A spooky collection of poetry to curl up with on these dark and dreary evenings
Blood for Blood
Publication Date: October 2024
Genre: YA Poetry/ Supernatural
An older vampire secretly resides in a neighborhood, preying off those who hike in the nearby woods. One night, he becomes distracted by a second attack and allows his prey to escape. Following a trail of blood, he comes face to face with his old mentor who only wants revenge and to keep the vampire laws. His mentor will either kill or transform everyone he cares for into vampires. After being arrested and interrogated for a crime his mentor framed him for, can he escape the police station before the sunlight diminishes him? Can he save his great-grandson? Will he be able to convince a stranger, who thinks of him as a monster, to help him? He would do anything as long as he didn’t have to accept his final death.
To Defend a Bride is LIVE! The Entangled with the Enduar series continues with Ra’Sa and Melisa’s story!
To Defend A Bride: An Enemies to Lovers Bodyguard Fantasy Romance (Entangled with the Enduar Series)
Publication Date: October 14, 2024
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Bodyguard x Courtesan
Epic Angst
Secrets
True Love Against All Odds
She’s Using Him
Fated Mates
Bodyguard romantasy meets courtesan turned spy.
Melisa needs a new life for herself and her family. And she finds just that in a troll named Ra’Sa. He’s tall, strong, serious, and unattached.
And yet, he doesn’t fall for her attempts to seduce him. Frustrated, she gives up and crafts a new plan: make herself indispensable.
So far, Ra’Sa is unimpressed with the weak, helpless creatures he escorts across the land. The one with long, silky black hair and a red gown is intriguing, but his crystal doesn’t sing, meaning she’s not his mate. Thus, it doesn’t matter that she’s clever. And beautiful. And strangely hard to stop watching.
However… he is furious when she surprises everyone and offers to return to the giant capital, where she will use her position as a comfort woman to glean information for the trolls.
So he demands to go with her—to watch over and defend her in a land of cruel men.
Her secrets unravel, revealing her true nature. He finds it… breathtaking. Despite the forbidden nature of their relationship, feelings stir within his stony heart.
Will they succeed their mission or let their desire burn them to ashes?
To Defend a Bride is a standalone novel, but it is part of a larger series called Entangled with the Enduar. It can be read by itself but it is recommended to be read after To Steal a Bride and To Ignite a Flame for the best experience.
It is dark monster romantasy featuring a cunning heroine and a brooding hero. This adult fantasy romance is perfect for readers of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Danielle L. Jensen.
Note: This story is an adult/new adult novel with mentions of trauma, abuse, and other mature themes.
A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of the books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.
In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter, Olivia, have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.
When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbours and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing, and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.
As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times
Madeline Martin is a New York Times and International Bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance novels filled with twists and turns, adventure, steamy romance, empowered heroines and the men who are strong enough to love them.
My thoughts: I’m not really a fan of books set during WWII for various reasons, but I really enjoyed this one, particularly the look at the lives of ordinary women and the Boots’ Booklovers’ Library.
Set in Nottingham, where Boots is still headquartered, Emma joins the staff of Boots’ Booklovers’ Library, founded by Mrs Boots after her husband’s family business became more than just a local chemist. Subscribers paid a yearly fee and could take out a book at a time. It no longer exists but it fascinates me as a student of literary history.
Emma finds friendship and solace in her role advising subscribers on their next reading choice, and even a little romance with a handsome fireman! It also helps her when her daughter is evacuated to the countryside as Nottingham comes under fire from German bombers.
The relationship between Emma and her beloved daughter, Olivia, is at the heart of the book, a widow, herself raised by her widowed father, Emma tries to be the best parent she can, but learns to accept help and support from her kind and generous hearted neighbours so she can work and care for Olivia.
There was some humour and joy amidst the bombs and fear, mostly in the form of Emma’s colleagues and their customers, who all have their own quirks. All of them united by a love of reading, finding an escape from the horror surrounding them.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
We’re celebrating the release of D. Lieber’s new book The Goblin King’s Mischief! Read on for more details!
The Goblin King’s Mischief
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
A promise unkept. A love she can’t forget. This wily human will do anything to reclaim the heart of the Goblin King.
Lady Melody Piobaire never lost faith her first love would come for her when she was forced from his side. That is, until she finds out he doesn’t even know who she really is…doesn’t even know she’s human. To make things worse, she’s the promised mistress of the sidhe king. Rather than bear Tír’s heir, she devises a plan to win back her true love in the most goblin of ways.
Orphaned elf Aodh never forgot what it was like growing up on the mean streets of Goblintown. And now, as Goblin King, he’s dedicated to being the just and attentive ruler the neglected goblins deserve. So when a spoiled human who knows nothing of what it means to be a goblin tricks him into marriage, he’ll do anything to be rid of her.
Melody is certain she can win Aodh’s heart again, so she isn’t prepared for his hot and cold hostility. Aodh is unsettled by the forward human in his home and the way she seems to know just how to get to him.
What can Melody do if her only love no longer wants her, or worse, no longer exists?
BLISS IS BACK… AND THIS TIME HE’S TWICE THE THREAT.
Jimmy Bliss’s first unsolved case is proving to be a puzzle. Despite an original investigation and subsequent case reviews, the police still do not have a suspect in the 1999 murder of a local authority worker. The only lead Bliss and his three new colleagues have is the recent unearthing of the murder weapon. But when that takes them no further, they realise their only chance of success is to find fresh evidence missed in the original case.
The reinvestigation is starting to look hopeless when in steps a shadowy figure from Jimmy’s past. The man has a favour to ask, and Bliss a debt to repay. With his loyalty put to the test, can he be convinced the request is genuinely for the greater good?
Meanwhile, the violent executions of two young drug runners are the first lethal blows in a war between organised county lines drug gangs. Bliss is asked to act as the Senior Investigating Officer. Working with his Major Crime Unit colleagues, he professes to align himself with one of the gangs to ensure a peaceful end to hostilities. But will they call his bluff and see his act for what it is?
Bliss’s strategy prompts an unexpected reaction in one psychopathic loose cannon, resulting in threats of violence and the spread of fear. And when those threats become actions, will Jimmy and his colleagues be caught in the line of fire…?
Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime thriller series. Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, If Fear Wins, The Reach of Shadows, The Death of Justice, Endless Silent Scream, Slow Slicing, The Autumn Tree, Darker Days to Come, The Lightning Rod, and What Dies Inside Us will be joined in autumn 2024 by Something More to Say. There is also a prequel novella available called Bliss Uncovered.
Tony’s other books include two action-adventure thrillers, Scream Blue Murder and Cold Winter Sun, featuring reluctant hero Mike Lynch. Also, The Huntsmen and The Predators, feature DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and PCSO Alison May, both police procedural novels set in Wiltshire. In addition, Tony has written two standalone novels: a dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, and a suspense thriller set in California, Fifteen Coffins.
Tony’s first 8 novels were originally released by a publisher specialising in crime fiction. In 2020, Tony decided to strike out on his own, and subsequently negotiated the return of all publishing rights to himself. Each of those 8 books has subsequently been re-released under his own imprint, Spare Nib Books.Tony lives with his wife in West Sussex, UK, and is a full-time author. He is currently working on book #12 in his bestselling Jimmy Bliss series.
His first love was music, and he is currently gobbling up as many remastered vinyl albums as he can. Tony has played guitar since his early childhood, and despite selling off his collection at one point he has somehow managed to reacquire a new range and is up to 5 without knowing how.
My thoughts: this was very, very good. I’m planning on getting my dad (who is very particular) the series for Christmas, I think he’d love the Jimmy Bliss books.
Bliss is working with a team of retired experts, including former detectives, on cold cases, putting their years of knowledge and experience to use reviewing cases the police couldn’t solve at the time, along with new technology like DNA. But this murder seems to have some very old school reasons as the motive – greed and power. Bliss just needs to connect all the dots so his tip off from an old “friend” is legitimate for the courts.
He’s also been asked to act as SIO on the murders of two teenage drug dealers, probably part of a county lines operation, and the three gangs that want control of the city are headed for war if Bliss can’t sort it all out.
The writing is compelling, the story gripping and the characters brilliantly drawn, it was one of the best crime thrillers I’ve read recently. Add it to your tbr, you won’t be sorry!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
When Alice Carroll steps into Curiosity Cottage, a picture-perfect former bric-a-brac shop in the Cotswold Village of Little Pride, she thinks she’s found the perfect place to start the new phase of her life. Freshly separated from her collector long-term boyfriend, she’s excited to embrace her new, minimalist existence.
All Alice needs to do is sell off the left-behind stock, and settle in. But the villagers of Little Pride have other ideas, and Alice quickly realises they won’t give up their beloved shop without a fight. Then a dead body is found buried in her neighbour’s compost heap, and Alice realises there’s much more to Little Pride, and its residents, than meets the eye.
Debbie Young is the much-loved author of the Sophie Sayers and St Brides cosy crime mysteries. She lives in a Cotswold village, where she runs the local literary festival, and has worked at Westonbirt School, both of which provide inspiration for her writing
My thoughts: This was a great start to a new series with a new protagonist from the marvellous Debbie Young.
Alice Carroll (yes, she was named after that Alice) has found a lovely Cotswold cottage to buy after her long term relationship comes to an end and she has to sell her home. Unfortunately she’s just been made redundant on top of that. So now she needs a new job.
The previous owner of her cottage used to run an antiques/junk shop from her front room and Alice is expected to carry that on, at least until she can get the local council to let her turn it into a home completely. But maybe this could be the new job?
Horrible local developer Bolt is planning to plonk some horrible new homes on the donkey paddock next door and he also wants her cottage. But a discovery in the field might just put paid to that.
There’s also the murder of a local builder and the almost murder of the council archaeologist to sort out, with the help of her friend, and former colleague, Danny. Can Alice restore the village’s peace and quiet, make a go of the curiosity shop and get rid of Bolt?
Fun, clever and really enjoyable, I can’t wait for more from this new series.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
We’re celebrating the release of The Book of Lost Enchantments all week, and can’t think of a better book to curl up with this season!
The Book of Lost Enchantments
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Genre: NA Fantasy/ Magic
❄️Enemies to Lovers
❄️Forced Proximity
❄️Found Family
❄️Celtic Folklore
❄️Snowed In
❄️Ancestral Magic
❄️Cottagecore
At twenty-nine, Nora Cameron’s life feels adrift, her days are spent working in her parents’ bakery, and her nights are spent alone watching Hallmark movies. She yearns for something beyond her predictable existence, though she has no idea what that might be. That is, until fate intervenes, and Nora is swept into an unforeseen adventure to Scotland.
Guided by her grandmother’s cherished photo album from the 1940s, which documents her time spent as a medic-nurse in Scotland during World War II, Nora stumbles upon a mysterious old bookstore in Edinburgh. There, amidst the smell of old books and shelves lined with relics of forgotten lore, Nora’s eyes fall upon a peculiar little red book. As she delves into its pages, strange and unexplainable events unfold, including a sudden snowstorm that strands her in the Highlands with a handsome but surly journalist named Alistair.
Snowed in and at odds with one another, Nora and Alistair struggle to get along. With little else to do but tend the fire, Nora immerses herself in the red book’s tale of a young woman from centuries past, on a quest to save her grandmother and resist the pull she feels toward a dashing but aloof son of a Scottish Duke.
As the days pass, stranded in the cabin, Nora discovers a box of letters with an eerie connection to her grandmother’s past, uncovering a family secret buried deep in time. As the weather worsens and their supplies dwindle, bizarre events begin to escalate. With Alistair’s help, Nora starts to unravel the mystery, but what she uncovers not only threatens to fracture her idea of reality but may place her and Alistair in mortal danger.
We’re celebrating the release of Rebirth by Agnes Henbane all this week. If you would like, you can pre-order the book until October 11th and take advantage of the pre-order incentives (see author’s bio for link)!
Rebirth (Lost Souls Book 1)
Publication Date: October 11, 2024
Genre: Dark PNR/ Horror Fantasy
• Dark paranormal romance
• Beauty and the Beast
• Horror fantasy
• Angels & demons
• Slow burn enemies to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Revenge plot
• Unique magic system
My first life, my human life, was nothing like the fairy tales. It may have started the same—“Once upon a time, I fell in love…”—but devolved into a nightmare where I was mistreated and eventually discarded by my so-called husband. I quickly learned there are no happily-ever-afters.
Searching for an escape, I find myself faced with a second chance, but one that is more like a gilded cage than a genuine fresh start. I wake in an unknown place with no memory of my old life or awareness of where I am. Relying on two strangers, who just so happen to also be my rivals for his favor, I learn to navigate this supernatural domain and my newfound power.
The man who brought me here showers me with both his magic and cruelty once I’ve proven myself worthy of his attention, shaping me to suit his needs. Despite his ulterior motive, he provides me the knowledge and opportunity to avenge myself for all I have endured, so I play into his hand as a means to my own end. After all, that’s what I am to him.
There is nothing I won’t do to reclaim what’s mine and break free from the bloodred hands that mean to imprison me. I just hope my fragile heart won’t get in the way of my schemes.
Rebirth is a Dark Paranormal Romance, please check TW’s before reading.
When Áróra receives a call telling her that a child she’s never met is claiming to be her missing sister reincarnated, she is devastated … as ridiculous as the allegations might seem. For three years she has been searching for her sister without finding a single clue, and now this strange child seems to have new information.
On the same day, Icelandic detective Daníel returns home to find a note from his tenant, drag queen Lady Gúgúlú, giving notice on her flat and explaining that she has to leave the country. Daníel is immediately suspicious, and when three threatening men appear, looking for Lady, it’s clear to him that something is very wrong…
And as Iceland’s long dark nights continue into springtime, that is just the very beginning…
Bestselling crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland.
An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written ten crime novels, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavík Noir trilogy, and her standalone thriller Betrayal, all of which have hit bestseller lists worldwide and been long- and shortlisted for multiple awards. The film rights for the Reykjavík Noir trilogy have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California, and the An Áróra Investigation series is now in production for a major TV series.
Cold as Hell was published in the UK in 2021 and reprinted twice, followed by Red as Blood and White as Snow, both number-one digital bestsellers.
Lilja lives outside of Reykjavík with her partner and a brood of chickens.
My thoughts: I don’t believe in reincarnation – so I was very sceptical of the claim that a child could be Áróra’s lost sister, although she does pass on some rather detailed information that there is no other way she could have, three year olds don’t tend to hang out with murderers. Áróra is put through the wringer with this situation but it might finally give her resolution. Daniel takes over the case, to give her breathing space, and asks Áróra to find his suddenly missing lodger – drag queen Lady Gúgúlú.
This second case is incredibly convoluted and provides an entirely new back story to the colourful and sequined world created in Daniel’s garage. It seems the man Daniel knows is not entirely who he claimed to be – and he has multiple names too.
Áróra’s investigation takes her away from Iceland, and away from the peculiar case Daniel is dealing with. But will he get answers or just more questions?
I found Lady’s story, aka Robert, the reason he’s been hiding and has kept his past a tightly guarded secret really fascinating and compelling. It also provided a contrast to the hunt for Áróra’s sister that kept that plot from becoming too woo woo. Another excellent slice of Icelandic noir, and a great set up for further stories.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
The Portrait Girl thrusts its bereaved and beleaguered heroine, jewellery designer Freya Wetherby, into an astonishing world of re-enacted Victorian art salons and the devious machinations of modern art theft.
Seeking the identity of a miniature portrait found in her late mother’s belongings, Freya becomes enraptured not only by this mysterious young woman but also by the hypnotic personality of art collector Ralph Merrick and his colourful entourage, including the dangerously attractive ‘Jack.’
Thoroughly researched, the milieu in which The Portrait Girl would have moved is beautifully rendered by Swengley, as are the artworks and jewellery designs imagined in the novel. Freya’s own contemporary world and circumstances form a dramatic backdrop to the seductive ‘time slip’ episodes, a mirage created by Merrick that draws her into his web.
Nicole Swengley is a highly regarded and experienced journalist who has written about art and design for titles such as The Times, Financial Times, the Telegraph, London Evening Standard and many others. A past student of the Faber Academy, Nicole has written non-fiction books for Collins and Adlard Coles, and has had several short stories published in magazines and anthologies. The Portrait Girl is her first full length work of fiction.
My thoughts: This was really fascinating and full of intrigue and secrets. Jewellery designer Freya finds an unusual piece of Victorian jewellery, a necklace hung with a miniature portrait of a young woman among her late mother’s things.
Is the woman in the painting a relative? And why is the art collector Ralph Merrick so very keen to acquire it for his collection?
Freya delves into the complicated relationships and lives of a group of Victorian artists, discovering the sad story behind the precious painting. It puts her in danger, as Merrick recreates the drawing room salons of the past, peopled with actors and other collectors, blurring the lines between reality and his version of the past.
I was absolutely hooked, the story weaves such an unusual and interesting narrative – women artists (and writers) so often lost their work and became lost themselves in the lives and work of the men around them – fathers, brothers, husbands. Emily is one of these lost women, her life a footnote in the Arts & Crafts movement she was part of.
*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 