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.
We’re thrilled to present the cover for the second book in Amber Palmer’s Wicked Dark duology, The Day Burns Bright. Preorder today!
The Day Burns Bright
Expected Publication Date: May 3, 2024
Genre: Vampire Romance/ PNR
🩸 Romeo and Juliet, but make it Paranormal
🫦 Touch her and die vibes
🩸 Vampire/Fae romance
🫦 Found family
🩸 Ancient curses and haunted destinies
🫦 “I can’t make you love me”
🩸 Tortured “hero”
🫦 Redemption
🩸Enemies-to-Lovers
In the aftermath of a devastating tragedy, Rion D’arcy is left with nothing but the shattered pieces of a broken heart and a haunting array of unanswered questions. Despite the unwavering support at his side, the ache for solace consumes him.
With the help of friends, both new and old, Rion vows to enact his revenge. He is forced to confront the haunting decisions of his past so that those he loves may have a chance for a better future.
However, all is not what it seems.
Can Rion stop the looming darkness before it is too late? Or will the day burn bright with truths he never wanted to face?
Amber Palmer is an American fantasy romance author. She was born in Arizona, but raised in Texas. She is the proud parent of three (evil) cats and one puppy dog, and when she isn’t nose deep in a spicy fantasy novel, she’s listening to her bookish Spotify playlists and making notes for her next project! A passionate advocate for mental health, Amber features characters processing various traumas in her work. She is an unapologetic lover of anything spicy, while also making time to game with her husband.
There is excitement in the air as the travelling theatre arrives in Seal Bay. When The Spriggan Travelling Theatre Company arrives in Seal Bay to perform a Cornish version of King Arthur the locals flock to be entertained. But for Morwenna Mutton, sexagenarian librarian, wild swimming enthusiast and amateur sleuth, the theatre brings intrigue too.
Actor and director Daniel Kitto is not the most popular member of the cast and unbeknownst to him, his role of Uther Pendragon on the opening night is to be his swansong. In front of a horrified audience, he collapses during the dying moments of the performance in a pool of fake blood, and although the police are content that the causes of his death are natural, Morwenna isn’t so sure. And once it becomes clear that there are a number of people who stand to gain from Daniel’s death, Morwenna’s investigation takes a dangerous turn.
If you love Miss Marple and The Thursday Murder Club, then you’ll love The Morwenna Mutton mysteries.
Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.
My thoughts: Morwenna is back with more murder in a Cornish village. When the owner and director of a small theatre company drops dead on the stage during a version of the story of King Arthur, the police initially believe it to be a heart attack, he was 82.
But Morwenna suspects there’s more to it than that, he wasn’t a popular man, although her mother Lamorna knew him years before. His own actors all have reasons to dislike the man, but did they kill him? And who benefits? An important question as it appears that Daniel Kitto had quite a few secrets.
But someone doesn’t want Morwenna investigating and is willing to go to some lengths to get her to back off. But they didn’t count on how determined she can be, and nothing deters her from finding the truth.
Another great fun read set in my beloved Cornwall, with Morwenna’s quirky family and friends on hand to help and sometimes hinder her investigations.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
DI Barney Mains blames himself for the grotesque murder of a top banker in France. He’s obsessed with the belief that he allowed a near-mythical assassin to escape certain death to kill again. And when a duplicate murder is reported 1000 miles away in Barney’s home town in Scotland, the guilt drives him ever closer to the edge. How many more must pay the ultimate price for his failure? But then death comes closer to home. He is left with no choice but to face his demons, before a shocking confrontation which will change everything…
Jim McGhee is a former award-winning environmental journalist. Formerly based in East Lothian, near Edinburgh, Scotland, he now resides in the South of France, the main setting for his DI Barney Mains series.
After a full-on career as a campaigning newspaper reporter, he and wife Jean launched their own recruitment company in central Edinburgh and for twelve fun-packed years worked closely together alongside their brilliant team – without spilling a single drop of blood.
The Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments, on the other hand, have provided a host of dramatic locations just perfect as inspiration for the odd spot of fictional gore. Locals, blessed with scenery ranging from unspoilt mountain villages to the classic palms-and-marinas coast, claim that they can be swimming one moment and ski-ing a little over an hour later. It’s a claim not yet put to the test!
Besides, when not writing or travelling, Jim’s more likely to be off on a hike in the hills with his ever-ready buddy, Jack the Irish Terrier.
My thoughts: Barney, a Scottish DI on loan to the French police is furious with himself for letting a killer, the Ghost, potentially escape, but another murder in Nice bears his signature, as does a murder in Edinburgh, being covered by his niece, crime reporter Abbey.
But when the Ghost himself gets in touch with Barney, the case takes a turn. Determined to stop the killer for good this time, despite being on administrative leave, Barney goes rogue, investigating on his own, despite his French counterpart warning him off.
This is fast paced, gripping crime drama, the investigation moves quickly and both Barney and Abbey have to keep up with all the twists and turns as both the French and Scottish cases race towards a shocking confrontation on the high seas for Barney and a potential change of direction for his life and career.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
“They say there’s a fine line between love and hate, but what about the fine line between love and fate?”
This gorgeous book is hitting retailers on April 23rd but you can preorder it now!
Emma (The Sisters of the Moon Book One)
Expected Publication Date: April 23, 2024
Genre: Shifter Romance/ Romantasy
Book Boyfriends
Feisty Females
Lovers to Enemies. (Yes you read that right!)
Mine/ touch her and 💀
Spicy
Best friends
Betrayal
Multiple POV
Werewolves
They say there’s a fine line between love and hate, but what about the fine line between love and fate?
The Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways. Christian Korbin has always been destined to be the Alpha of the Rosawood Pack, but the question lingers: What is he willing to overcome to secure the role?
The Goddess creates many roads to destiny, but she leaves it up to her creations to choose which one they take.
When the unwritten rule of fate didn’t pan out, Christian was willing to walk the walk and take the long road. Well, he thought he was. Him and Emma were never fated, but that doesn’t mean they were never meant to be… Does it?
GLH is a sucker for romance and loves a happily ever after. So if you take a chance on them, they’ll guarantee added drama, book boyfriends, and feisty females who may be princesses but are never damsels in distress.
“A Prayer for Junie is a compelling and atmospheric story about friendship, love and the lengths people will go to in order to save those they care about.” Caroline Bishop, The Other Daughter, The Lost Chapter
Newly married Junie has found love but she has no idea who her husband really is. When her life is in danger, there is only one way this relationship can end.
Philomena has known Junie’s abusive husband, Gregory, since they were children and has grown to fear him. Set apart from the rest of the village community on a secluded plain, the women develop a strong bond. While Philomena plots to run away with her, Junie hopes the child she is carrying will change her husband’s violent behaviour.
When Philomena’s friendship is put to the test, she soon discovers how far she will go to protect her friend. Now a death on the plain and Junie’s disappearance has the whole village talking.
Can Philomena live with what she has done and will she ever let go of Junie’s memory?
In this powerful novel of lies, love and compassion a mystery unravels.
Fran Clark writes Women’s Fiction, both contemporary and historical. Her first novel was published by Indigo Dreams in 2014. In the same year she achieved a Distinction in her Creative Writing MA from Brunel University. In 2016 she was shortlisted for the SI Leeds Literary Prize. In February 2024, her Island Secrets Book Series will be published, starting with Holding Paradise Book 1.
Originally from London, Fran moved to the English countryside with her musician husband. A musician herself, Fran teaches vocals and leads a local choir. She has two sons.
Fran also writes under the pseudonym, Rosa Temple, writing contemporary fiction and published by HQ Digital and Simon & Schuster UK
My thoughts: set in 1950s Dominica, this is a love story, a story about survival, about a crime and about finding a way out.
When Philomena meets Junie, brought to her village by the glowering boy next door, Gregory, a man who has never cared for his neighbours, there’s an instant connection between the two women. But Gregory, violent, drunk and insanely jealous doesn’t like the friendship between them and uses his fists to control his wife.
Philomena is determined to save her friend, to help her get away from the abuse and fear she lives in. Her own life, marriage to her colleague at the school and plans to move to New York, offer a possible way out for Junie.
As Gregory seems to get worse, becoming more aggressive and controlling, landing Junie in the hospital, Philomena realises her feelings are deeper than friendship for Junie, and that she would do almost anything for her.
Things take a darker turn and Junie vanishes, leaving Philomena frantic. But she’s due to leave for the US and can’t find her friend anywhere. She may never know what happened to Junie.
Moving, intelligent writing with compelling and interesting characters, A Prayer for Junie is timeless and powerful story telling.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Welcome to the tour for Once and Future Queen by C.M. Hano. Read on for details!
Once And Future Queen (Constellina Book 1)
Publication Date: August 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Unfated Fated Mates
Touch Her/Him &
Dragon Shifters
Rivals to Lovers
Spice
A war is brewing…
Twenty years ago, training for war and the looming siege of the Sagittarian Court began for the humans of Constellina.
Present-day…
Twenty-four-year-old Gwen is determined to take her place as Queen and lead her armies into battle against the Dracane Kingdom. King Outher, the ruler of the Dracane Kingdom, has slaughtered, invaded, and placed many dragon shifters throughout the human realm, ready to take it over when the time is right.
When a marriage proposal from the Lirian Court Prince is discussed, Gwen must prepare for a masquerade with the help of her two best friends; Princess Victoria and Princess Dilliha. A handsome stranger approaches her for a dance and initially whisks her off her feet. Upon leaving the ballroom to have a private conversation, Gwen finds herself in a perilous situation where she has to fight for her life.
Alexxander
As the infamous Mafia King of the Sagittarian Court cities, Alexxander reigns over his territory with three laws: don’t break any of his rules and you will meet the god of death.
When a proposition from a human prince turns into a command from his father, Alexxander finds himself at the palace on the night of a masquerade ball. Using his shifter powers, he glamours his wings and horns in order to find the human he was sent to kill.
This is an enemies-to-lovers dark fantasy romance novel at 70,000 words. There are trigger and content warnings at the very beginning of the book, so please read those before diving into this action-packed, magical, steamy adventure.
My thoughts: this is very spicy, instead of making plans our protagonists spend all their time having sex, which means they’re often on the back foot when it comes to trying to stop Alex’s father, the evil Outher Pendragon from declaring war and murdering everyone.
Gwen is pretty fiery, despite supposedly being human, while Alex is trying to free his inner dragon, locked up since his mother’s death twenty years before. It also seems that they’re mates (in the SJM sense) even though they’re not very keen on each other.
Very loosely inspired by the Arthurian myths, this is the first in the series, with Outher’s children rebelling against their father and his reign, and the princesses of the other lands wanting to stop him too.
When famous TV chef Matteo McLeish turns up at the Old Forge Café and offers chef Charlie Hunter a place in his kitchen for the duration of Hampden Green’s local opera festival, she thinks it’s because he rates her cooking skills. In fact it’s because he’s heard she’s good in a crisis. The wholesome star of Nonna’s Kitchen is being blackmailed by one of his team. Tempted by an improbably large pay cheque and the boost to to her CV, Charlie accepts his offer. Does the threat lie close to home, or back in Italy with Matteo’s culinary roots? And can Charlie find the blackmailer before she’s swept up in an avalanche of death and scandal?
Alex Coombs was born in Lambeth in South London and studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities. Murder on the Menu was his first book in the new series: the Old Forge Café Mysteries. Alex lives in the Chilterns.
My thoughts: this was a fun murder mystery set in the world of quality chefs and restaurants. Matteo McLeish is a TV chef with a well known back story, and a problem. He tells fellow chef, and amateur detective, Charlie Hunter (our protagonist and narrator) that he’s being blackmailed about his wife’s dodgy history, but when the bodies start piling up, it’s clear there’s more going on, and he won’t go to the police.
Charlie is trying to make the most of working with Matteo, but he’s hardly around and for the most part she likes his team, none of them seem to be blackmailer material. She’s starting to suspect something else is going on.
Throw in an enraged female Hell’s Angel, a creepy maitre’d, a handsome ex, a very efficient front of house manager, lots of delicious food and a lot of opera too. This is lots of fun, and really enjoyable. I liked Charlie a lot, I haven’t read book one in this series, but I will do now and eagerly await the next one!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Isla Belthare lives an ordinary life in her small village of Lockhurt. Since losing both her mother and the man she loved two years ago, all she wants is stability and peace. But her world is forever changed when her family is attacked on a journey away from home and she must travel to the Aataran mountain range to find them.
Across the realm, four ancient beings who control the elements of nature are awakening.
After a civil war that tore the humans apart, the elementals entered a thousand year slumber. Now, they are being summoned to prevent a dark force that is greedy for power and threatening to overturn the balance of nature.
When Isla’s path crosses with one of these elementals, she finds her fate is more entangled with theirs than she had ever imagined. As she risks it all to follow the elementals on their journey to defeat the unknown foe, she discovers that not everything may be as it seems. Isla is torn between protecting her loved ones or following her heart down a dangerous path of power and magic, of truth and lies.
What will they sacrifice to stop the coming storm?
Long Live is the first book in the Elementals of Iona duology, an epic fantasy romance that follows the journey of a young woman overcoming loss and anxiety and four immortal beings learning how to forgive and love again after their dark past. This enemies-to-lovers series is full of morally grey characters, witty banter, unique elemental magic, romantic tension, and twists you won’t see coming. Long Live is perfect for lovers of epic quests and character-driven stories, especially fans of Carissa Broadbent, Elise Kova, and Sarah J Maas.
V.B. Lacey is an office manager by day and an avid reader-turned-writer by night. She grew up on stories of magic, love, and sarcasm, and equips her writing with all three. She lives in Texas with her supportive husband and two rambunctious dogs. When she’s not writing about morally grey characters and far-off kingdoms, you can find her reading (mostly fantasy and contemporary romance), playing board games, or spending time with friends.
Follow on Instagram: @vblacey.books
My thoughts: I really liked Isla, she’s a determined, smart and despite feeling out of her depth, she tackles every new challenge and complication that comes her way. Not knowing that her ancestors were powerful and important, and not fully understanding the elementals history means she’s in the dark about quite a lot but gamely fights on, because her family are at risk and they matter the most to her. I also loved her friend Bri, who’s fierce and protective of Isla.
I found the elementals a bit less engaging, there’s a lot of back story there, and not knowing all the ins and outs of their history, puts the reader in the same place as Isla a lot of the time.
It starts off slow and then as the four elementals connect again, the plot really picks up, especially once they work out who the “dark god” is and what they’re hunting for.
It’s a fun, fast paced, complex fantasy, complete with confusing romantic options and mysterious plots and villains.
Journey back to this magical world where things are a bit darker, stakes are higher, and more whimsical magic ensues. Heart of a Liar is book 3 in the Royal Blood Series and continues the adventure with Mellana and friends! Below are a few things you can expect in this next installment!
Heart of a Liar (Royal Blood Series #3)
Author: @adinachiles
Publisher: Forever Young, an imprint of @neverandeverbooks
Cover Designer: @coverdungeonrabbit
Release Date: August 15, 2024
💙Darker Vibes
💙Mind Manipulating Triplets
💙Enemies to Lovers
💙Betrayal
💙Elevated Powers
💙Mirages
💙Reunited With Old Friends
💙Sibling Rivalry
💙Duals
💙Masquerade
💙Magical Deals
💙Forbidden Magic
💙Magical Objects
💙Royal Politics
The tongue may spew lies, but the heart is where they are kept.
When Opal’s deadly mirror spits Mellana out in the worst place imaginable she comes face to face with the man who has haunted her dreams, and once again, she finds herself separated from those she trusts the most. Forced to earn her keep under the new ruler, she and Krispin are sent to the desert of Luxuria, where wicked triplets terrorize the land. The triplets, with a talent for mind games, toy with their new guests, and Mellana will soon learn that the heart is both a magnificent and lethal thing to possess.
As Mellana faces the blistering heat, Jewels and the others move deeper into the icy terrain of Harmeaneous. Sought out by the Kolectin, an organization formed to uphold The Common Laws, group members face imprisonment for unlawfully using their powers. To rescue their friends, and steal an article while they’re at it, Jewels and Minnie team up with unexpected allies. But when betrayal swoops in it will cost them their plan, and possibly a life.
Friendships will be tested, lives will be lost, and hearts will be broken. Can Mellana and her friends make it through unharmed?
Worthy of Fate by A.N. Caudle is now available! If you love an intriguing magic system, dark forces, spirits, and forbidden fated mates, this one’s for you!
Worthy of Fate (Realms In Peril Book 1)
Publication Date: April 11, 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance/ Spicy
▪︎Forbidden fated mates 🥵 ▪︎Badass, stabby FMC⚔️ ▪︎Stalker Shadow daddy 😏 ▪︎Touch her and ☠️ ▪︎Morally grey characters 🩶 ▪︎Found Family 🫶 •Marked by the Gods❌️
The Gem
Marked by the Gods, Kya is forced to partake in a Trial for a chance to be deemed Worthy. If she succeeds, she’ll be gifted great powers. If she fails, she could lose her life or worse. But that’s only the start of her worries. Now, the same plague that took her home is spreading and threatening the fate of the realm. Can Kya survive the Trial of the Gods and gain the needed power to rid the world of the growing threat before it’s too late? Or will she be drawn to what awaits her in the shadows?
The Shadow
Ryker has waited a long time for her—his mate. Now he’s found her. He plans to claim what is rightfully his, but dark forces threaten to destroy his Nation should he embrace the bond he so desperately desires. Unable to escape the drive to be near her, he waits for his precious gem, lingering in her shadow.
Worthy of Fate is the first book in a new adult, dark fantasy romance series with an intriguing magic system, dark forces, Spirits, and forbidden fated mates.
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