It’s release week and we’re thrilled to share First Comes Death with you all! Read on for more details!
First Comes Death
Publication Date: April 15, 2024
Genre: Sci-Fi/Superhero Fantasy/LGBTQ+
A power for every death…
When a black hole anomaly rewrites the rules of life and death, Dina resurrects from a fatal crash into the Chesapeake with an uncontrollable tie to water. Trapped in a cycle of vanishing and reappearing across the world at the water’s whim, all Dina wants is to rid herself of this connection and have control of her life again. But with every new resurfacing, it becomes clear she has a worse crisis on her hands: she’s being followed by a monster.
Drowning may not be a natural cause of death, but neither is murder. And when Ivy resurrects with the ability to produce bone daggers from her own body, she’s hungry for revenge. But between her distrust of her new, supposed allies, puzzling encounters with a woman with powers of her own, and the soul devouring creature on their tail, attaining vengeance is looking a lot more difficult than dying in the first place.
As Dina and Ivy’s inexplicable bond pulls them together time and again, they find something neither expected in their afterlife: someone worth living for. But they’ll have to find a way to annihilate the monster at their heels before time runs out on their second lives. Because without another anomaly to bring them back, this time death will have its due.
We’re celebrating the release of stunning new dark fantasy novel, Of Blood and Aether by Harper Hawthorne! Read on for more details!
Of Blood and Aether (Harbingers #1)
Publication Date: April 17, 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Shadow Daddy MMC
Dual POV
Dark Prophecy/Dangerous Secrets
Tension/Angst/So Much Yearning
Slow Burn/ Scorching Spice
Addictive Banter
Arcane University
Increasingly Questionable Interpretations of the Word “Platonic”
A rare conduit of Light, drawn to the Shadows. A spymaster who can’t seem to stay away.
For as long as she can remember, Arken Asher has been searching for answers—driven by an insatiable hunger, a need to understand the meaning behind her dangerous arcane secrets. She’s finally taken that leap into the unknown, leaving her simple life behind to attend the Arcane Studium: a prestigious college of magickal arts & sciences nestled in the heart of Sophrosyne: the City of the Gods.
As the Scouting & Reconnaissance Captain of the Elder Guard, Kieran Vistarii deals in Shadows, blood and subterfuge. Scarred by his past but dedicated to safeguarding Sophrosyne’s future, Kieran’s self-imposed isolation is easily masked by charm and cocksure energy. Strange disappearances have kept his cadre busy as of late, and yet the captain finds himself sidetracked, distracted by the inexplicable allure of a certain golden-eyed Conduit and her curious mind.
They both know better than to get involved, but the Fates have other plans. The dark threads of prophecy were woven long ago, and the ties that bind just might be what it takes to mend these broken, star-crossed souls… or what forges a deadly bond that could damn them all.
Of Blood & Aether is the first book in the Harbingers series, a captivating and character-driven dark romantasy saga. Rife with sizzling tension, gut-wrenching angst, addictive banter and ever-growing stakes, the Harbingers series is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns & Roses, Fourth Wing and From Blood & Ash.
CW: This book is intended for adults only, and contains subject matter that may be difficult or disturbing for some readers. Sensitive material includes, but is not limited to: frequent profanity, violence, torture, murder, child abduction, the tattooing of a child without consent (on-page), emotional abuse, explorations of implied mental illness (depression, anxiety) & neurodivergency (adhd, autism), socio-economic power imbalances, frequent mentions of blood, references to cults and sex work.
Of Blood & Aether also contains explicit, open-door sexual content, as well as explorations of kink and BDSM themes that will escalate over the course of the series.
Harper Hawthorne is an adult fantasy, romance & speculative fiction author in love with telling dark, emotionally evocative, and character-driven tales. Her stories feature neurodivergent experiences, honest explorations of mental health, and queer-normative worlds in her favored realms of fantasy.
Though she was born and raised on the beaches of Los Angeles, CA, she currently resides in the forests of the East Coast with her husband, her collie, and a demonic entity disguised in the form of a very large tuxedo cat.
When not lost in the throes of drafting one to three novels simultaneously, she can be found wandering the woods, hunting for mushrooms, befriending local frogs, practicing witchcraft and screaming into the void.
Enemies to Lovers Second Chance Bucket List English Ex-Pro Rugby Player American FMC in Her 30s Hot Man w/ a Kitten Light Sports Romance Open door/ Medium Spice
ONE MONTH. TWO ENEMIES. SOMEONE ELSE’S BUCKET LIST.
Stella Hart, an American advertising executive living in London, is reeling from the death of her beloved aunt. But Stella learns her aunt included a stipulation in the will: a bucket list Stella must complete within a month, or the estate—meant for her and her sisters—goes to charity. The entire list is unreasonable, especially the final item, where she needs to Find the One that Got Away. The last thing she wants to do is face her ex.
Ethan Fraser is not Stella’s ex-boyfriend—that title belongs to his best friend, who got him through a traumatizing childhood. Ethan’s a grumpy, bearded, ex-professional rugby player who can’t bring himself to enter the flat of his late troubled mother. When they’re forced to collaborate on a work project, both find themselves remembering the night they kissed, days before she started dating his best friend. Ethan wants to hate her for choosing someone else, just like his mother always did, but he can’t fight his attraction to Stella. So when she needs an advisor for the list, he offers to help, and the time spent together re-ignites their chemistry. But Ethan’s fierce loyalty to his best friend stands between them.
With a looming deadline for their project and the bucket list, soon everything bringing Stella and Ethan together will disappear… unless Stella figures out what that final item—and the whole list—really means.
Unless It’s You is an interconnected standalone romance novel for fans of Meghan Quinn, Tessa Bailey, and Christina Lauren. It’s the second book in the Hart Sisters trilogy, which can be read in any order.
Chrissy Hopewell started sneaking her mom’s spicy romance novels in middle school. She has spent varying amounts of time overseas, including working at a pub in Dublin, waitressing at a hotel in the Scottish Borders, and studying and living in London for five years. Because of these experiences, international flair and accents often show up in her stories. Chrissy now lives in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio with her family, where she quite openly reads delightful contemporary romances.
My thoughts: this was a really fun rom com that made my home town of London sound a lot more glam than it is! How did they have such nice weather?
Joking aside, I really liked Stella and Ethan, as they work together on a project for the charity they both volunteer with and on Stella’s great-aunt Evelyn’s bucket list left in her will. Stella has to complete the 5 items (as do her sisters on their own lists) or forfeit their inheritance. And they’re intentionally not super easy tasks.
With Ethan as her advisor/sidekick, Stella has to stop trying to do the bare minimum and actually think about the things her aunt has challenged her with. Evelyn saw herself in Stella and wanted to make sure her beloved great-niece was truly happy.
It doesn’t hurt that Ethan, a hunky former rugby player, and Stella are falling hard for each other, and a cute little kitten called Nessie.
I’m going to download the bonus epilogue from the author’s website and check out Stella’s sisters’ stories too, that’s how much I enjoyed this one. 😀
Welcome to the book tour for Iris: Birth of the Immortals by O. Bogosian. Read on for more details!
Iris: Fall of the Immortals
Publication Date: November 2023
Genre: Fantasy/ Romance/ Fallen Angels
Through the rip in the ethereal world, more celestial beings tumbled to Earth, tempted by the daughters of Adam, and took sides in the battle for good and evil. One of the dark prince’s acolytes, Samayaza, wishes to bring otherworldly retribution to the one who exiled him from the celestial realm. Mortal sisters Iris and Boria are coveted by the glorious fallen spirits, trapped in a dark tapestry of promises and agreements made by their mother’s father, Turian, ages ago. The time has come for debts to be collected.
Kidnapped and brought to the temple built by Turian, surrounded by the glorious and transcendent Gregori, Boria succumbs to their unearthly seduction immediately. Iris is suspicious, remembering her paternal grandfather Enok’s warnings and lessons about the motives of the fallen spirits. The Gregori can manipulate mortal thoughts and feelings and have unparalleled, vast power that’s no match for any mortal.
The Gregori charm and magnetism are beguiling, yet something malevolent looms over Samayaza’s temple. Iris senses it in every fiber of her earthly body, but the sun has yet to ascend on the horizon and illuminate the serpentine truth behind Samayaza’s unholy vision.
A gorgeously written, mythical epic about fantastical beings brought down by earthly lust to live and die among us in an era of epic chaos.
As the first-born Armenian American in her family, the Author was raised with English being her second language. She grew up on the west coast of the United States of America, where culture and diversity helped establish her love for all people.
Most of her time is spent with her ever-growing family and supportive friends. Apart from writing, she enjoys learning history, biblical history, and traveling. Though she majored in and graduated from college with a multi-media and production degree in sciences, she chose to follow her passion for writing. She is working on Book 2 of the fallen angel series and hopes to have a release date sometime in 2024.
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.
ramblingmads 