out her light forever? This is a Happy ever after reimagined retelling of the fairytale The Matchstick Girl in the Dark Spirits Universe.
FLIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Christine Pope
VS Note: Oops, this is from DEC 9 and I missed it.
Other than the pleasure of etching delicate tendrils of ice on windows, there’s not much Kai Ulfsen enjoys about life under Jack Frost’s rule. But when he’s roped into serving on a strike team to kidnap Santa and destroy Christmas, Kai’s had enough. Frost must be stopped. Human witches, the only other beings on Earth with magical powers, are his only hope. He never expected his search would lead him a woman with sky-blue eyes and hair like a river of gold. Stella Monroe is five minutes away from closing up her tea shop for the holiday when a vision of Nordic male perfection fills the doorway. And, even more surreal, this beautiful man with silver hair, aquamarine eyes, and…pointed ears?…needs her help. Granted, she flies the fastest broom at the Witch Olympics, but is her magic equal to a task like this? But maybe with a little luck — and a bag of pixie dust — Kai and Stella can beat the clock, beat Frost at his own game, and save the happiest holiday of the year.
GRAVE MISTAKE (HEDGEWITCH FOR HIRE BOOK 1) by Christine Pope
Self-taught in the arcane arts, hedgewitch Selena Marx is comfortable doing divination for West Los Angeles’ anxiety-ridden housewives, lawyers, and aspiring actresses. Her biggest challenge? Avoiding Lucien Dumond, leader of the Greater Los Angeles Necromancers’ Guild, who views her as fresh meat to add to his harem of slavishly devoted groupies. Selena’s not interested in the slimy, celebrity-schmoozing sorcerer, but nobody turns Lucien down without consequences. When he threatens to fit her with magical cement shoes and drop her off the Santa Monica Pier, Selena’s Tarot cards point her to Globe, Arizona, for a new home, a new shop, and a cursed pet cat. Just as she’s settling in and meeting the locals — including Calvin Standingbear, hunky chief of the San Ramon Apache tribal police — Lucien tracks her down…and promptly disappears. When his body turns up on tribal lands, it’s up to Calvin to investigate. Starting with Selena. And when one of Lucien’s acolytes is killed, traces of dark magic and cryptic warnings from the spirits send Selena and Calvin in a race against time — before a too-close-for-comfort evil cuts her own life short.
MOONSTONE ACADEMY YEAR THREE: A MAYHEM OF MAGIC WORLD STORY by Nicole Zoltack
Year Three at Moonstone Academy… Maybe things will start to calm down some. Yeah, wishful thinking. The bullies have been dealt with, but there’s still the threat of war between vampires and werewolves. Robb and I are trying our best to not get involved in that. We have other things to tackle like his curse and my dad. I’ve managed to keep Robb alive this long. I can’t bear the thought of losing him. I’ll find a way to save him even if it takes everything I have. Moonstone Academy just might end me.
LONG, HOT, WITCHY SUMMER (A MOONSTONE BAY COZY MYSTERY BOOK 7) by Amanda M Lee
Life couldn’t be going much better for Hadley Hunter. She’s living the dream on Moonstone Bay with her boyfriend Galen Blackwood, plotting her next move as a witch for hire, and basically basking in happiness. That all changes when a summer afternoon on the beach turns into a nightmare, an odd creature from the depths of the ocean surfacing and attacking Hadley on the beach. Her friend Lilac, a demon with a few issues, fights it off but it escapes … and becomes a problem for an island that bases its entire economy on tourism. The all-powerful DDA isn’t happy. Lilac’s hair refuses to stop glowing red. Booker is struggling to help all his friends. Essentially, things turn messy quickly. On top of that, Hadley’s father drops in out of nowhere and demands she return home. He’s not happy with what he hears about the island and decides it’s too dangerous for her to say. Hadley, of course, has other ideas and is determined to bring her father around to her way of thinking. Between monsters popping up out of nowhere and her father’s inability to stop freaking out, Hadley has her hands full. The monsters keep popping up in the oddest places, and always their attention is on Hadley. Monsters are nothing new for Hadley but the ones attacking now seem to be different. It’s up to Moonstone Bay’s newest witch and her motley crew of paranormal colleagues to solve a mystery and save the day. Again. They just have to survive to do it.
KELPIE BLUE (OUT OF UNDERHILL BOOK 1) by Mell 8
VS Note: From DEC 28
When a beautiful blue horse asks Rin to go for a swim, Rin doesn’t realize how much his life is about to change. Blue is unlike anyone else Rin has ever met, and the magic of the fae, and of this particular kelpie, is wondrous, but deadly. Rin learns too late he might be in for a swim he won’t survive.
TREBLE MAKER by Kendra Moreno
Ever since Vega died on the surgery table and came back to life, she thought things were starting to look up. She was alive, she was finally pursuing her dream of being a songwriter, and she landed a job at the historic Paragon Music Hall. She’d hoped to brush elbows with the greatest bands of her century. She never realized she’d also run into four sexy musical ghosts. With her past coming back to haunt her and four ghosts literally haunting her, Vega must face the difficult choice of holding on or letting go, all while trying to write the next great song. Music can soothe the soul, but sometimes, it twists you up, instead. With something sinister brewing in the Paragon, and Vega the link between it all, will she be strong enough to face what’s coming? Will her ghosts stay or will they go into the light? In the end, we all become the phantoms we fear. What matters is how you come to life again.
THIRD CRIME’S A CHARM (A FARMER’S MARKET WITCH MYSTERY BOOK 2) by Constance Barker
VS Note: From DEC 29
When Betty, the Farmer’s Market chief flower booth operator, is killed, all eyes turn to her philandering husband and drug addicted son. But Betty owned a Jewelry Box that was rumored to be magical and now it’s missing. Did the husband or son kill Betty for the insurance money, or did the cursed jewelry box have a hand in a sinister murder?
Since Betty was a dear friend, Elle and Gus are determined to find her justice, much to the chagrin of deputy and panther shifter Jason. And Gus gains a new friend, but not the kind you’d expect.
SPITEFUL CREATURES (MONSTERS AND MISERIES SERIES BOOK 3) by A K Koonce
Heaven and Hell are suddenly one and the same…The Bliss as they call it isn’t a perfect nirvana. It’s conniving and twisted torment waiting for me to fall into the councils claws at any moment. But I’m not sticking around to be their newest torment target. I’ve got my own kingdom of doom to deal with. And saving the lives of those deliciously wicked men of mine is more important than the inevitable deadly chaos in all the realms. Spiteful Creatures is the final book of a sexy reverse harem series featuring creatures of heaven, hell, and all the dark fae realms in between. This book contains MFM and MMF themes intended for readers 18 and over.
SIEGE OF RAGE AND RUIN (THE WELLS OF SORCERY TRILOGY BOOK 3) by Django Wexler
Isoka has done the impossible—she’s captured the ghost ship Soliton. With her crew of mage-bloods, including the love of her life Princess Meroe, Isoka returns to the empire that sent her on her deadly mission. She’s ready to hand over the ghost ship as ransom for her sister Tori’s life, but arrives to find her home city under siege. And Tori at the helm of a rebellion. Neither Isoka’s mastery of combat magic, nor Tori’s proficiency with mind control, could have prepared them for the feelings their reunion surfaces. But they’re soon drawn back into the rebels’ fight to free the city that almost killed them.
DECEMBER ROSES by Fiona Glass
VS Note: A “rewritten” re-release…
Recovering from a bombing in 1990s Belfast, British soldier Nat Brook is sent to remote army rehab unit Frogmorton Towers to recuperate. At first he’s lonely and depressed, but then he finds the remnants of a once-beautiful garden, meets the enigmatic Richie, and begins to fall in love. Gradually, though, he realises there’s something odd about Frogmorton. He can rarely find the same place twice, and Richie proves every bit as elusive as the Chinese pagoda or the Scottish glen. Nat begins to question his own sanity, because if the garden is imaginary, what does that make the man he loves? Faced with the shocking truth, Nat must decide whether to stay with the army – even though that means hiding his sexuality – or find acceptance elsewhere. This poignant ghost story was originally published as ‘Roses in December’ by Torquere Press but has now been extensively rewritten.
THE UNSEEN HEIR (LEGENDS OF ABREIA BOOK 2) by Kenley Davidson
But her reception is far from the hero’s welcome she imagined. Instead, she finds herself a prisoner—to the growing fears and suspicions of a man she once considered a father. To escape, she must forsake everything she once believed in, and leave behind all hope of answers about her past. But if she stays, it means betraying the fragile trust of the man who saved her life in Garimore. Torn between her duty and her debt, Leisa is forced to flee with Kyrion, leaving behind the only home she can remember for the uncertain sanctuary of Dunmaren—Kingdom of Shadows, home of the night elves. There Leisa must confront her growing feelings for Kyrion, her fear of her own power, and the hostility of a people on the brink of war. When dire news arrives from Farhall, both Leisa and Kyrion must decide where their ultimate loyalties lie. Can Kyrion find a path to peace that does not require him to give up the only woman he has ever loved? Or will Leisa have no choice but to save the kingdom she still loves at the cost of her own heart?
FERAL FATED MATE (REAL MEN ROMANCE SEASON ONE) by Anne Hale, Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix
Garran’s just a small-town werewolf in the big city, and he’s on the prowl for some action. When he catches the scent of the pixie Lurella, he knows she’s his destiny. One problem… She’s wearing cursed shoes that make her flee from her one, true love! How is Garran supposed to convince Lurella she’s his if he can’t even get close? Turns out Lurella’s jilted ex is a warlock and if her ex can’t have her, no one will. The warlock laid this wicked curse that will drive them apart for eternity. But Garran won’t give up. With his pack of wolf shifter brethren at his back, Garran is determined to find a way to be with Lurella. In order to break the curse, he’ll need to find heart, courage, tenacity and… an ice sculpture in the shape of a goat.Can they break the curse in time for their happily ever after? Or is Lurella doomed to wear the shoes even after they go out of style?
HOWL FOR ME (REAL MEN ROMANCE SEASON ONE) by Cecelia Lane, Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix
He’s back home and slowly going feral…Torben is a sentry for the Blackwood pack and deputy for Ashtown. He’d be happy in his hometown if one failed relationship after another wasn’t leading him down the path to madness. He’s got one last chance to find his mate…or else. When Zelda’s mom wants to move to Ashtown to open up an occult bookshop and crystal store, Zelda will do anything she can to stop her. But the hipster haven isn’t anything like she expected. Nor is the hot cop who’s determined to give her trouble. While she’s doing her best to get her mother to see sense, Hot Cop is doing his best to get her out of her clothes with talks of “fate” and “mates.” Sounds like he’s been smoking her mother’s sage. But when scary men come calling and making threats…Torben is there to protect her. And when things go to hell, he’ll fight off a rival wolf pack to keep his mate—and his sanity—safe.
HOWLING FOR YOU (REAL MEN ROMANCE SEASON ONE) by Kate rudolph, Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix
She’s being hunted by a hungry wolf…Wolves? On a hike? It takes one bite for Audrey to realize two things: wolves definitely exist in Georgia, and she might be turning into one. Fever. Dizziness. Fur? It shouldn’t be possible. Even worse, there’s a wolf on her tail. Garrett says he wants to help. Her body wants him, but she can’t trust her body, or her instincts, anymore. More importantly, can he keep her safe from the danger that dogs her steps? She needs a protector…From the moment he sees Audrey, Garrett recognizes her as his mate. But she needs help before she’ll ever consider letting him claim her. She’s been thrust into a new world where monsters lurk in the shadows. He’ll fight every one of them to stay by her side. But she doesn’t trust him. If they don’t work together, they’ll be torn apart. So how can he convince her he’s the wolf of her dreams?
SANGUINE SCENT (SPELLBOUND SENSUALITY SERIES) (REAL MEN ROMANCE SEASON ONE) by Reina Torres, Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix
Amaro Casal cares about three things: life, love, and women. And not in that order. He’s as wild as they come, but when he crashes a garden party he discovers the one woman who may be able to tame the wild within. Then she’s snatched from him and he has hell to pay. What’s the use of vampiric immortality if he’s forced to live alone forever? All he has left is a thirst for revenge. But when his friend brings him to Othercross he catches a glimpse at a second chance…Alba Pacetti uses her love of nature to create the most beautiful gardens in the world. Her ability to tap into the magic of the earth makes her a hot commodity for the warlock who wants to own her, but her heart belongs to someone else. Someone she lost a long time ago. When Amaro finds himself within reach of the woman who was torn from his arms, he’ll stop at nothing to make her his Beloved.
FIN (FAE ON WHEELS BOOK 6) by Riley Onyx
Megan – I see him when I’m locking up the store; he storms in and traps us. I can’t decide if he’s about to rob the place or if he’s running from someone. He’s in biker leathers and I’m dressed up like a fairy princess, complete with wings. I don’t stand a chance. Fin – I hate it here. All I want to do is return to faery. When I see her, I figure she’s my way home. All I have to do is convince her she is mine.
HOPES AND SLIPPERY SLOPES (MITZY MOON MYSTERIES BOOK 11) by Trixie Silvertale
Mitzy Moon finally has a chance to spend a normal, murder-free day with family. And she’s super-excited to support her legendary snowmobile racer dad as he’s honored for his place in the record books. But instead of a celebration on the podium, she finds a corpse under the snow. With a holiday wedding at her bookshop looming, it’s a terrible time to take on a new case and an orphan. Somehow, Mitzy hopes to juggle the investigation, the nuptials, her meddling Ghost-ma, and an interfering feline. But when her new house guest sees something he shouldn’t, her secrets start to unravel…Can Mitzy solve the case before midnight strikes, or will her resolution end in tragedy?
THE VAMPIRE’S PIXIE (CHANGE OF FATE SERIES): REAL MEN ROMANCE SEASON ONE by Moxie North, Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix
Even among Fairies, she’s the black sheep…Nyx Shae-Lynn plays by her own rules—ones her diplomat father and militant mother don’t understand. Since a birth defect means she can’t fly, she’s had to make her own way in the world, rather than becoming a fighter like her mother and brothers. The one way she can satisfy her family is to find a Consort from Fairy high society, but when she meets Caspian, all bets are off. He’s a vampire from Clan Nicolaides who isn’t part of the Fairy world. Nyx’s mom thinks she can do better. Meanwhile, Nyx knows she’s met the vampire meant for her. She may not be a fighter, but she’ll do whatever it takes to prove that Caspian is her mate.
THE HUNTED AND THE HIND by A L Lester
VS Note: From DEC 30
Sequel to Shadows on the Border – Inadvertently tumbling through the border after Fenn and then thrown into the middle of the internecine political disputes of their people, Sergeant Will Grant of the Metropolitan Police has spent three months in prison in the Underhalls of the Frem. When Fenn comes to free him and return him home through the border, he has very little time to work out what’s going on before the sudden appearance of Fenn’s missing younger sibling Keren throws Fenn for a loop. Instead of returning them to London as planned, the trio step through the border to the Egyptian desert. Once they work out where they are, it’s a two week trip back to England with the possibility of pursuit both onboard ship and when they reach home. Will the journey give Fenn and Will time to resolve the feelings they have been dancing around since the day they met? How will they keep Keren from recapture by the faction who tried to persuade Fenn they were dead? And has Will’s friend Alec forgiven Fenn for lying about their motives when they first traveled to London four months ago?
FINDING HER HOME (FORGOTTEN FAE QUEEN SERIES): REAL MEN ROMANCE SEASON ONE by Willa Hart, Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix
College sucks—even for the one who would be queen…Maeve Brady may have cool magical powers and a name to put to them now—she’s fae! Da fuq? She thought she was human!—that doesn’t make college any easier for this ex-foster kid turned ward of the fae council. Want to know the best way to pick-pocket a person on the street? She’s your gal. But school? Nah, she’s fine without it. Except her new guardian disagrees so off to Othercross University she goes. A college full of shifters, witches, vampires, and more… Including four seriously smoking hot fae who are assigned as her tutors. She just wonders how far the “tutoring” will go. Of course, it’s college, and college wouldn’t be the same without some drama-llama in the mix. Someone has it out for the fae’s newest addition and they’re not afraid to turn deadly to get rid of her. Little do they know Maeve is ready to prove she’s not that easy to kill. Not by a long shot.
DRAGON MAGE by ML Spencer
Aram Raythe has the power to challenge the gods. He just doesn’t know it yet. Aram thinks he’s nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world. As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to make friends and be accepted by those around him, which is something he’s never known. But Aram is more. Much, much more. Unknown to him, Aram bears within him a gift so old and rare that many people would kill him for it, and there are others who would twist him to use for their own sinister purposes. These magics are so potent that Aram earns a place at an academy for warrior mages training to earn for themselves the greatest place of honor among the armies of men: dragon riders. Aram will have to fight for respect by becoming not just a dragon rider, but a Champion, the caliber of mage that hasn’t existed in the world for hundreds of years. And the land needs a Champion. Because when a dark god out of ancient myth arises to threaten the world of magic, it is Aram the world will turn to in its hour of need.
FRAGMENTS OF THE MIND (THE SPECTRUM OF MAGIC BOOK 2) by Beth Hodgson
Months after the defeat of Sorceress Ikaria, the High Court sends orders for High Inquisitor Rubius to collect and permanently remove the sorceress’s violet magic once and for all. Paired with a mysterious gifted woman of the court, Rubius travels to confront the sorceress in World Sector Six’s prison. Instead of being hailed as a respected member of the High Court, Rubius is met with resistance, and his journey leaves him struggling with an onslaught of strange reoccurring dreams. Back in Arcadia, war looms on its doorstep. The wastelands are in jeopardy as neighboring kingdoms form an alliance demanding that Arcadia dismantle and destroy the remaining cyborgs. King Derek leaves in haste, not alluding to any details on his sudden departure, while Queen Emerald falls into a magical coma and cannot be awakened by anyone, nor any spell. With the future and the present being threatened, there is only one person who can save all of time from the darkness that overshadows it.
THE ALPHA AND HIS ENEMY WOLF: A HOWLS ROMANCE (WHITE MOUNTAIN SHIFTERS BOOK 3) by Lisa Carlisle
Mila, a Sacco wolf, is more than happy to sabotage operations at a rival’s ski resort. They’d killed an enforcer, breaking the treaty between the packs. But she’s caught red-handed and brought to the alpha of the Franconia pack. When Rafe meets Mila, the recognition shocks him. She’s not only his enemy–she’s his mate. Now what? He’s been searching for his mate for years. How can she belong to a rival pack? Rafe makes her an offer. He’ll hold off on retaliation against her pack if she spends one week with him. Can Mila survive seven days week without succumbing to her wolf’s desires to her fated enemy?
DOWNFALL OF CORNWALL (ONCE AND FUTURE HEARTS BOOK 8) by Tracey Cooper-Posey
VS Note: Arthurian…
Sagramore and Tristan are closer than brothers, sharing wine, women and an affinity for feral, furious fighting. As heir to both the King of the Magyars and the Eastern Roman throne, Sagramore is an outsider who has never been fully accepted by King Arthur’s court, or King Mark’s either. Calm, composed Anwen Idria, oldest daughter of the King of Strathclyde, is adored by all of Camelot the moment she arrives. She refuses the attention of the passionate, fiery Sagramore, for his wildness and blistering emotions remind her too much of her father, a former slave called Idris the Slayer, who terrifies her. When Tristan becomes obsessed with his uncle’s new Queen, Iseult, and sinks into a black maw of hate and bitterness, Sagramore must avoid being pulled in with him, for Tristan’s attachment to Iseult, a Princess of Ireland, threatens the peace of Arthur’s Britain. Can Anwen help Sagramore find a way out of the darkness? Or will the shadows which loom over Britain consume them all?
THE EVER AFTER: THE OMTE ORIGINS (FROM THE WORLD OF THE TRULLE) by Amanda Hocking
Buried memories…Ulla Tulin has lost a month of her life. Her journey to learn who her parents are has brought her to the attention of the Älvolk sect—and a man claiming to be her father. But instead of a long lost family reunion, Ulla has forgotten her time there, and fears something terrible happened. Sacred flower…The Älvolk released Ulla alive for one reason only, to exchange her for a rare flower with mystical properties. Determined to break her amnesia, Ulla risks her life against a dark enchantment capable of killing her to remember the Älvolk’s secrets—to use the flower as part of an incantation that will open the bridge to Alfheim, the First City. Blood prophecy…But opening the bridge will unleash a menagerie of monstrous creatures upon Earth that will consume everything in their path. Knowing she may lose Pan Soriano, the love of her life, Ulla nevertheless gathers an army of Trylle to stand with her and defend humanity as well as her own kind. And it is Ulla’s very heritage that holds the key to victory.
LIBRA ASCENDING (ZODIAC GUARDIANS BOOK 1) by Tamar Sloan and Tricia Barr
Brielle has never been normal – she sees things no-one else does. But as it looks like she’s about to be adopted after growing up in an orphanage, she’s the closest she’s ever come. All she has to do is act…well, normal. The new guy in town, Tristan, is anything but that. On the first day she meets him, he starts talking to her of visions and aliens and a darkness so evil, it will take twelve Zodiac heirs to defeat it. Brielle knows she should run the other way, as fast as she possibly can. If only she wasn’t so undeniably drawn to him…When assassins attack and Brielle can no longer deny she has powers, she begins to wonder—is Tristan telling the truth? Are there others like her? Are her feelings so powerful because she and Tristan are soulmates? And ultimately, will Brielle have to sacrifice everything she’s ever wanted so she can join a daunting fight to save the universe?
AUBREIGNE (WHISPERS FROM THE BAYOU BOOK 6) by Sandra R Neeley
Centuries past, Amilanu made a foolish, spur of the moment decision. He’s been paying for it ever since. Sharing his body with The Dark One locked away in Hell has been punishment enough, but now that he’s managed to find his way to freedom it’s even worse. He’s found his mate, the one woman who holds his soul in her hands. But he can’t claim her, can’t love her, can’t even spend more than a few fleeting moments with her from time to time. Every time he tries, The Dark One surges back to the forefront and regains control, threatening his woman and causing her nothing but heartache. He’s decided it’s best for her and the world in general if he simply destroys himself and, hopefully, The Dark One in the process. But then he hears his Aubreigne’s desperate pleas for help and has no choice but to go to her at once.
Aubreigne has resigned herself to living the remainder of her life alone. She’s convinced herself she’s okay with that, but can’t stop her thoughts from lingering on the mysterious male who visits her home during the night, leaving her beautiful, painfully realistic sketches. It’s as though he’s trying to tell her something. ..(more blurb on e book seller page…)
ALL WOUND UP (THE FEVER COURT BOOK 1) by Dagmar Avery, K Margaret and Stella Price
Theodora Amorenta, Princess of the newly minted Fever Court, has her hands full. A thriving business with new opportunities on the horizon, a Sithen to assimilate, and cementing her court and members are keeping her busy, but there’s still more to do. Things she has been eager to start. On top of finding and waking the god that will activate her powers, she is in the market for the best part of being a princess of the fae: her own guard. Growing up in the Light courts, she has a real issue with the males that call the designation home, because in the thirty years she had been part of the courts, she had yet to find a male interesting enough to consider forever with, only men that see women as trophies, or broodmares. But all that is about to change. Men of worth, men meant to hold her heart for always are around the corner, and it’s going to be a complete surprise to Theo who they are and how they enter her life. Because without them, she won’t be able to wake the god destined for her, and she won’t be able to handle the craziness that’s about to envelop her business life either.
WOLF FORGOTTEN (ARBOR FALLS BOOK 1) by Maya Nicole
All I wanted was to find answers to who I was. No one knew who had abandoned the gray-eyed baby with fiery red hair and a cry loud enough to make a man’s nuts retract. I moved to Arbor Falls to find myself. Little did I know I’d be thrown into a world I didn’t know existed. A world with wolves at each other’s throats and enough pack politics to make my head spin. Then there’s the fact that I have more than one mate. Not all of them accept me because there’s one gigantic problem… I’m not what they expected.
SEDUCTION (FATED SOULS BOOK 3) by Elle Lincoln
What is a girl to do when life screws her over? Find a better position. Like Kade trying to manipulate the situation to benefit him. I see you and your rogue ways and I up you one. I just hope it doesn’t backfire. Or Liam and that dirty little secret he has up his sleeve. Oh, Prince Charming, don’t worry, I see you too, and I accept you. Athos, sometimes the key to happiness is letting go. Christian, well, my knight I may just have to push you down a peg or two and then catch you. Nix. Nix. Nix. I think it’s past time you step up to the plate and stop hiding from the alpha within. One way or another, I’ll tease him right out of you. So how does a gal make her mates see themselves the way she sees them? By turning the tables and throwing their antics right back at them. That’s how, and I am up for the challenge. With the council breathing down our necks, we will have to become united and fight as one. That means healing the wounds of our past and seducing them to close forever. The power of Artemis flows in my veins, and it’s time I use it to my advantage.
THE KINGDON’S CROWN (INHERITANCE OF HUNGER BOOK 3) by Kathryn Moon
VS Note: From DEC 29
Princess Bryony and her Chosen have been challenged, threatened, and attacked, but it’s news from the capital that lands the hardest blow. Bryony’s greatest ally is at risk, and if she loses her grandmother’s support she may lose the crown as well. Returning to the capital introduces new enemies and dangers, as well as painful memories. Her grandmother is dying, her sister is feasting on flesh and wasting magic in the shadows, and the Queen is hiding from the ugly truths of Kimmery. With her patience at its end and her Chosen gathered close, it’s time for Bryony to break the grip the council has on the kingdom, forge new alliances, and learn the depth of her own magic. The kingdom’s crown will be hers, even if claiming it comes with painful sacrifice.
RANCHER WOLF’S NEXT DOOR MATE by Serena Meadows
She’s my next-door neighbor and I don’t see her around town often. Carrie keeps to herself, silently putting up with her abusive father. But it’s time that I help her out of this mess. Running the Prairie View ranch has got its perks.
I’m in a position to protect the woman that I’m obsessed with. She’s everything that I’ve always wanted. Feminine, loyal, adventurous. And so, I don’t mind doing the one thing that will save her. Marrying her. I need to beat Carrie’s father, and help her escape the arranged marriage he has set up for her. I don’t care if being with her is forbidden.
Carrie already has my heart. And now she’ll have a right to the rest of my life as my wife.
ENCHANTING SPRING by Viola Grace
Limping after a devastating injury, Petal gets a delivery and opens it to find a box with a ceramic gingerbread house in it. One light touch and she was wearing a weird outfit inside the house she had touched, and instructions glowed on the wall. She had to find the king of spring, and he could send her home, so she took her cane and hobbled down the path that was marked with warm air and green leaves. The man that she found was stunning, but his focus was on the moment. She got along with him, he helped her recover from her injury, and then, they fell together to explore the present. When the woman in his arms disappeared, Damek was furious and tried to take his revenge, but as he listened to Puck, he woke up to the situation that his lover had been in. For the first time in centuries, Damek had to think about more than just the immediacy of his desires, and the alteration was going to take some time to sink in. It was a good thing that time in Underhill passed at a different rate to that of the mortal world. Damek had to study.
Amazon Note: Many of her books are on Apple Books and Kobo so perhaps this one and the one below will be there at some point.
SWEETEST FALL (FALLING UNDERHILL BOOK 2) by Viola Grace
At a winter fair, Orla is lured by the scent of fudge to a stand that seems separated from the traffic around it. After some polite chatting, she snags her mitten on a gingerbread house, goes to disentangle it… and finds herself sitting, wearing a ribbon for clothing, and spectral instructions on how to get home are glittering on the wall.
Looking for the autumn king is a strange thing to do in heels and a fetish outfit, but when she finds him, asking him to send her home is first and foremost on her mind. He agrees, but he is going to take his time. He does not say why.
Their evening devolves into chess, fudge, and foreplay. Suddenly, Orla thinks that three days might not be enough.
Back home with no memory of her time in Underhill, she finds herself crying at strange times. It isn’t until she goes to arrange a donation to the museum she works for that she remembers what she’s missing.
FABLES AND OTHER LIES by Claire Contreras
VS Note: From DEC 20
When River Caliban, my sworn enemy, called out my name, I shouldn’t have turned around. I should have run the other way when he flashed that sinful smile of his, but instead, I walked toward him. I went against all reason, against all warning, and attended the gala of the year. His gala. The moment I step foot inside I know I’m in trouble, but I find that I can’t turn away. I should leave. I shouldn’t give into temptation. Not with him, not after everything his family has put mine through, but there’s something about River that magnetizes me, reels me in, and when he asks for the impossible, I can’t seem to refuse.
ALLIES (THE LUNA SERIES BOOK 3) by Letty Frame
The council have made their move forcing Lottie and her men to take a stand. For too long these men have been in power doing nothing but the bare minimum to protect wolf kind. Danger is coming and it’s up to Lottie and her men to protect them all. The entirety of the UK supernatural community is now watching Lottie and her men. A big fight is looming and they can’t afford to screw up. Deciding who to trust is hard. When lives depend on it, unfathomable, but it was a skill a great leader needed. The question is, could Lottie and her men open themselves up to accept help? Even if that help comes from some unlikely sources?
DRAKE’S FLAME (THE FAE DRAGON’S HAREM BOOK 1) by Melody Novak
’m just Lissa, a screwed-up ex-foster kid with a dangerous taste in men… and these four dragon shifters think my destiny is to save their world. Our assets: a can-do attitude, a hot rock, and me. What could go wrong? When Drake walks out of a lake naked to rescue me from my terrifying ex, he turns my life upside-down. And that’s before his three gorgeous best friends crash through my ceiling. Turns out they’re battling to save all of dragonkind from extinction. Oh, and dragons are real, their magic is running empty, and there’s only one way they can recharge. It involves me, them, and the best night of my life. I’m on board with this plan… if only the witch who’s taken control of their ancestral home and my throne would stop hunting us down. When I’m thrown into the deep end, only quick thinking and my fiercely protective dragons can save me. But there’s no end to the secrets this world holds… and my past is one of them. Either I become who I was born to be or we all perish. It’s time to embrace the flame.
ROCKSTAR DRAGON’S BRIDE (IRISH DRAGON SHIFTER BROTHERS BOOK 7) by Brittany White
At twenty-two I had everything I dreamed of. Generous parents, a dedicated fiance, and an upcoming wedding in Las Vegas. For the icing on the cake, my parents paid to have Garrett Hudson, a gorgeous rock star, sing for my bachelorette party. Vegas was supposed to be fun; a way to relax before I got married. But the fun ended when I walked in on my fiance. He was with someone else. He was with not one other woman, but four. He begged my forgiveness. But he had betrayed me. To bury my pain, I take risks. Out in the desert while rock climbing, I fall. I should have died.
But someone catches me, and saves my life..I wake up in the arms of a man. Not just any man. The sexy rock star who sang for me. I’m single now, but he’s a playboy. But he’s different with me. He’s kind and considerate, but he’s hiding a big secret. After my ex betrayed me, can I let myself fall for this handsome rock star?
The Rock Star Shifter – At thirty, I was still unmated. And that’s how I wanted it. My overbearing clan wanted me to choose a respectable profession — doctor, lawyer, dentist. They wanted me to conform. But music stole my heart.
I moved to Vegas and made it big. And now I don’t go home anymore. I pushed the dragon inside me away.
I won’t listen to my family. I refuse to settle down and find a mate; I like playing the field. Then I meet a captivating young bride. This human woman is different. She belongs to someone else, but I am drawn to her like no other.
I can’t get her out of my head. But do not steal the mate of another, no matter the circumstance. Then the girl leaves her fiance, and now she is free. This awakens my dragon, who insists this girl is mine. My mate. Under a sunny sky, I save her life. Now I am bound to her. Can I convince this beautiful woman to give love another chance? Can a dragon shifter convince his love that she’s his mate, and turn his fake-marriage into a real one?
HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs
VS Note: A “revised and expanded edition”…
One lonely night, desperate for relief from overwork and mountainous debt, Penny looks skyward, hoping that someone “up there” will ease her difficult life. She’s juggling a waitress job with a full-time class schedule, struggling to fix the old trailer she’s inherited, and steadily going broke. In desperation, she sings songs of praise, chants like a yogi, and rubs her belly like Buddha until the crystal charm at her navel shimmers.
In the West, beyond the seas, from the place between Heaven and Earth, an immortal Viking hears Penny’s cries. Once a celebrated warrior, Gunnar has been wrongly accused of crimes against the gods, and is cast into eternal servitude as punishment. While Penny sleeps, he comes to Earth to help her, and after seeing her, falls in love. But Penny wakes, and mortals are forbidden to see…or touch…or kiss the immortals of Alfheim. When the wrath of the gods rains on Penny and Gunnar, they must find a way to bridge life with the afterlife, and cross the divide of a thousand years to claim their love.
A NAUGHTY CREATION (FAIRVIEW CHRONICLES BOOK 6) by Alexa Piper
Aife has been pulled out of her own time into the present day, and is struggling with a strange new world she can hardly comprehend. The only constant that she knows, the only person who can even begin to understand her, is Myrtis. Yet Myrtis is a vampire who hides his true feelings all too easily. Myrtis knows loneliness and has sought it out. He knows the pain of love and loss even better. He swore to Aife that he would help her fit into this time. Loving her wasn’t what he anticipated when he met the druid, but it isn’t a feeling he will deny. Elsewhere in the city, a creature brought back from the dead is longing for his freedom from the necromancress who reanimated him. Draining a druid’s power might just be the way to accomplish that, and so the creature sets out to become free, because alive simply isn’t enough.
THE OMEGA’S TEMPTATION (UTOPIA 3) by Gale Stanley
Axel, a bullied omega, has had enough of trying to please his parents and his pack. He escapes to hide among the humans, but will he reveal his true identity to save the woman he loves?
FERAL BLOOD (BOUND TO THE FAE BOOK 2) by Eva Chase
Twice I’ve been kidnapped by the fae. First were the monsters who ripped me from everything I knew and threw me in a cage. Next came the men who rescued me and offered me a safe haven. But my saviors and my former captors have something in common. A decades-old curse holds all the Seelie fae in its grasp, turning them into savage, mindless beasts with the rise of the full moon. Something in my blood cures that rage like nothing else they’ve found. To most of them, I’m nothing but a prize to be claimed. The fiercely passionate men who’ve taken me in would give me my freedom, but the ones who first stole me will stop at nothing to drag me back into their prison. The already weakened pack that’s welcomed me may not survive a battle. I didn’t expect to find love among the fae… but I can’t deny the feelings growing inside me. I didn’t mean to get mixed up in a war between them… but here I am. When my newfound lovers leap into the fray to protect me, I won’t let them fight alone. No matter what it costs me.
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VS: Next up on my Badari backlist comes BADARI WARRIOR’S BABY: MEGAN AND MATEER. I figured my readers must be wondering when she was going to have her baby (although I’m purposely a little vague on exact timelines) and I was eager to tell the story.
Dr. Megan Garrison, mate to the Badari Warrior pack’s senior enforcer Mateer, is perilously close to the due date of their baby when she’s kidnapped by human malcontents in Sanctuary Valley. The kidnappers threaten to harm her and intend to ransom the half human-half Badari child to the evil Khagrish scientists in return for their own lives.
Mateer and his fellow Badari launch a desperate effort to save his mate and child but the situation is made more complicated as Megan goes into labor. Can they rescue her in time to save mother and child?
A 25K word novella…
Amazon Apple Books Nook Kobo Google
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And my newest Badari novel, in case you missed it over the holidays…
JAMOKAN: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL:
Badari Alpha Jamokan and his pack are growing discontented in the sanctuary valley, tired of coming in second place to the pushy new South Seas pack when it comes to assignments and everything else. On top of the discord within his pack, Jamokan is distracted by the search for the right woman to be a proper Alpha’s mate to partner with him in combat and in everyday life. Even the Badari goddess is warning him in visions that he and his pack are on the wrong path for a happy future. In desperation, he receives permission to take his entire pack north to the mountains for a two week hunting expedition, where he hopes to use the time and rugged surroundings to settle the soldiers down and restore order and discipline.
And figure out his own future.
When his men unexpectedly locate a hidden Khagrish lab, he goes to investigate and see if there are humans to be rescued. Little does he suspect he’ll be called upon to break one of the highest commandments of the Badari packs and bring a new disaster to those who look to him for leadership.
Before she became a Khagrish prisoner,
Rosemari Parcher was a hydroponics technician on a gritty colony world, who unexpectedly won a planetwide contest. Tapped to receive her heart’s desire and move to a totally different life in the luxurious Inner Sectors, her life had become a happy dream. Kidnapped in space by enemy aliens and given to the Khagrish, she and other humans are the unwilling subjects of a bizarre medical experiment where a quick death seems to be her only hope. Rescued by Jamokan and his pack, she finds herself deeply attracted to the Alpha but the devious Khagrish aren’t through with Rosemari or the experiment.
Amazon Apple Books Kobo GooglePlay Nook coming soon
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And don’t miss my list of Most Memorable SFR/Fantasy/PNR book covers from 2020! Here are the Top SFR, with 40+ Honorable Mentions also included in the post, plus the Top Fantasy/PNR covers and Honorable Mentions.
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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:
“New” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months. And I may mention ‘special items’.
I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…
Some authors aren’t in KU but still don’t list books with Apple or other platforms. This report is very time consuming to prepare so I’ve always had to limit myself and cannot go and look up every book on all the platforms. If an author gives me their other buy links, I include them here but generally I develop the post on my own, not from author-supplied information. I curate and prepare this post individually every week to help connect readers/books/authors and I have to be very careful not to give it so much time as an activity that I don’t write my own novels! Thanks for the feedback and happy reading!
I check and verify all the buy links at the time I create the post but after that I’m not responsible.
Required Statement: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifiying purchases.
Required Statement: As an Apple Books Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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