I am a thirtysomething from London, with a cat, a husband, bookshelves which keep threatening to crush me under their load and chronic health conditions. Basically your average over stressed millennial. Welcome.
When an anonymous tip lands on his desk, DS Adam Tyler is intrigued in spite of himself. The disappearance of a young mother twenty-four years ago was big news, but the case was never solved – this tantalizing new lead is something he simply can’t ignore. But the letter has set in motion a dangerous chain of events, and Tyler’s search for the truth soon leaves him fighting for his life.
. . . LIVE IN THE PRESENT
With Tyler out of action, DC Mina Rabbani must step up to lead the Cold Case Review Unit in his absence, retracing Tyler’s steps and uncovering his secrets to figure out what he was working on. But as she begins to put the pieces together, the case starts to hit frighteningly close to home. Without DS Tyler to protect her, Mina realizes that now she’s the one with hard choices to make.
And this time she’s on her own.
My thoughts: I was really pleased to be reading this excellent addition to the Adam Tyler series, and for Mina to get her own book. Adam’s out of action in hospital, Mina needs to solve the case he was working on, and despite being told to stay away, she’s also looking into what happened to Tyler. On her own.
She’s a very capable and experienced detective, even if she doesn’t always believe in herself. The case will require her to finally open up conversation with her own family as well as dig into the case files and cross paths with an MP, who’d rather not find his late wife’s killer.
This was an excellent read, and a brilliant, complex, knotty case that Mina unravels while Tyler’s life hangs in the balance.
*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 are celebrating the release of this gorgeous dark fantasy Wish by Sara Flanagan, all week long! Be sure to grab a copy today!
Wish (The Onyx Mist Series Book 1)
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Haunted, Morally Grey FMC
Monstrous Villain
Lovers to Enemies
Female Rage
Cinnamon Roll that Could Kill You MMC
Binding Magic and Curses
Touch Him/Her and Die
Enemies to Lovers
Fated Mates
Captivating, tense, and shockingly wicked,
Wish is an adult dark fantasy full of magic, morally grey chaos, and a swoon-worthy enemy-to-lovers romance. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Harper L Woods, and Raven Kennedy.
“She glared deep into his azure eyes, bestowing him with a silent promise. He may very well be responsible for her undoing. But she would be his end.”
When Mora met Dother she expected a one-night tryst, but the man she grew to love had a different idea. He intended to keep her at any cost. Even if that meant binding her to a flask and cursing her to grant the wishes of any who held it. Though Dother meant it when he swore Mora would never truly be rid of him, he didn’t anticipate the monster she would become in the name of vengeance.
Revenge was not enough.
Three hundred years later, Mora is eternally cursed, rageful, and haunted by memories of Dother. She makes do by twisting her Keepers’ wishes to have dire, often deadly outcomes until a wish gone awry lands Mora in the hands of a new, terrifying enemy. One who knows all of Dother’s secrets and plans to use them against her.
Trapped alongside Zadriel, a brooding Fae male who despises her and yearns for her in equal measure, Mora must face a past she longs to forget. But something is hidden in the Forbidden Forest. Secrets her Keeper wishes to uncover. Secrets Zadriel would prefer to keep. As Mora is forced to fulfill a wish she knows will end in horror, she unravels the damning truth about Dother’s curse. And Mora isn’t the only one who’s doomed.
Please Note: Wish contains mature themes, explicit content, and dark elements. It is intended for an adult audience; read at your own discretion. This is the first book in a dark fantasy romance series.
A Pursuit of Madness: A Twisted Princess Collection
✨BLURB✨
Some say I was driven to madness.
Others say I’m a stone-cold killer.
The truth is . . . I’m just ridding this world of its most depraved souls, one surgery at a time.
Banished from Wonderland as a child, I have searched for years to find a way back to the twisted realm that took everything from me.
But for years, I failed.
Until now.
And if there’s one thing I crave more than poetic justice, it’s revenge on the Queen who banished me.
When the looking glass reappears, I’m thrust back into Wonderland, right into the hands of the Black Spade brothers.
They’re monsters with a knack for taking what they want, and an insatiable taste for blood and vengeance.
They’ve vowed to break me, but what they don’t know is . . . I won’t break easily.
I’ve managed to escape their clutches—for now—but how long can I run until I’m captured by the Queen’s executioners? Or, worse, back in the deadly grip of the Black Spade brothers?
A Taste of Revenge: A Twisted Princess Collection
✨ Blurb ✨
Sometimes revenge is best served warm…
Laissez les bon temps rouler—Let the good times roll.
New Orleans is a city known for its vibrant culture of food, music, and parties. But beneath the surface of the city lies a dark underbelly of secrets waiting to be uncovered.
And I intend to unveil them all—one by one.
For too long justice has been denied and I have been biding my time, waiting for the perfect moment to dish out my own form of retribution.
My plan is flawless—or so I thought.
Just when everything falls into place, a charming FBI agent throws a wrench in my plans and turns my world upside down.
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a man’s company this much—too bad he has to die.
✨Tropes✨
💚Lovers to rivals
💚He’s an FBI agent
💚Princess and the frog reimagining
💚Forensic science vs Magic
💚He falls first
✨Tropes✨
♠️❤️ A dark Alice in Wonderland retelling
♠️❤️ Serial K!ller FMC
💚New Orleans Heritage
♠️❤️ Magic mafia
♠️❤️ Slow burn to extra spicy
♠️❤️ Dub*on
♠️❤️ A princess forced to betray her kingdom
♠️❤️ Pëw Pëw play
Enter the world of villain princesses like you’ve never seen before!
Amber Bunch’s Luxe Edition Collectors Books of dark romance fairytale re-imaginings is officially on Kickstarter! Prepare for seductive villains, twisted love stories, and exclusive collector’s designs that you won’t find anywhere else.
This is your chance to own these breathtaking limited editions. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to bring the magic of these deliciously dark fairytales to your bookshelf!
Available TODAY: Get ready for the first two books in A Twisted Princess Collection-a dark romance standalone collection like no other. These luxe collector’s editions are dripping with danger, forbidden love, and all the dark magic you crave!
A Pursuit of Madness: A twisted re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland, where Alice is no innocent heroine. Instead, she’s a serial un-aliver entangled with the dark underworld of a Magic Mafia.
A Taste of Revenge: The Princess and the Frog-but forget the fairy tale! This is a battle of Forensic Science Magic with all the Criminal Minds vibes.
These gorgeous Luxe Editions will include:
💔 Premium Dust Jackets Holographic 💀 Foiled Naked Hardcovers Gorgeous 💔 Printed End Pages Full Color Interior 💀 6 Stunning Custom Art Prints (3 per book) 💔Custom Chapter Spread Designs 💀Sprayed/Stenciled Edges by Bewitched Edges 💔Bonus Chapters & Secret Content
Psychology With Mr. Mistletoe (Smart is Seriously Sexy Series Book 3)
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Holiday Romance
Return to hometown
Best friend’s older brother
Small town romance
Firefighter
Slow burn
Secrets
She’s running the town’s holiday fundraiser, but he might just steal the show—and her heart.
Becoming the new chair for the annual Mr. and Ms. Mistletoe Fundraising Event is an honor Morgan McCann embraces. After all, the competition combines Christmas, honoring local firefighters, and raising money for victims of Colorado wildfires, a cause close to her heart. Minutes into the job, however, she discovers a certain firefighter has been nominated…a man with whom she shares a years-long secret and happens to be her best friend’s older brother.
Returning to his hometown after being gone five years had never been part of Jason Kinsella’s plan. But experiencing personal tragedy while on the job turned his life upside down. As such, competing to become Mr. Mistletoe is not at the top of his holiday to-do list. But can he really say no to the nomination and the Lady Chair who hasn’t been far from his mind the last sixteen years?
Amidst competition hiccups, nosy eyes and ears, and a secret fighting to break free, Morgan and Jason realize there might be more than holiday magic in the air.
Brigid’s Vista is the place to be this season where brains and brawn meet under the mistletoe in Psychology With Mr. Mistletoe, Book Three in the Smart is Seriously Sexy Series.
Happy publication day to author Jaclyn Kot and congratulations on the release of Between the Moon and Her Night. It sounds and looks incredible!
Between the Moon and Her Night (Between Life and Death Series Book 3)
Publication Date: October 23, 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Stalker Shadow Daddy
True Enemies to Lovers
Traumatized, Lonely FMC
Forced Bond
He Stole Me = Saved Me
Take Your Rival’s Wife
“It was like he had lifted the lid to a small locket box, because a soft, beautiful melody began to play—happy and sad, and filled with love and loss.
It was the song of us.
The song of Life and Death.”
Centuries before the events of Between Life and Death and Between Sun
and Moon . . . Centuries before she was Sage . . . She was Aurelia, the Goddess of Life.
The decades-long Immortal War has ended and a new deal has been struck
between the two warring sides. In exchange for the freedom of others, Aurelia reluctantly
agrees to live in the Spirit Realm where she will give her hand in marriage to
the God of Death—Von.
The lethal, sexy, immortal claims he will make her his queen, but she
knows full well that she will not be wearing a gilded crown upon her head, but
rather a tight collar around her neck. Having no intentions of becoming his
prisoner, on the day she is supposed to go with him, she makes a swift decision
and runs from him instead.
Thunderclouds and swords are not the only things that collide when Von
tracks her down in the dark, foreboding woods. There, steamy passions and
shadow chains lure Aurelia into making another deal with him—a deal that she
won’t be able to run away from this time. A deal that will forever lock her to
his side.
. . . Right where Death wants her to be.
Between the Moon and Her Night is a prequel to the Between Life and Death series, but it is intended to be read as the third book. This dark fantasy romance series is great for readers who enjoy Raven Kennedy, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Sarah J. Maas.
A cold-blooded killer strikes at the hottest moment: the new head of a sauna-stove company is murdered … in the sauna. Who has turned up the temperature and burned him to death?
The evidence points in the direction of Anni Korpinen – top salesperson and the victim’s successor at Steam Devil. And as if hitting middle-age, being in a marriage that has lost its purpose, and struggling with work weren’t enough, Anni realizes that she must be quicker than both the police and the murderer to uncover who is behind it all – before it’s too late…
Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2011, his third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for Best Finnish Crime Novel and shortlisted for the Glass Key Award.
Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime-genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards and now a Finnish TV series. Palm Beach, Finland (2018) and Little Siberia (2019) have both been adapted for the screen, airing shortly, and also shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and winning the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The international bestselling Rabbit Factor trilogy is filming now for Amazon Studios, starring Steve Carell.
Antti lives in Helsinki with his wife.
My thoughts: From theme parks to sauna sales, the first in a new series from the funniest Finnish writer I’ve read is back and I am delighted.
Saunas are big business in Finland, where people have them in their back gardens and use them daily, being the best salesperson at Steam Devil, and after the murder of her boss’ heir apparent puts Anni in the police’s crosshairs, they think she’s the killer, and even more so once another one of her colleagues also dies.
There’s evidence that seems to link her to both scenes, although she insists the “bumlets” (every time I read that word, I giggle) were stolen. Then there’s her deeply weird husband who spends all his time watching old F1 races and discussing them online as well as selling related merchandise, or at least stockpiling it.
Anni’s got issues and so do the police investigating her, it’s a small place and everyone has history.
I really enjoyed this, Finland sounds like such a unique and weird place, and Antti’s books are full of utterly ridiculous and odd people. Who knew saunas would cause so much chaos!
*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 are both honored and thrilled to present the cover of Iron & Embers, the first book in a brand new trilogy The Ashes of Thezmarr by Helen Scheuerer!
Iron & Embers (The Ashes of Thezmarr Book One)
Expected Publication Date: January 28, 2025 (USA, CA, ANZ), February 6, 2025 (UK)
Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Alchemy (US/CA), Tor Bramble (UK), Pan Macmillan (ANZ)
Page Count: Approx 600
Formats: ebook, paperback, hardcover (audio TBC)
Audience: Suitable for adults (18+)
Tropes:
Bodyguard Academy
Forced proximity
Hairpin to the throat
Found family
Brooding hero
Touch her and d!e
“You look like you’re going to kiss me,” she said, her own eyes hooded, her body singing out for his touch. “You look like you’d enjoy it.”
Alchemist. Poisoner. Storm wielder.
Wren Embervale, alchemist-turned-assassin, finds solace in only one thing: seeking vengeance for the death of her friends. The wars of the past may be over, but her thirst for revenge is far from quenched.
For years, she has been content with her poisons and potions for company, but when an unknown form of alchemy is used to attack a king of the midrealms, Wren’s time in the shadows comes to an end.
She’s offered a place at the ancient alchemy academy of Drevenor to find a cure to the dark magic threatening the kingdoms. To win her spot, she must conquer the Gauntlet, a grueling series of deadly trials that could cost her sanity, or her life.
More is at play than sabotage from fellow competitors. Magic wielders are being targeted and Wren becomes tangled in a dangerous web of deception and bloodshed that puts the entire realm at risk.
But the biggest threat of all might come from the man assigned to protect her —Torj Elderbrock, the silver-haired war hero who has hated her since she assassinated his last charge.
Their shared history ignites a simmering tension that threatens to consume them both.
Peace is fragile, trust is scarce and enemies lurk around every corner… Will love heal all wounds—or will it be the most lethal poison of all?
Iron & Embers is the breathtaking first instalment in the epic fantasy romance series, The Ashes of Thezmarr. With its lush world-building, sizzling chemistry, and heart-pounding action it’s perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and The Bridge Kingdom.
Welcome to the tour for The Wrong Brother by Maren Jenner! Read on for more details!
The Wrong Brother: A New Adult College Romance (Wrighting the Wrongs Book 1)
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Genre: NA Romance
Leah chose the wrong brother—she just doesn’t know it yet.
Leah Parker has always found Shawn to be the most attractive of the Wrighting brothers, and the most complicated. Which is why she chooses his predictable, steady brother, Sebastian, to date after an ex leaves her confidence shattered and reputation ruined. While Sebastian is the perfect option to ease back into the dating pool, they make better friends than lovers and part amicably.
It’s Leah’s senior year of college and she is more than looking forward to Spring Break with the brothers, until Sebastian backs out. Now she has to face the trip single and without her best friend. Shawn’s yo-yo mood swings—sweet one minute and grumpy the next—make her even more apprehensive, despite Sebastian’s reassurances that Shawn will look out for her.
Shawn loves pushing Leah’s buttons, even if it makes her think he hates her. Her angry responses to him are the only times he glimpses the fiery woman she used to be before her jerk of an ex-boyfriend got a hold of her. He misses that spitfire woman. The way her blue eyes flash when she’s mad and how she flays him with her sharp words is nothing short of amazing. But things get complicated when he’s forced to face his tangled mess of emotions head-on.
Their upcoming Spring Break trip offers Shawn the chance to own up to his true feelings, show Leah what she truly means to him and tackle the hardest task of all—convincing her that she was with the wrong brother.
Happy publication day to author Bri Eberhart, and congratulations on the release of Strangers in Our Hearts!
Strangers in Our Hearts
Release date: October 22, 2024
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy/YA Science Fantasy
Audience: Upper YA 16+
Discovering special powers
Found family
Power and technology
Pre-dystopian setting
Social and political turmoil
Theo Goodwin is used to running, while Gemma Roberts wants nothing more than to find somewhere to call home—someplace to belong. With the threat of the Authorities looming, despite their strange connection and a shared desire to protect their family, a compromise between fight or flight is no easy feat. As they traverse a new shared life together, they must learn to understand one another for the survival of not only themselves but also those they hold dear.
When a new group swoops in with their own unique powers and motivations that threaten to ruin everything Theo and Gemma have worked toward, the invitation into their broader community has its appeals but equal drawbacks. Tension simmers within their crew, testing their bonds and questioning their unity. As they navigate this delicate balance, they’ll discover the world isn’t what it seems and finally put a word to what they are—mutants. More are found every day, with abilities far beyond what they thought possible. And the Authorities are doing more than hunting them down.
With mutants on the precipice of war with the government, will they decide to join the cause and fight or continue to run and hide?
Happy release week to Alli Temple! Only Mostly Dead is the perfect ghostly tale for the spooky season!Only Mostly Dead (Afterlife Incorporated Book 1) Publication Date: October 21, 2024 Genre: Urban Fantasy/ LGBTQ+
Urban fantasy
Ghost & reaper
Odd couple
Sloooooooow burn
No one tells you how much paperwork there is after you die.
I expected to wake up on a cloud where angels played harps and fed me grapes. Instead, I’m a ghost stuck in suburban Toronto. The only one who can see me is an unemployed grim reaper who’d rather play video games.
Turns out the business of dying is a train wreck. But if there was ever a girl boss who could get it back on track, it’s me. All I need is a little help from my new undead roommate, whether they want to be involved or not.
Nothing at Afterlife Incorporated moves quickly and if I don’t find a way out soon there won’t be anything left of me to cross over. They say death can be easy, but being only mostly dead sucks.
Only Mostly Dead is the first installment in the Afterlife Incorporated urban fantasy trilogy. It features a slow—so slow—burn romance that may take several books to resolve. Be patient. Death is coming…eventually. AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
My thoughts: this was a lot of fun, probably more than death really is. After dying and not being “collected” and taken to the Afterlife, anyone would be a bit frustrated. But when your life’s work was helping others get their lives sorted out – well maybe the Afterlife needs your help.
Funny, reminiscent of Dead Like Me (that was a good show) with delightful characters and a rather magnificent cat (always a good addition), there’s a lot more to the life after death! Can’t wait for book 2!
Happy release week to Alli Temple! Only Mostly Dead is the perfect ghostly tale for the spooky season!
Only Mostly Dead (Afterlife Incorporated Book 1)
