The first book in The Binding Chronicles, Tethered is a darkly seductive romantasy for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Serpent and the Wings of Night, blending forbidden love, dangerous magic and a bond that defies fate.
What could be worse than an arranged marriage to a vampire prince?
When Luna is sold into marriage to the vampire Prince of Darkness, she expects cruelty, not temptation. Prince Sebastian was made to obey his queen, even if that means binding himself to a mortal he doesn’t want and burying every trace of the humanity he lost centuries ago. But the moment their blood mingles during the Binding Ceremony, something ancient and forbidden ignites between them.
Now bound by a magic neither understands and incapable of going more than thirty feet apart, Luna and Sebastian are trapped in each other’s orbit—tethered but unwilling to surrender. As political schemes twist into betrayal and war brews on the horizon, desire becomes their greatest danger. Loving each other could cost them their crowns, their kingdoms and their lives.
Steeped in dark magic, aching passion and impossible choices, Tethered is a sweeping gothic romantasy about two enemies bound by fate and undone by love.
Nothing good ever happens in a back alley, I’ve learned. Except for when taking down a shadow market man for the rebel order. Truly, an exhilarating experience.
But when a motherly elf appears after a mission and declares I must leave if I wish to survive—and leave with Kalen Kelly, no less, a former wild fae Seren thief and suspected smuggler—I start to question my once very sound mind. More so when she adds that my fate also belongs in the last Greenwood Wilds of Carran.
Laughable, really. Wild fae do not return to the Greenwood. Not if they wish to survive, that is.
Naturally, I dismiss the encounter . . . until the soldier hunting me, the one I faked my own death to escape, finds me in the tavern where I work undercover. The tavern Kalen just happens to walk into minutes later. And now I have two options:
1) Seduce Kalen, then drug him to sneak onto his boat with my cat.
2) Run to the next big town and, once more, hide the government documents I stole.
Against all my training, I choose the thief. And saints, Kalen Kelly is the most infuriating, outrageously flirtatious, strategic game I have ever played.
The elf in the back alley lied.
My heart most certainly will not survive the dangerous rhythm of his. I’m starting to fear I may not survive crossing into the Greenwood either.
Habren has never quite forgiven herself. Her father only sings bawdy carols for farthings these days, none of the sweet songs he used to sing their mother, and perhaps it’s no wonder her sisters Syble and Margret have put many leagues between themselves and their old home.
But then Syble summons her to Gloucester, and if Habren can keep on the right side of their pin merchant master, perhaps it’s the chance she needs to make up for the past.
Then the river rises. In a single January morning, the Severn floods the vale and upends every life in it. And somewhere down that swollen estuary is Ambrose, the man Habren loves.
With Syble and new friend Raynould beside her, Habren sets out for Bristol to find him, through a city the flood has torn apart. And as they search, secrets they have kept close to their hearts begin, one by one, to surface.
My thoughts: This was an interesting read, as we follow Habren, her sister Syble and their friend Raynould escaping their master’s repressive household in Gloucester and heading to Bristol to find Ambrose – the young man Habren loves.
A terrible flood has them fearing the worst on their journey, where they will encounter thieves, a woman giving birth, a hanging, and violence. They stop at their older sister’s house first and then their father’s, as Habren examines the past, their mother’s death, and tries to use the strange gifts her mother gave her to divine the future.
It’s a moving and beguiling story, as the trio follow the path of the river in search of new possibilities and redemption from the past.
I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions remain my own.
When bestselling author Helen finds herself at the centre of a scandal, she escapes to Rathbrooke Hall on a remote island off the Northumberland coast.
Tasked with cataloguing the books of a reclusive collector she’s relieved to be out of the glare of publicity, even if the locals are less than welcoming. But as she spends more time among the dusty bookshelves and rare first editions, she uncovers clues to a secret collection of books that could save the island – and the community that she’s begun to feel part of.
Can she unravel the mystery of the hidden library and can she trust Thiago, a charming librarian with secrets of his own?
Sharon started her career as an entertainment journalist, writing non-fiction books about film and television. She is also the author of multiple children’s books. Sharon and her husband live in a small village in northern Cumbria where they run a second-hand bookshop, Withnail Books in Penrith. She can be found on Twitter @sharongosling.
My thoughts: I loved this, a huge house, a magnificent library, secrets and a lost Shakespeare manuscript – this could not be more me. It’s the stuff literary nerds dream of.
On an island off the Northumberland coast, where a reclusive collector has built a library of rare and precious books (the smell must be heavenly, all those old books) Helen has been sent to catalogue and also try to find the late owner’s will.
When a man who looks like a pirate turns up claiming to be a librarian who had been in contact with Cyril, Helen is swept into a quest for a missing Shakespeare manuscript that might just be hidden in the library.
There’s danger, intrigue, possibly ghosts, definitely a grumpy teenage girl, storms, possible romance, giant cats and if this house was real I’d be campaigning to move in as the resident librarian.
It’s an enchanting and very enjoyable read, and if like me you like books about books and bookish people – you’ll love this.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
It’s an absolute privilege to share the cover reveal of the final book in The Plot of the Six Saint Series, The Eldritch Queen, available for pre-order now!
The Eldritch Queen (The Plot of the Six Saint Series Book 4)
Expected Release Date: December 18, 2026
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Final book in the series Fated mate emotional ruin Hard-earned HEA Epic battle w/ dragons
Pulled into a war older than gods, the queen hunts the power at the heart of creation—and risks becoming the very thing it was meant to unleash.
Some truths are buried for a reason.
After Fabric instability rocks her kingdom, Imani descends into the Under with Esa, searching for the one piece of the Fabric that could change everything.
The Source.
A force at the center of creation—and the reason the Upper and the Under have been at war for tens of thousands of years.
But the deeper Imani goes, the more the truth unravels.
Ancient powers rise. The Six Saints step out of legend. And the father she was never meant to meet forces her to question everything she thought she was.
Then Niflheim strikes.
As war explodes across Essenheim, Imani is pulled back into the fight—where magic fractures, loyalties shift, and Kiran stands at the center of the battlefield.
Ally. Enemy. Something far more dangerous.
Because the closer Imani gets to the Source, the more it feels as if it has been waiting for her.
Mary English, a dockworker’s daughter from Faversham, England, travels to South America to escape a scandal from her past. She ends up running a cacao plantation in Colombia, at a time when women were not legally allowed to own businesses there.
Manuela Sáenz, tempestuous lover of Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar, serves as a colonel in his army. She joins him in battle to fight the Spanish and twice saves his life from assassination attempts.
This is the story of two real-life remarkable women, both fighting oppression, hardship and danger in 1820s Colombia, who come together to change the course of a nation’s history.
GD Harper became a full-time author in 2016. He has written three psychological thrillers, Love’s Long Road, A Friend in Deed and Silent Money, and two historical novels, The Maids of Biddenden and Arden.
The Maids of Biddenden was the winner in the historical fiction category of the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers, and was shortlisted for the 2023 Selfies Award at the London Book Fair.
Arden was placed third in the 2024 Yeovil International Literary Prize. The Other Life of Mary English was a finalist in the Eyelands Book Awards. He has also been longlisted or shortlisted for fourteen other awards.
His books have had over one million page reads on Kindle Unlimited, been number one most downloaded e-book on Amazon UK, number three on Amazon worldwide, and garnered over two thousand reviews and ratings on Amazon and Goodreads, with an average rating score of 4.4.
He lives in East Sussex and, when not writing, can be found wild camping in the Scottish mountains or in the mosh pit at live music events.
My thoughts: I love learning about women from the past, especially those who defied convention and forged their own paths as both Mary English and Manuela Sàenz did at a time and in a place that did not encourage them at all.
Mary returns to Colombia as a widow, and as the agent of a bank aiming to establish themselves as the go to for all the material comforts of Britain in the newly established republic. She’s attempting to outrun a scandal too. Her first husband was a bigamist and is still alive, unfortunately in South America, and while her marriage to General English was legitimate, her daughter Eliza isn’t.
She becomes the Belle of Bogota, a society hostess, popular with the locals of high society and the British military types. She plans to marry Colonel Campbell but the threat of scandal destroys that, although he remains both Britain’s chief envoy and a loyal friend. Instead she marries William Greenup and together they buy a cacao plantation, with dreams of making their fortune from chocolate.
When William must return to England, Mary runs the plantation with the help of her foreman. But this is unheard of and adds more challenges to her ambitious plan.
At the same time Simòn Bolívar is fighting against the Spanish to liberate and hopefully unite South America. His lover, Manuela Sáenz, is by his side, even traversing the mountains of Peru to be with him in battle. She’s incredibly brave and resourceful, risking scandal and her life to accompany the Liberator as he fights for a new future.
The two women form an alliance and share information in an attempt to prevent Bolívar from being assassinated.
While some parts of the story are fictionalised, GD Harper draws on the letters and diaries from the time and from both women to bring their world, of revolution and struggle, to life.
An absolutely fascinating and enjoyable read.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Every now and then we get to share something special with you all and The Peddler is a fantasy anthology which is the very definition!
The Peddler
Release Date: January 2026
Genre: Fantasy Short Stories/ Fantasy Anthology
A traveling peddler enters a tavern on a stormy night.
She takes a seat at a table, opens her sailcloth bag, and removes a number of trinkets, ready to weave tales from her travels to her rapt audience… But where to begin?
…a mermaid seeking to walk on land to avenge a murder.
…a daughter of powerful nobles battling how she was raised and what she believes.
…a lighthouse keeper holding vigil for her long-lost love across the sea.
…a petty thief scamming the rich to help the poor.
…or perhaps something else to keep her audience on the edge of their seats.
This collection of fairytale retellings will introduce you to familiar characters you may no longer recognize. Perfect for fans of shadowy plots, criminals with hearts of gold, star-crossed lovers, and happily-ever-afters, The Peddler is sure to entertain you as much as her captive audience.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries meets The Mummy in this fantastical jazz age horror romance where a debutante and a thief have to stop a witch and her army of the undead from claiming the city.
Triggers: Death, murder, violence
See author’s bio to sign up for newsletter, ARC info, and more!
We’re celebrating the August release of the audiobook edition of Twisted Bond by Katlyn DeRouen!
Twisted Bond (Twisted Bond Series #1)
Release Date: August 4, 2026
Genre: Portal Fantasy
Narrators: Monica Cannon & Dallin Bradford
Found family
Enemies to lovers
Hidden identities
Royalty
Closed door
Prophecies
Fae
Portal to another world
Enemies to friends to lovers
Good vs. Evil
Three Girls.
Three Lives.
One Bond.
After almost a decade apart, Cammie, Hannah, and Sabina never expected their paths to cross again so suddenly. But when Cammie is plagued by memories of a person she has never met, she has no choice but to reach out to the friends she lost touch with years ago.
A charismatic stranger—by the name of Caelan—claims he holds the answers to her mounting list of questions. Instead, Cammie winds up in a comatose state. With Caelan’s help, Sabina races against time to find the man in Cammie’s memories who holds the key to an unseen world… before her friend is lost within her own mind forever.
Meanwhile, Hannah finds herself fighting for her life after being thrust into the middle of a war between beings rumored to be myth. In the midst of the chaos, one element holds true… fate pulled them back together for a reason. Will the trio uncover the truth they seek? Or run from an answer they fear will shatter their world as they know it?
Trigger warnings in this book include kidnapping, minor descriptions of blood, a few on screen character deaths, and characters you will love/hate to root for.
Jen is confident she has complete control over the things that are trying to control her. Until she isn’t. Until she hasn’t. Until she realises she has never been in control at all. She’s been papering over it for years.
It’s the start of the year 2000. A new millennium has arrived. For Jen and her three friends, university life in Manchester is full of possibility and endless fun. Sassiness, spontaneity, marvellous mayhem and youthful optimism reign in the Manchester rain.
But beneath the sometimes brash bravado sometimes even the most resilient, carefree, fun-loving characters who, on the surface look like they are living their best lives, are perilously close to falling apart. Over the course of one unforgettable year, the young women confront their own realities and truths. Some make foolish mistakes and others life changing choices. Sometimes heartwarming and other times heartbreaking, but always brutally honest.
This is a story of friendship, mistakes, self-discovery and acceptance; identity, love and the messy reality of becoming an adult. It’s about the masks we wear, the mistakes and choices we make, and the courage it takes to stop papering over it and face ourselves when everything feels like it’s falling apart.
It’s real, raw, raunchy, sometimes random and frankly rude at times. Just like Jen and her friends.
Ruth has worked in Marketing for twenty-seven years and has always loved writing and storytelling. Understanding people and their behaviour, creating stories that resonate and developing engaging and enduring narratives have all been key to success in her professional background.
From a personal perspective, Ruth is a Manchester born, bred and based menopausal mum of three boys (twelve, fifteen and twenty seven). She spends most of her weekends trying to manage the family mayhem with her partner Simon and watching their younger boys on the sideline of various sports pitches hunting for a loo (occasionally having to resort to a wild wee), a sausage sandwich and a brew while trying to keep warm in doubled-up big socks (mainly stolen from the males in her house) and multiple layers (having had it drilled into her since childhood that it is the number of layers that count, not the thickness of each layer – the complete opposite of friendships).
A nasty accident on Good (Bad) Friday in 2024 meant she spent several months sat on her arse with one leg having to be perpetually higher than said arse. As an energetic, self-confessed curator of chaos, she needed something to focus on and keep her from going frankly crazy. And keep her family from going crazy too. She found that you can’t do much when you’re in acute pain with one leg in the air (including the jigsaws and ‘paint by numbers’ well-wishers had kindly gifted her). But you can read, reflect, think and you can definitely reminisce and daydream. And you can write. Which is what she did.
Her debut novel, Paper Over It, combines her sometimes over-enthusiastic imagination with insights gained from growing up in the 80s and becoming a young mum in the late 90s, her silent struggle with eating disorders in her earlier years, the power of some relationships and the destructive nature of others, and the joy of family, friendship, loyalty, hope and laughter.
My thoughts: I’m a bit younger than the characters in this book, but I do remember the early 2000s, I was a teenager and the music the girls listen to was the soundtrack to my year back then too.
Jen, Em, Lou and Kate are all at Manchester uni, with their final year (except for Kate who’s on a 4 year course) and their futures all ahead of them.
Over the course of a tumultuous year, they’ll fall in love, figure out their next steps, party hard and deal with heartbreak, unexpected surprises and learn how to be adults.
I really enjoyed the book, I liked the four young women at the heart of the story, their adventures, mistakes, and the bond they share. It was funny, life affirming and enjoyable, a book with real heart.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 