A super fabulous one day sale of over 1,600 FREE eBooks ready to be filled on your eReader. You’ll find my novel Knight of Darkness: The Knights of the Anarchy (Book One) there along with authors who will bring you a new book boyfriend to love.
Just head over to Romance Bookworms to find your next great read! https://www.romancebookworms.com
The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have to admit that I am upset. I was convinced this was a duology, so when I got toward the end of the book and things were looking pretty unresolved, I googled it. It’s a trilogy!!!!!
This series is so good. Definitely a departure from what we were used to from Cassandra Clare, but just as brilliant in a more mature way.
The world building is fantastic with all its parallels with reality and all the lore that goes with it. The characters have been developed in true Clare’s fashion, tridimensional and complex and the relationships between several of her characters are believable and often heart wrenching.
There were a few totally unexpected plot twists at the end and I am now left with the awful knowledge that it will be a long while until I can read the conclusion to this fabulous story.
Highly, highly recommend it.
It’s a busy day today when you have a new release along with a FREE book blast from RomanceBookWorms.com! But I had to take a brief minute to welcome my newest book baby, The Dukes Secret Wager, out into the world in the Dragonblade Publishing boxset Dukes All Summer Long. Read on to learn more about the my contribution and the set!
He expects to win the wager. He does not expect to fall in love.
When Laurence Palmer, Duke of Stonehaven accepts his friend’s wager, it seems like an opportunity too great to refuse and too easy to win. Though he’s tired of attention from women who only see him as a title and a fortune, all he has to do is accept an invitation to yet another house party full of marriage-minded misses—and steal of kiss from his host’s daughter, the elusive Lady Georgina. Except this lady isn’t like the others, and she isn’t supposed to win his heart.
Is the man she’s meant to love the man she’s sure to loath?
Lady Georgina Norwood realized long ago that suitors were only interested in her fortune. Her parents see it differently. They’re holding a house party with the goal of choosing a husband for her if she doesn’t choose one on her own. She’s certain none of the men invited pique her interest or fill her requirements to love her and to treat her as an equal–the rakish Duke of Stonehaven least of all.
All bets are off when their kiss becomes more than a chance to win a bet. Can one secret wager change both their lives for the better or will they lose their chance at love?
All it takes is one wagering duke, one stubborn lady, and a chance encounter at a lake.
Excerpt:
Georgina thought back to that moment. Even now her stomach twisted at the memory. She’d been so foolish, with a head full of girlish dreams, completely unaware that most men—all men, really—saw her as a means to great wealth and nothing more. She’d never make that mistake again. And she never had. Instead, she believed, she’d become adept at spotting those who angled for her fortune and nothing more. She hoped that her parents had the same skill, since if she wasn’t able to choose any of these men, they would make the choice for her.
She turned to look at the castle beyond; thoughts of Wymar and Ceridwen occurred to her once more. Why couldn’t finding love happen for both of them the way it had for her ancestors? “You’d think our future husbands would know where to find us,” she said. “Like a handsome knight coming to our rescue as in days of old.”
“As appealing as that thought is, it’s unlikely to happen. Instead, you’d best get your head out of the clouds, dearest Gina, and find a man you could come to love from those who will attend your parent’s house party so that your father doesn’t find one for you. That’s as close to a knight in shining armor as you’re going to get, I’m afraid.” Honoria stood and shook her parasol open. “We should go in before we’re missed.”
Georgina stood to follow her and they began to walk the garden paths toward the castle. Her gaze fell on the stranger, who’d stopped to smell one of the budding roses. His tawny-colored hair fell forward, covering his cheek, but when he returned to his full—rather impressiveheight, he turned and their eyes met.
If Georgina’s arm wasn’t linked with Honoria’s she was certain her knees would have buckled. Her stomach somersaulted as his gaze captured hers. Georgina was overcome by the desire to push that rakish lock of hair from his forehead. He swept it back into place with his fingertips before giving her a brief nod. He then turned back to his companion as they walked away as though something monumental hadn’t just occurred.
Never before had she ever had such an experience in her life. Her head reeling, she could only continue to wonder who this gentleman was and why he had had such an astonishing effect on her from first sight.
Welcome to Dukes All Summer Long…
One of the most epic Historical Romance collections yet!
Enemies to Lovers – grumpy sunshine – wallflowers vs. rakes – and more!
Over a thousand pages of Regency Romance adventure with never-before published stories.
What are dukes good for? Romance all summer long. Be a fly on the wall for a romantic adventure, or peer into a ballroom as the dancers choose their partners. Enjoy this delectably romantic summer collection with your favorite Historical Romance authors because summer lovin’ has never been so passionate!
Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Buy Links:
The Love Haters by Katherine Center
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another great book by Katherine Center.
The humor mixes with the seriousness of the themes perfectly. I loved the characters (including the side characters like The Gals, clueless Cole, and Beanie) and who wouldn’t love an overly friendly and rumbustious Great Dane?
I devoured the book (audio) and I only have one complaint which is the same I had with Center’s last book I read: she has the tendency to overextend the ending.
She has a great ending–or what I think should be the ending–and then she goes on with more stuff that however interesting is kind of superfluous to the plot or enjoyment of the story. Just my opinion and the only reason I am giving the book four stars instead of five.
Really enjoyed it and can’t wait for more books by Center.
This week’s sapphic book bingo category features sapphic suspenseful books. For this square of the bingo card, read a sapphic book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, filled with tension, twists, and high stakes. Typically, you find most suspense in genres such as mystery, thriller, crime fiction, or romantic suspense.
Below, you’ll find a list of 15 recommended sapphic suspenseful books:
Murder, Mayhem and Sex on the Beach by Alicia Gael
Probation Officer Riley Reynolds has never been good at staying in her lane. Her reckless determination both infuriates and captivates Detective Tate Walker, whose professional cool is constantly tested by her impulsive girlfriend’s knack for finding trouble.
When a stolen vehicle incident collides with Tate’s arson investigation, their carefully balanced personal and professional worlds collide. As evidence points to a vengeful arsonist targeting Riley, the stakes climb higher with each new blaze. Now Riley must juggle her demanding caseload, her complex feelings for Tate, and a killer determined to make her his final victim.
Available at:
Strange Attractors by Ana K. Wrenn
Fierce and frosty high achiever Professor Sonja J. Storey is on the verge of seizing power in her department. She has exacting plans to remake her backwoods North Carolina university, just as she has painstakingly remade herself.
Sonja’s perfectly ordered life takes a dramatic turn when she meets laid-back, magnetic junior professor Crystal Byrd.
But then come threatening notes, sinister emails, and shadowy nocturnal figures, and suddenly, Sonja’s controlled world starts to tremble like a butterfly in a storm.
Is someone out to get her? Is it a specter from Sonja’s past? It’s hard not to be suspicious of everyone, even intoxicating Crystal with her temptingly warm presence.
Seeing danger everywhere, Sonja must hunt down the source of the chaos before she loses her brilliant mind, and her chance at the one thing she’s never known—love.
Available at:
Bury Me When I’m Dead by Cheryl A. Head
Charlene “Charlie” Mack is a PI in Detroit.
Born and raised in the city that America forgot, Charlie has built a highly respected private investigations firm through hard work, smart choices, and relentless ambition. Her team of investigators is highly skilled and trustworthy, but she secretly struggles with her sexual orientation and a mother with early-onset Alzheimer’s. When Charlie and her crack team head to Birmingham, Alabama, following the trail of a missing person, what should be a routine case turns into a complex chase for answers. Shady locals and a southern patriarch with dark secrets dating back forty years obscure their path. It seems like everyone has something to hide, including Charlie.
When the case turns deadly with a double murder, and Charlie is attacked on a quiet neighborhood street, everything suddenly becomes personal. Who can Charlie trust, and will she ever solve the riddles of the Magic City?
Available at:
Awakening the Path by Angela K. Crandall
I inherited Wiccan books, candles, and tarot cards from my mother, who left in an unexpected rush three years ago. Faced with many questions since her departure, I’ve sought wisdom in the craft alongside my best friend Lily, who informed me today that she’s moving to Oakland. It couldn’t have come at a worse time. Despite that, I’m intrigued my father has sobered up enough to feign interest in what college I should attend. The moment I mentioned Evermoire, he acted like it didn’t exist. Therefore, I must discover the truth for myself.
Available at:
Cutlass Cadaver: The Morelville Mysteries – Book 13 by Anne Hagan
Called to investigate a body found in her brother-in-law’s long lost classic car, Mel digs in to ID the victim and find his killer. Then a family spring break trip turns deadly when Mel’s nephew is accused of murdering a young woman at a haunted house convention.
Using her seasoned investigative skills, Mel uncovers scandalous secrets and puts herself at risk to protect her family and close both cases. But the job is taking an increasing toll, making Mel question how much longer she can continue as sheriff.
For now, justice won’t wait – and Mel won’t rest until the truth is revealed. But the challenges are mounting, forcing Mel to ask herself what matters most – her career or her family?
With two shocking murder mysteries to untangle, only Mel can uncover the cold-blooded killers and bring closure to the victims’ families. But her own family may need her even more in this gripping new tale of secrets, lies, and murder.
Available at:
Love Sins by Annette Mori
Jessica Green’s life is predictable and boring. As the chief engineer for Solar Flair, her career is right on track. Her love life, not so much. Special Agent Amanda Forrester is perplexed by a call to join a homicide investigation. To Amanda’s increasing irritation, the daughter recognizes a picture of the last target and insinuates herself into the investigation. Amanda must join forces with a mysterious organization and the persistent woman she finds increasingly hard to resist. Her instinct to protect the alluring and vulnerable Jessica Green kicks into high gear, taking the reader on a roller-coaster journey for the last book in The Next Generation series.
Available at:
Matrimony in Murder by Edale Lane
On a lovely spring day, Jenna enjoys a walk in the park with her fiancée, Randi, and their dog when she’s called to investigate a fatal car crash. More than suspicious, the circumstances point to murder—a case the lieutenant detective has a week to solve before she and Randi’s marriage and honeymoon.
As if Jenna’s emotions weren’t already overwhelmed enough, wondering if her parents would attend, she now has the added stress of discovering her victims were a newlywed couple. It will take all of Randi’s empathic skills to hold Jenna together as she dives deep into the investigation, reawakening old demons and fears.
While the list of suspects in the case grows, Jenna puzzles over a clue that doesn’t seem to fit any of them. All the while, her wedding day creeps nearer. Can Jenna solve the murder in time, or will an unknown killer in the wind cast a harrowing shadow over the happiest day of her life?
Available at:
Harsh Reality by Elle E. Ire
After demon elementals kill the good folks Sheriff Cali McCade has sworn to protect, the last place she expects to find herself is the future.
Cali McCade is happy being the only female sheriff in the West until evil destroys her town of Oblivion and everyone in it. But when a magical creature sends her forward in time, Cali gets a chance for justice—and to stop history from repeating itself.
Now, on the set of Harsh Reality, a television show that challenges average people to survive in historical settings, Cali isn’t just the sheriff of Oblivion—she also plays herself on TV. It isn’t easy to find her path in this new world, but at least she knows what her “character” would do… even if it’s a little strange to be navigating a blooming romance with the woman playing Arlene, her long-lost love.
When the elementals show up to destroy Oblivion all over again, can Cali find a way to defeat the demons, keep her cover, and still ride off into the sunset?
Available at:
The Songbird’s Refrain by Jillian Maria
When a mysterious show arrives in town, seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Brighton is both intrigued and unsettled. But none of the acts capture her attention quite like the blue-eyed woman. Locked in a birdcage and covered in feathers, the anguish in her voice sounds just a little too real to be an act—because it isn’t. The show’s owner, a sadistic witch known only as the Mistress, is holding her captive.And she’s chosen Elizabeth as her next victim.After watching the blue-eyed woman die, Elizabeth is placed under the same curse. She clings to what little hope she can find in the words of a fortune teller and in her own strange dreams. The more she learns, the more she suspects that the Mistress isn’t as invulnerable as she appears. But time is against her, and every feather that sprouts brings her closer to meeting the blue-eyed woman’s fate. Can Elizabeth unlock the secret to flying free, or will the Mistress’s curse kill her and cage its next victim?
Available at:
Ghost Walk by Kay Solo
When mysterious ghosts begin killing the people of her town, Maaya discovers she’s the only one who can stop them. Aided by the ghost of her best friend, and later a beautiful pirate captain, she goes on an epic journey to save her town… and unveils the deadliest secret of the century.
Maaya is used to life in a small town where she’s feared and distrusted because of her ability to see the dead. When she’s forced from her home, she pursues the mystery of what’s causing people across the world to vanish forever.
As she pursues this mystery while trying to stay ahead of those who want her dead, she falls into the unexpected company of a stunning ship’s captain who commands a crew of pirates… but that’s only the first of her many secrets.
Helped by ghosts and magic alike, Maaya crosses the world to keep herself alive and solve the world’s most dangerous riddle… before it threatens to wipe out all life on earth.
Available at:
V.A.M.P. Book Four—Origins by Kimberly A. Todd
With her wedding put on hold, a council seat still to be claimed, and a vampire army on her doorstep, can Katerina fulfill her quest to find something ancient, save her future wife from death, and overcome her fears of becoming a vampire leader?
Heartbreak takes its toll and living for eternity carries it with you forever. Can Serena watch the love of her life face death on a daily basis, battle an evil vampire menace, and learn to leave her past worries behind in order to focus on a future together that may or may not be?
Available at:
The Secret of Matterdale Hall by Marianne Ratcliffe
Susan Mottram lives an idyllic existence until her eighteenth birthday, when her father’s sudden death plunges the family into penury.
To support her mother and younger sister, Susan takes employment as a teacher at a remote Yorkshire boarding school, Matterdale Hall, owned by the radical Dr. Claybourn and his penny-pinching wife.
Susan soon discovers that all is not as it seems. Why is little Mary so silent? What really happened to Susan’s predecessor? Is anyone safe in the school’s draughty halls? Through a life-changing meeting with the beautiful and mysterious Cassandra, Susan begins to uncover the truth about Matterdale Hall, and discovers the cruelty, and love, that can lie within the human heart.
Available at:
The Flourishing by Merlina Garance
When Andy Campbell, Detective Inspector in Leicester, gets assigned the case of Mr Parry’s disappearance, she expects to find nothing else than an umpteenth marriage ruined by a husband taking off with his mistress.
Instead, she ends up investigating a murder case, and struggling to fight her attraction for the wife of the missing man. When she realises the feelings are mutual, things definitely get complicated…
Available at:
The Faberge Egg by Mia Kazi
The second of the Jo Brigg’s novels, The Faberge Egg follows Jo and Izzy’s relationships after “An Unusual Year”, as they try to learn to live together, they get drawn into a world of Russian money laundering involving a lost Faberge Egg and a Russian teacher with a lot of secrets and surprises. Will Jo and Izzy manage to survive their next adventure and end up together?
Available at:
Venus’s Power by Reese Quinn
Shane has been looking for love in all the wrong places because the woman who makes her skin tingle lives just a few miles from her.
Shane’s work allows her to visit many places, but it’s her love for horses that brings her face to face with the woman of her dreams–shy and sweet Miller.
Too bad that Miller’s heart is guarded with reinforced walls, and she doesn’t want to be more than friends.
As a hired assassin, Shane needs to keep her work a secret, which also doesn’t help her score points with her crush. Or the fact that she’s pregnant and plans to be a single mom.
When a twist of fate brings Miller and Shane closer than ever, will Miller allow Shane and her children to be her new family?
Available at:
Whispering Oaks by Stephanie Shea
Nothing ever happens in Whispering Oaks.
The air is clean; uncorrupted by a tawdry downtown. Birds twitter. Crime is nigh non-existent. It’s the picture-perfect suburb with all the effects of classy restaurants and diverse nightlife. Not to mention block parties marked by face-forward flattery and back-biting.
Cassidy Linden hates it. Rather, the false mystique of it all disturbs her.
Nothing ever happens in Whispering Oaks.
So, when Cassidy’s younger sister vanishes one night, it’s not just surprising, it’s unfathomable—the only trace of her disappearance a trail of red petals and her cell phone left in the grass of her backyard.
No witnesses.
No suspects.
A police department who claim to be doing everything they can, and the poorly-timed return of a family friend.
When a one-night stand with the charming, enigmatic Ashlyn Castille reveals an unforeseen connection, Ashlyn and Cassidy realize they have more in common than either expected.
But one thing is certain, seventeen-year-old girls don’t just disappear. Someone must have taken her. Can Cassidy prove it in time to bring her little sister home? Or is she a fated anomaly?
Available at:
What sapphic book will you read for the sapphic suspenseful books category? Let us know in the comments!
In the last week I lost two important pieces of my childhood, two cousins who, each in their own way, carved a niche in my memory and heart.
One passed away on June 1st after years of fighting against a rare and terrible brain condition that robbed him of movement, balance, speech and mostly other bodily functions while keeping him cruelly aware.
But this blog is about his sister, who passed away four days later and lived an ocean away in Canada.
Even though I only had contact with her through her adult daughter–she was not good at keeping in touch with her family outside Canada–she was and always will be a cherished memory of mine.
She was seventeen years older than me, the only girl in a household of males but led and taken care of by two amazing women (my namesake aunt and my grandma, Alice). Her brothers and her were taken in by their paternal aunt after misfortune hit their family. My aunt brought them up along with my dad and his brother who had also moved in after my grandfather’s death.
As a kid, I used to spend weekends with my cousin in my aunt’s big house while she spent her weekends in a vacation rental up north.
My cousin was the coolest and I was her biggest groupie. She wore mini-skirts and knee-high boots. She knew all the popular tunes and dances. I remember dancing with her in front of my aunt’s big radio, doing the Mashed Potato, the Twist, the Swim, and the Locomotion. She was dating a soldier who was fighting a war in what was then a Portuguese colony in Africa. I was privy to a lot of her love letters (never anything inappropriate). She was a working woman at a time when most women were still expected to “settle down” and be home bound.
People whispered about her sometimes–even as a child I was aware of that–because she referred to conform and I LOVED that part of her personality and admired her for it.
I may have given her an unrealistic halo of coolness but that’s how my childhood mind and heart painted her then and still does. She will always be my rebellious cousin whom I looked up to and, even though I hadn’t seen her or spoke to her in years, I will miss her.
Gina, you’ll live forever in my heart.
Photo of Gina dancing with me and my cousin, Alice in my aunt Natalina’s yard.
Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog! It’s always a pleasure to have my dear friend Caroline Warfield here to give you an excerpt from one of her books. Today, Caroline has an excerpt from her upcoming novella Music in the Night that can be found in the boxset Dukes All Night Long that releases August 17th. We hope you enjoy this excerpt. Happy reading, my lovelies!
Excerpt:
The sound of music played by a master pianist woke Owen Pritchard in the night, but the player disappeared before he could speak with her. Only one other person he ever heard played with the same skill and passion, Lucia Castellano the woman he loved, who disappeared from his life seven years before. Is it possible the vicar’s downtrodden niece Annie Potter could be the same woman?
*****
“Lucia—Annie—you don’t belong here. Your talent is a precious gift that shouldn’t be hidden away, or worse treated as shame, as your uncle would have it.”
“It won’t feed me.”
Owen leaned as close as he dared, his face inches from hers. “Yes, it could! With your permission I could find you an agent, teachers. We could—”
“That’s a pipe dream and it was never mine. I hated the stage.” She squeezed his hand as if to convince him. “I am Annie not Lucia. I play for the joy of it. I’m not the woman you want.”
Does she think I want to use her like her mother did?
Visions of all the ways he wanted her—of bedding her, of marriage, of children, of a life together, whatever name she chose to use, tore through Owen. He opened his mouth to tell her exactly how much he wanted her.
A sane corner of his brain shouted at him not to rush his fences. Think of her, not your needs and opinions. Her life is hers to choose.
He caught a stern glance from the housekeeper at the foot of the table. Breathing deeply, he changed tack. “Do you know the name of your mother’s solicitor? Have you spoken to him?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Sir Francis Hardy. I went to see him when I first got to London. At first, he said there was a will. That I inherited, and he would have funds transferred from my mother’s bank in Rome. He sent me to Aunt Ella to wait, but later he wrote and said the funds were gone. Uncle sold what I brought with me, my few jewels and clothing—for my board he said. I have nothing.”
Mrs. Morrit made a show of folding up her mending. His time was running out. He rose, and helped Annie up, her hand still in his. She stood so close he could feel her heat. This wasn’t the time or place to kiss her as he wanted to, and yet he couldn’t resist a taste.
He kissed her lips with a gentle salute, but swallowed to rein in his attraction. “I want to see you, to spend time with you,” he said, his voice ragged. “But I have to go away on business.”
He put one finger under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. “Annie, your life (and your name) are yours to choose, but we aren’t finished here. I’ll be back. You have my promise. I’m not going to lose you again.”
She left with Morrit, and Owen clung to the hope he believed he saw in her eyes. I will be back, my Lucia, light of my life. You can be sure of it.
First, he had business with Sir Francis Hardy in London.
Whether it’s a marriage of convenience, a fake engagement, or a rake ready to reform, these dukes know exactly how to turn up the heat after dark…
From glittering ballrooms to scandalous house parties, this steamy anthology brings together some of historical romance’s biggest names in over 1,000 pages of heart-racing, sigh-worthy, late-night reading.
Music in the Night is one of those stories: night after night her pursues her, chased by memories of lost love and the strains of a Beethoven sonata.
Read for #FREE in Kindle Unlimited
About the Author
Award winning author Caroline Warfield has been many things: traveler, librarian, poet, raiser of children, bird watcher, Internet and Web services manager, conference speaker, indexer, tech writer, genealogist—even a nun. She reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows where she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart.
Learn more about Caroline and her books on her website at https://www.carolinewarfield.com
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo category features sapphic shape-shifter novels. For this square of the bingo card, pick a book with a main character who is a shape-shifter, a werewolf (or another were-animal), or another creature who can shift between a human form and a non-human form.
Typically, you’ll find those characters in paranormal romances or urban fantasy novels.
Below, you’ll find a list of 15 recommended sapphic shape-shifter novels or were-creature novels:
Enemies by Nature by Jae
Fake-dating your worst enemy—what could possibly go wrong?
Ever since shape-shifters revealed their existence to the world, tensions between humans and Wrasa have been dangerously high. To improve their public image, the Wrasa council comes up with a bold plan: a fake relationship between one of their own and Faith MacAllister, the human daughter of their most vocal enemy.
Tala Peterson, an aloof fox-shifter with the attitude of an alpha wolf, is anything but thrilled to pose as Faith’s mate. She doesn’t trust her one bit—and rightfully so, as Faith has her own agenda. Their flirty banter is strictly for show, and if Tala finds Faith’s scent annoyingly irresistible, it’s only because of the mate scent their scientists concocted.
But when the wolf pack that raised Tala insists she bring her new mate home for a visit, the fake lovers are forced to not only share a bed but also to confront old prejudices. Soon, Faith faces a difficult choice: Should she keep spying on the Wrasa for her father, or can she trust Tala and her kind?
Enemies by Nature is the first novel of a two-book saga that concludes with Shifting Nature. While part of Jae’s shape-shifter series, they can be read independently of previous books.
Available at:
The Devil’s Tree by Ali Spooner
Torn between her love for the pack and her need to find what’s missing in her life Devin Benoit travels to New Orleans. She senses something calling to her as she enters a small club off Bourbon Street and her eyes are drawn to the DJ spinning music. Without any doubt, she knew she had found the missing piece of herself.
When her new love Tia is kidnapped, Devin and her brother Damen, alpha of the Baton Rouge werewolf pack, must return to the Devil’s Tree, where lives and souls are lost, and sad memories abound.
Will the previous happenings at the Devil’s Tree help or hinder Devin in the fight of her life, and the life of Tia, the woman who now owns her heart?
Available at:
Of Socialites and Prizefights by Arden Powell
She needs a woman’s kiss to break her curse.
When Deepa Patel rejects the wrong man, he curses her: every night, she will transform into a wild animal until her curse is broken by true love’s kiss. The problem is twofold. One: Deepa needs her nights to seduce shallow men into spending money on her—money she desperately needs to buy herself and her mother a better life. Two: she doesn’t believe in love. She’s never met a man she wanted to keep longer than a week, never mind forever.
She never considered her true love might be a woman.
Roz is unlike any of Deepa’s past suitors. She’s working class, with a nose that’s been broken at least once, courtesy of an underground boxing club. And she makes Deepa feel lighter and softer than she ever thought possible. But Roz can’t afford to give Deepa the life of luxury she craves.
Meanwhile, Deepa is posing as a wealthy nobleman’s fiancée. There’s no love between them, but his lifestyle is everything she’s ever wanted. Caught between a real relationship and a loveless fake one, Deepa has to choose: give up on her dreams for a chance at true love, or make her dreams come true but stay cursed forever.
Available at:
A Wolf Steps in Blood by Tamara Jerée
Yasmine is a red wolf girl stuck in rural Alabama. Her world is small: pick up shifts at the greasy late-night diner and endure her pack’s petty squabbles. She’s not good at being a wolf or being human, directionless in life and disconnected from her ancestors.
Blessed by a century-old enchantment, the local red wolves have escaped extinction by blending into the human world. But with the old witches’ blessing wearing thin, the wolves face an uncertain future.
An answer arrives in the form of an exiled blood witch whose magic is steeped in reckless grief. Kalta rides into town in her dead brother’s truck, prophecy following on her heels. Despite the danger Yasmine can smell swirling around the witch, a fated bond tangles their futures—and those of all the wolves.
After an accident threatens the wolves’ secret, Yasmine has no choice but to join Kalta on the road, carving a path through the South’s backroads and hoping the magic brewing between them is enough to overcome their bloody pasts.
Available at:
Empress of Air and Fire by Brenda Murphy
Love, power, and destiny collide in the final fight for the survival of Mahon. Mara and Reika embark on a dangerous mission to retrieve the legendary Seven Elements from the Kingdom of Xixon. Their hopes for a peaceful resolution are shattered when the ruthless Ardat, driven by her lust for power, strikes. Mara and Reika face an army of Ardat’s supernatural creatures, more formidable than any they’ve encountered before.
As Ardat’s army sweeps through the Southlands, chaos erupts in the heart of the Mahon. When Empress-to-be Seraphina is poisoned, her mate, Ava, calls upon her dormant dragon powers to save her mate.
With the assimilation of the Seven Elements, Seraphina is the most powerful being in existence. With time running out and Ardat’s malevolence spreading, she is forced to confront Ardat and the intoxication of her new found powers. Will Seraphina rise to claim her Empire or be consumed by Ardat’s evil?
Available at:
Trusting the Wolf by Brooke Campbell
Seven years ago Mac was forced to leave behind her mate, Kate. Now she’s come home and Mac is determined to win back her love.
Mac’s hidden life, however, makes things complicated. Secretly protecting Kate in her wolf form, she desperately tries to rebuild their bond. Mac will need to navigate her two lives carefully, if she’s to rekindle their relationship.
Their journey takes a dangerous turn when Kate becomes a target, forcing Mac to confront her own fears and secrets. Grappling with threats both internal and external, Kate must decide whether she wants to embrace the extraordinary world Mac belongs to.
Available at:
Elite Born by Chad Maske
Aurora has always been different. She was marked from birth as an Elite and born with an additional skill that allows her, a phoenix, to take human form as naturally as breathing. Now, after five years of living with a cult that worships her kind, learning the local tongue and culture, it’s time to spread her wings and venture out where few of her kind have been before. Filled with tales of the city, the lands beyond, and other fantastical creatures, she yearns to see it all and start a life unlike any other phoenix. But Aurora must remain cautious, for phoenix feathers are powerful, rare ingredients, even from one as young as her. The young phoenix must blend in, lest she end up in a cage.
Available at:
Aurora’s Angel by Emily Noon
Joined in a battle for survival, a broken-winged angel and a shapeshifter huntress with a bloody past form a bond that may change their world. Alone since her father’s murder, Aurora has spent years hunting his killers. Battle-weary she’s ready to start over where no one knows who or what she is – she just has one last mission. Everything is going to plan until she discovers the beautiful winged girl caged underground. Her decision to rescue Evie and to help her get home safely, despite avians being infamous for selling out shifters like Aurora to cutters and black-market flesh dealers, will put her on a perilous path.
As the women travel together their attraction grows but Aurora is guarding her lonely heart almost as much as her dangerous secrets and Evie is struggling to accept how important Aurora has become to her.
With their enemies conspiring to kill them, they may be each other’s only hope. Aurora is powerful but she’s also emotionally scarred. It will be up to Evie to save her from herself and to fight for them, or innocent people will die along with the guilty ones and Aurora will disappear from Evie’s life forever.
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Royally Sarah by Hadiya Hayes
It takes being tackled in the park to get Sarah out of her rut.
Although, Sarah wouldn’t call it a rut. At 22 years old she’s comfortable where she is in life – living with her dad, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the same job since she was 14 years old. Life has so much more to offer, but she’s not taking any hand-outs. Not even from her best friend Nina who is desperate to get her back on the dating horse. When Riak Royal attacks her in the park, Sarah finds herself more attracted to the tall, dark, and animalistic werewolf than she is afraid. With her dark purple eyes and disarming grin, Riak shakes up her life by claiming Sarah as her mate right then and there. Now instead of maybe rekindling something casual with her ex, Sarah has to figure out how Riak fits in her life no matter how commitment-phobic she is, because the alternative would be insanity.
With the help of Nina, and a whole lot of introspection, Sarah will find herself on a journey of self-discovery she never would have expected, while maybe falling in love with the werewolf she never asked for.
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Heart’s Claim by Issy Waldrom
When two worlds touch, for only the briefest of moments, the effect is far more reaching than anyone realises. Especially for two woman for whose contact was just as brief as the event.
After a lot of struggle, Elara is finally starting to forge the life that she wants. To write, share her stories, and be accepted for who she is. And find true love. Though that last one seems very much like a dream, something that she pens, but that will never happen to her. Even if the events of the Convergence still haunt her mind.
Riley is a dragon, one of those from the other side who was caught up in the Convergence. A rather dominant force, all things considered. While humanity is largely unaware of her existence and oblivious to her true nature, this side is now as much her home as the other. Not that she’s complaining. She’s enjoying this life that she now has. Mostly.
Except that fate decides that they should meet again, their lives becoming intertwined in ways that neither of them imagined, and suddenly things start surfacing. Thoughts, desires, dreams. And a growing attraction. Yes, there is chemistry between them. Or is it something more? A claim was made after all…
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Elemental Attraction by K. Aten
Two people find themselves in a quandary: Aderri, a powerful dragon shifter with some light defensive magic, and Ellys, a half-elven swordswoman for hire, one of the best across the six nations.
When Aderri gets news that she must come home for the naming ceremony of a new hatchling, she’s forced to hire Ellys and her telepathic steed, Roccotári, to see her safely there. Of course, things are never as simple as they seem. Not only do they have to traverse the land between two kingdoms on the brink of war, but Aderri’s Clan expects her to return with a romantic interest. So, for the added promise of triple Ellys’s normal fee, the half-elf agrees to pretend to be Aderri’s suitor.
Ellys and Aderri have to convince a Clan full of magical mixed-shifters for a week that creatures of differing elements can burn with the flames of love, without actually lying. A situation made even more difficult by a matchmaking mare, steamy baths, and an innkeeper with mischief on the mind.
Caught between the weight of the past and expectations of the future, they must find their true destiny within the heat of fire.
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Her Wolf in the Wild by Rien Gray
The Hounds of God MC live outside the law and protect their own. They only have three rules:
(1) look out for each other
(2) obey the club president
(3) never show a human your werewolf form.
Christiana Arjean needs to get out. She tried to fix her relationship, but making a break for it is her only shot. She almost doesn’t make it, until a butch biker with a shock of white hair tosses Christiana on the back of her bike. Micah is as mysterious as she is attractive, and Christiana wants to know what’s under that tough exterior.
Micah Nubilo knows a little bit about keeping secrets. Rescuing Christiana is a bad idea, and letting her hang around is even worse. But there’s something calling to Micah: an impossible bond no werewolf should ever feel for a human, even one as beautiful as Christiana.
Their growing intimacy is threatened when they realize their pasts are connected in ways they never could have imagined. Christiana and Micah must fight against threats both outside the pack and inside themselves for a chance at putting it all behind them and finding a way forward—together.
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Bearfaced Lie by Ryann Fletcher
There’s no place like someone else’s home for the holidays…
Leah is working at Syndicorp because she can’t find work as a geologist – but when her manager messes up her shift schedule, she needs to find someone to cover for her, and fast. If she doesn’t, the wrapping paper aisle is going to look a look furrier than it should.
Jasmine is trapped in a dead-end job with a mom who can’t leave the past behind. If she only had a girlfriend for the holidays, she might be able to convince her to lay off and let her move away – but will the farce be uncovered before the presents are opened?
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First On Scene A Howling Sirens Novel by Selina Rossman
In a small town shattered by violent animal attacks, four first responders must confront their pasts and embrace their destinies as they become humanity’s last line of defense against a supernatural threat.
In the quiet, quintessential small town of Hudson, Massachusetts, a dedicated group of first responders—Kitty, Zuri, Angell, and Eric—commit themselves to the safety of their community. Kitty, a Southern transplant and new medic, is eager to prove her worth and find her place, not knowing that the woman of her dreams, Zuri, is more than just an EMT. Eric, who struggles in his role as a paramedic, learns to lean on his partner, Angell, a skilled medic with a mysterious, bewitched past.
When a series of violent animal attacks shatters the town’s tranquility, it unearths hidden secrets and thrusts these healers onto a warrior’s path. As they rush from one medical emergency to another, each pulse-pounding call brings them closer to each other and their destiny. The perils of the paranormal threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, forcing them to confront their pasts to save their future.
In this adrenaline-fueled world of EMS, the lives of Kitty, Zuri, Angell, and Eric intertwine in ways they never expected. Their call to duty transcends the ordinary as they become humanity’s last line of defense against a supernatural threat. Every siren heralds a potential showdown, challenging them to redefine what it means to be ‘of service.’ Follow these warriors on a gripping journey where every heartbeat could signal a supernatural confrontation.
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The Last Caspian by Taryn J Dallas
Devin Edwards is the first geneticist after years of research to fully sequence the genome of the classified-extinct Caspian tiger. Her job at the Tiger’s Eye Sanctuary, the most dedicated tiger rescue and conservation effort in the world, is to pull Caspians back from the literal brink of extinction; the sanctuary hosts one very special tiger that isn’t found anywhere else.
Rexleigh Murdoch is the head keeper in charge of the last living Caspian tiger, Balkhash. No one knew Balkhash had been trapped since she was a cub in the backyard of a private collector who didn’t realise what he had until his compound was raided by an animal welfare charity. Balkhash was brought to the sanctuary, and millions of pounds has been spent trying to find a way to continue her rare lineage.
Though when Balkhash and Rex are never seen at the same time, the genetic data doesn’t make sense, and both creatures that have captivated Devin have eyes that are reminiscent of the gorgeous tiger’s eye gemstone that the sanctuary is named after, she begins to suspect something that defies the laws of biology.
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The Manor by Tiffany E. Taylor
Ashton
In the dark of one dimly moonlit night, a pair of piercing emerald green eyes peers out through the thick foliage that surrounds Vaughan Manor, intensely observing the pretty human female who had stepped out onto the wide stone stairs to look at the moon. The sleek black jaguar shifter turns and silently vanishes, but not before wondering why she is feeling such an unusual pull to a human, of all things. Because human women, no matter how pretty, are best avoided in a place like Jaguar Grove.
Lillibet
When Lillibet Vaughan inherits Vaughan Manor unexpectedly from an unknown family member, she is startled to learn the mysterious mansion has long been considered a supernatural portal by the members of the tiny town of Jaguar Grove—and she is now its Guardian. Scoffing at the silly superstition, the human Lillibet nevertheless moves the one hundred twenty miles from her home in Tampa to Jaguar Grove, welcoming the chance to escape her suffocating ex-girlfriend and thankful her career as a romance writer makes it possible for her to live anywhere.
When Lillibet meets Ashton Panthera, she is at a loss to explain the strange, inexplicable attraction she has to the masculine of center Native American arborist. Ashton, however, realizes that Lillibet is in fact more than human: She is a hereditary witch of considerable power, with access to ancient knowledge, spells, and lore. Bound at birth by her long-dead mother for her own protection, Lillibet holds a formidable power and knowledge within herself that has been blocked from her for her entire life.
And Lillibet is Ashton’s mate.
Zagan Salazar, the Black Warlock of The Tombs in The Underneath, has been biding his time for centuries, waiting for an opportunity to destroy the Vaughan witches and free the demons trapped in The Tombs. Just as he thinks he wins—that the Vaughan witches are finally no more—Lillibet’s binding is shattered by her jaguar shifter mate, her transcendent power flaring for every magickal creature from miles around to see. In a killing rage, Zagan vows that the last surviving Vaughan witch will not impede his plans to control the supernatural world.
When it becomes clear that Zagan is a dangerous threat to Lillibet, Ashton and the town of Jaguar Grove vow the warlock will not get his hands on Ashton’s witch mate and her magick for his own evil use. But Zagan is determined to enslave Lillibet and hold her prisoner in The Underneath, siphoning her powers for himself until every magical creature in existence—including Ashton Panthera—is a slave to him and his villainy.
Or until they are wiped from existence forever.
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What sapphic book will you read for the sapphic shape-shifter novels category? Let us know in the comments!
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a great story with such relevant themes for today’s world. Extremes of anything are bad and there is no such thing as “all bad”” or “all good”.
Excellent writing, awesome plot, a true enemies-to-lovers romance with low spice but high (slow burn) sexual tension, a rollercoaster of emotions and quite a few surprises.
I was a little leery about the love triangle (not a true one since she was in love with only one of the guys), but it did work very well in the end.
I love me a tortured hero so Gideon was just up my alley even though I wanted to slap him many times for being so (understandably) inflexible on his beliefs about witches.
Many questions went unanswered and the cliffhanger at the end killed me… but the second one is out so I don’t have to wait long.
Hoping the second one comes with a satisfying resolution to what the first book set out for the readers and that one person in particular gets her comeuppance.
Highly recommend.
*I listened to the audio book and the narrator was excellent and really brought those characters to life for me*
Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog. Today I’d like to welcome author Edie Cay who has an excerpt from her story The Boxer and the Blacksmith. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Happy reading, my lovelies!
Excerpt:
Bess felt oddly naked, standing in front of the foundry, waiting for the blacksmith to appear. The chickens shuffled and clucked, softly cooing as they scratched around her, hoping for crumbs. Jean had run in to fetch Os, but as she shivered under her thin woolen shawl, she wondered if she was being ridiculous. It would be just as easy to search for Violet on her own.
The last few days of training had taken flesh from her, and the dress hung loosely. She knew that by next week, the regimes of plain food and morning work would invigorate her, but today she felt tired and sluggish. Her plain skirts and kerchief felt like she was swimming in fabric, but she hoped they would entice Violet back. Convince the neighborhood that their resident female boxer wasn’t unnatural. But she was only what she’d always been. And here she was, presenting herself as some kind of maiden at this smithy. She was a fool.
Just as she was about to turn around and leave, he appeared, pulling on his coat. It made her happy to think he would treat her like a lady, putting on a proper coat, just like everyone else. “Miss Abbott,” he greeted her.
“Blacksmith,” she said.
“Lovely evening,” he said as he approached her, still fussing with the lapels. His hat looked smart and new.
“Just a drizzle.” She ought to get on with it. Ask for help. Clearly, he was patient, standing there waiting for her to speak her peace. She shifted her weight. “I’ve, er…there’s a girl wot’s need finding—”
“Your Miss Violet is still missing?” The chickens cooed around them. Even the man’s voice had a calming effect.
Bess nodded, feeling a total fool. She’d not been struck dumb since…well, never, actually. And she liked that he’d called the girl her Miss Violet.
“Would you accept my help in looking for her?” Os looked tired.
Instead of making the polite excuses she should—let him get his rest—she said, “Yes.”
Once outside the fence that surrounded the front of the foundry, Os offered her his arm. It was a simple gesture, polite and distant, but still a touch.
“Do you have an idea of where she’d be?” Os asked.
Bess explained about the bakery and the tavern with a lion—Tuck’s place.
“Children are clever,” Os said, an odd look on his face. Something was clearly bothering the man, but Bess didn’t feel she ought to pry.
As they made their way down the winding streets, they became a team, both looking down alleyways, peering around buildings. They didn’t speak much as they searched. Bess wasn’t sure what to say, and he seemed lost in thought.
“How did you end up with a French apprentice?” she asked.
“His parents were among the first ardent Republicans in France, liberté, égalité, fraternité.”
Bess nodded her understanding. The evening was growing darker and cooler.
“But when neighbor turned on neighbor, the family fled to relatives here. Jean was born on English soil, but the family speaks nothing but French at their home. He’ll make an excellent blacksmith someday, as long as we last.”
“As long as blacksmiths last?”
“We’re a dying breed. The factories have already started making nails and spring coils. I do more farrier work and repairs now than I ever did as an apprentice or a journeyman. There will come a day when every forge goes cold.”
“Makes me shiver to hear such talk,” Bess said.
“Don’t mourn for me, Miss Abbott. The world is changing apace. I’m looking forward to it.” Os gave her a reassuring look. His eyes locked on hers, and she couldn’t tear herself away. He was talking about something else, but her mind was fog when she looked directly at him.
Their amble slowed further, and her arm tightened around his. She wanted to pull him towards her, even here on the street like a common doxy. She shook away the spell.
“I looked in at Newgate for Violet’s father today, and he’d just gotten out.” Bess needed to keep herself focused. “I need to find her before her father does.” They were almost to the bakery, where she thought she might find Violet. “So if Old Mr. Grim is coming for the smithies, why’d you move to London?”
Os glanced at her and then back down an alleyway. It seemed as if he were considering what to tell her. Finally, after Bess thought he was going to ignore her question entirely, he said, “I’m looking for my mother.”
“And she’s here?”
“Either her, or a woman with her same first name and profession. Though I find that now that I’m here, I’m reluctant to look for her.”
“Sometimes we’re afraid of the answers to our questions,” Bess said, slowing.
“Exactly.” Os stopped as she stopped, turning to her, taking her by both elbows. She could feel a pull towards him, as if he were the ground and she’d just got knocked in the domino box. Her guts fluttered, causing her to stumble back, shaking free of his loose grip.
“Here we are. It’s closed, but Violet might be in back.” Bess charged around the corner building into the alleyway. Behind her, she heard the blacksmith take a steadying breath.
Bess peered into the rubbish pile, kicking muck about. “There’s no burnt bread, so she may have already been here.” There was so much Bess wanted, so much she thought was in her grasp, but whenever she tried to close her fist, it evaporated like smoke.
“To the tavern?” he asked.
She nodded and began to make her way out of the deep, scattered rubbish pile. Rodents rustled under soiled newspapers. Bess picked her way through, each movement careful. Still, her foot came down on a rat, which squealed, knocking Bess off balance.
* * *
The lady boxer was quick jumping back, but Os was fast, too. He moved to catch her. Miss Abbott landed on her feet but crashed into him, his chest breaking her fall. He put his arms up to steady them both. She stiffened but didn’t move to break away as his arms gently encircled her.
“Are you well?” Suddenly it felt as if the entire evening were still and quiet.
“Just stepped on a rat.”
On a chance, he looked down at her, hoping to read her intentions. Was she as nervous as he, heart pounding away, the fastest striker he’d ever known? He shifted his arms, urging her to turn around and face him.
Her brown eyes were wide and her brow furrowed, her expression full of questions. As if he was holding far more than just her body in his arms. Strange, but all he could think of was a sheep. Like the wool of the sheep was not the actual animal itself, but made it appear larger than it was. Here, his arms cut through all of the hopes and desires and wants that surrounded the woman, and he held just the core of her.
He wondered if he was not exactly the same.
“I would like to kiss you,” he said, trying to keep his words soft and tame, not at all like the riot inside of him.
“I—I—” she stammered.
To be fair, she looked terrified. Doubt clouded his mind. So he waited. He watched as she swallowed hard and wrested control of her emotions.
“Yes please,” she said, as if he were offering her half of a meat pie.
He bent his head to meet hers. She watched him with wide eyes, as if at any moment, something unexpected might happen. But then their lips touched, a softness he had not expected. The desire that he had kept so well-contained threatened to spill over, but Os tamped it down. There was so much inside of him—his mother, Chitley, the whole bloody world—but here, it was just her and him. And it was a thing as delicate as goldsmithing, and it was theirs.
Her arms tightened around his shoulders, pulling him closer, further into her. Her strength surprised him, even though he should have expected it. He matched her intensity, exploring her mouth with his tongue. His hands dropped to her waist, kneading the flesh of her hips.
Perhaps the kiss would have lasted longer had the rats not protested. Os pulled away after one bit his shoe.
“I should have picked a better place for our first kiss,” he said, picking his way out of the rubbish heap. “I apologize.”
“I think on the mouth is perfectly acceptable,” she said.
He chuckled. “I can’t wait to see where the second kiss is, then.”
She seemed lighter, suddenly. And so did he. Perhaps they had both needed that more than they realized.
“Come on. Let’s go see if we can find Violet at Tuck’s,” she said. “Maybe we’ll have more luck there.”
“More luck?” he quipped. “Any more luck and I won’t be a bachelor any longer.”
Bess put her hands on her hips, waiting for him to pick his way out. “Well, look at that. The blacksmith makes jokes.”
It was the smile on those lips, that look of flirtation, the ease with which she leaned against the wall of the bakery. He took her by the hips and pushed her up against the bricks, kissing her again.
Her hands came to his face, cradling him as they kissed, softening, deepening a connection between them, as if every piece of him was now attuned to her. She sighed into him, and he felt as if he could gather her up and carry her off to someplace safe. Instead, she let her hands drift to his chest and gently pushed him away.
“Violet,” she said. Her brown eyes were shining, full of something he didn’t know how to name.
Os stepped away, letting both the heat and the magic of their bodies dissipate into the evening air. Bess straightened her skirts and brushed the brick dust off her back.
“Once again, then?” Os asked, offering his arm. There was a whirling in his mind but there was no way to straighten out those thoughts. The best thing he could do was put one foot in front of the other and help someone else. Bess needed to search for Violet, and so he would help her until they both dropped from exhaustion.
Can London’s lady champion fight for love?
As London’s undefeated women’s boxer, Bess Abbott has the scars—both inside and out—to prove it. But when one of her boxing students, Violet, needs protection, Bess Abbott’s rock hard heart cracks open. And when a handsome blacksmith comes along, giving her compliments and treating her, well, like a woman, Bess doesn’t know what to do. She’s on the ropes in the face of his affections.
Os Worley was a child when he became an accidental stow-away. He grew up not knowing the family or the island that inflected his accent. His only memory of his mother is a head bent, hands working a stitch, a voice humming a melody. Now that he has his own foundry, and his own apprentice, he’s come to London to find the woman attached to this impression. His heart is already tempered and quenched, focused on his goal—but a lady boxer threatens to recast his love in her own image.
As Os and Bess face off, will they toe the line or retreat to their corners?
Direct: https://store.ediecay.com/products/the-boxer-and-the-blacksmith
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Apple iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-boxer-and-the-blacksmith/id1539366062
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/u/3JXDEJ
About the Author:
Edie Cay is an award-winning romance author. Her award-winning series, When the Blood Is Up, is about women’s boxing during the Regency era. Her current series, The Ladies Alpine Society series, is about Victorian women mountain climbers. She is a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers. She lives in the California foothills with her family. You can find her at ediecay.com.
Find Edie here:
www.facebook.com/authorediecay