We’re thrilled to present the cover for the next book in the Winged Spirits series, The Obsidian Blade!
The Obsidian Blaze (Winged Spirits #2)
Expected Publication Date: August 20, 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Sia has returned to her father’s floating city, and now she must face the promise and arranged marriage she’s been running from for the last several years. She can no longer hide from her magic or from the seraph she’s been bound to. However, the Halcyon crown prince, Alezandral, has no interest in forcing her into an unwanted marriage. So they strike a deal: he’ll help her search for the answers she so desperately needs, and she’ll help him fool his country about the legitimacy of their engagement until they can find a way to break the heart bond tying them together. But these tasks may prove more difficult than they anticipated. There’s an army of sutilis bearing down on their continent, seraphim are going missing, and the closer Sia gets to the truth, the more she learns about the powerful male who owns her heart—and the stronger their bond becomes.
If you’re looking for a gothic romantasy that’s a fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this book is for you! Pre-order The Musician and the Monster today!
The Musician and the Monster: A Gothic Beauty and the Beast Retelling (The Castamar Duology Book 1)
Expected Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Genre: Gothic Romantic Fantasy
Forbidden love ☑️ Morally grey MMC ⚔️ Determined heroine Music is powerful Slow burn to steamy ❄️ Wintertime 鹿 Gothic vibes ❤️啕 Hurt/comfort ️ Touch her and ✨ Magic Masquerade
Music says things words never can. I love you. I miss you. I’m sorry I killed you.
Every night, Ceridwen Kinsley plays music on her rooftop for the spirit of her dead mother. A peaceful if odd ritual, until she witnesses a murder by something not quite human. The monstrous encounter earns her notoriety within the city and a visit from the reclusive Lord Protector Drystan Winterbourne.
Charged with protecting the backwater city of Teneboure by the king, Drystan is failing at his task, and he can’t afford another slip up. But when fate and the very monster he means to conquer bring Ceridwen to his notice, he seizes the opportunity and presents her with an offer: play music for him at his manor in exchange for the money her impoverished family desperately needs. Music eases the strain of his magic, and who better to hire than the woman whose tunes he secretly listens to at night?
At first, Ceridwen is put off by Drystan’s unkempt appearance and harsh demeanor, not to mention the odd ailment that plagues him. But as he embraces her passion for music and she draws the recluse out of his lonely tower, the two develop an unlikely attachment. Class lines begin to blur as fearful indifference shifts to unexpected desire, and Ceridwen yearns to help Drystan subdue the monster as well as provide for her family. However, the monster prowling the night isn’t their only enemy, and as terrible secrets come to light, protecting those they love may risk their lives and their hearts.
This retelling of Beauty and the Beast incorporates themes and motifs from Phantom of the Opera, and is set in a gaslamp fantasy world with strong gothic vibes. It should appeal to fans of romantic and atmospheric retellings and fairy tales by authors such as Hannah Whitten, Tessonja Odette, and Stephanie Garber.
Megan Van Dyke is an award-winning fantasy romance author with a love for all things magical and romantic, especially fairytales and anything with a happily ever after. Many of her stories include themes of family (whether born into or found) and a sense of home and belonging, which are important aspects of her life as well. When not writing, Megan loves to cook, play video games, explore the great outdoors, and spend time with her family. Megan currently lives with her family in Florida.
My thoughts: this was a really enjoyable re-working of Beauty & the Beast, yes he does still have a fabulous library, don’t worry.
Ceridwen (there’s quite a few Welsh names here) is a flautist and nightly plays the flute into the air – to her dead mother’s spirit. Overheard by Lord Winterbourne, he becomes captivated by the music.
After she’s attacked by the terrifying creature haunting the town, his Lordship visits her family and offers her a job playing for him, only she can’t leave his home, not even to visit her family. She agrees, his fee will help her sick father and allow her sister Bronwyn to stop worrying so much.
You all know how it goes, there’s a few added twists to the tale, which make it more interesting a read, and a chance for Drystan to make amends and save the kingdom.
It’s a really clever, inventive re-imagining, as the author does so well, and I really enjoyed it.
It’s release week so you don’t need to wait any longer for Talia Greer’s latest book, Alder King Spring!
Alder King Spring (Wild Wanderings Book 2 – Standalone)
Publication Date: April 30, 2024
Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Shifter Romance
⛈️Grumpy/Sunshine
🌲Small Town Wooded Setting
✨Woodland Magic
🔥Slow Burn
💭Sentient Forest Demisexual and Bisexual Rep
🕰️Loose Beauty and the Beast Vibes
📖German Folklore Inspiration
As his curse’s deadline approaches, Kaspar and his beloved enchanted forest stand on the brink of doom.
Deep in the snowy forests of Germany, the Alder King of legend runs short on time. Cursed by a vengeful sorceress for his father’s misdeeds, Kaspar’s desperate quest for the one elusive remedy–love–becomes increasingly dire. Each passing day, his hope dwindles, for who could ever see past his face, marred by the scars of ancient magic?
Eliza Wilson has two missions: write her dissertation, and savor her fleeting days of freedom. Her fiance considers her interests pointless, and while her family loves him, Eliza longs for a deeper connection. With their wedding on the horizon, this research trip is her last chance to indulge her interest in all things mythical.
Though the country house she rents a room in is breathtaking, the surly landlord–who covers his face and seems reluctant to acknowledge her unless they’re discussing literature–soon becomes more fascinating than her research.
As her determination to unravel his secrets brings them closer, Eliza unearths the grim destiny of the ailing king and realizes that she holds the sole key to his salvation–if only he would allow himself to be saved.
Will she make a dutiful return to her indifferent fiancé? Or will she choose the risk of a lifetime and indulge her forbidden attraction to a stubborn and lonely mythical king who refuses her help at every turn?
Perfect for readers of Kathryn Moon and Lillian Lark, Alder King Spring is a dual-POV, full-length paranormal monster romance that draws inspiration from German folklore. It has a guaranteed HEA and features a grumpy/sunshine dynamic and a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling. See author’s website for more detailed content warnings.
Alder King Spring is the second in a series of small town standalones, each set in a different location and season. All books in the Wild Wandering series can be read in any order.
It’s release day for author Julia Janis, and A Flare Above the Dawn is now available! The series is complete!
The Rhythmist Cycle is a YA epic fantasy series perfect for those who want a teen version of Lord of the Rings with a music magic system and swoony romance!
Darkness is rising.
Two armies are growing.
A war is coming.
Derrick and his friends are on the brink of ending Darkness from the world. But it requires going on life-threatening quests to retrieve the only power to destroy it: the Phoenix amulet.
There’s one problem though. The amulet is broken into two pieces with one lying in the Highland Mountains across the High Realm and the other lost in the Dark Realm–an unknown place the first Dark one accidentally created when Darkness was brought to the world. Now Derrick’s group must split apart to reclaim the pieces and unite them together. Failure to do so, and Killian will go to war, killing every last living Rhythmist and letting Darkness win.
Join Derrick, Kota, Elias, and Zamora in the final book of The Rhythmist Cycle where they travel through treacherous lands, fight savage monsters, and uncover truths that change them for good…or for worse.
Happy publication day to Jane Apatova! Dragon King is now available and we are thrilled to share it with you all today!
Dragon King (Insatiable Series #3)
Publication Date: April 30, 2024
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance w/ Spice
Forced Proximity
Age Gap MF
Dragon Shifters
Unrequited Love
Star-Crossed
Royal Secrets
Touch Her & 💀
Elemental Powers
Telepathic Abilities
“Time … she waits for no one.”
The gathering of royals, dragon riders, and nobles of Drakon has commenced. With tournaments readied to test everyone’s elemental abilities, and loyalty to the crown, who will win the title of second in command of Drakon? Who will become the Dragon King?
Eliza, young and naive, quickly adjusts to her elemental abilities, and what she is able to control in close proximity to the royals once the gathering begins. She and mainly her powers are wanted by the Priestesses of Meiji. Eliza has been given a choice, one where her life trajectory would change drastically. On one hand, she could gain more power and live a pseudo-immortal life amongst the priestesses, cultivating elemental abilities throughout Drakon. While on the other hand, there is him and what life could be like with her mate. What will her choice lead her to? And will she quell her insatiable affliction, whatever that means for her?
Gareth was born to lead, to protect the elemental powers and dragons, while also holding the hopes and dreams of a growing nation on his shoulders. He’s aware of his imperfections and deficiencies, but is he willing to put her through them? The only thing standing in his way to a life with his mate is … him, the evolving darkness reaching out from Dunne Valley, and his curse.
Jane first started writing in a serialized format. She found this format easy for readers to pick up the short, sweet, chapters and follow the story as it unfolds. Today Jane has redeveloped the serials into full-length novels and has plans to continue to bring you more of her stories. She generally writes fantasy romance, with detailed spice, magical creatures, dragons, sweet but feisty heroines, and brooding heroes.
Jane was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the States at a young age with her family. Today she lives in NYC with her husband, their 3 cats, and 2 turtles. When she is not writing, Jane can be found enjoying what NYC has to offer with her family and friends.
Comedian Sofie Hagen has not had sex in 3,000 days (and counting). And it turns out, she’s not the only one . . .
In an attempt to find out why we’re not having the sex we want, Sofie asks the questions: can we blame a lacking sex education? Is it all just sexual trauma? Where’s the radical sexual liberation we were promised? What are we going to do about this? Should she have slept with that guy in that bush that one time? How do you overcome being a 35-year-old virgin (when it comes to queer sex, that is)? How do the socially awkward and the neurodiverse have sex?
In Will I Ever Have Sex Again?, Sofie Hagen explores the quirks and difficulties of being an ‘involuntary celibate’ (but one of the feminist, progressive ones). With a blend of memoir and conversations with experts, therapists, sex workers, porn stars, comedians and public figures, this is a humorous and bold undertaking to gain a better understanding of how we can think, talk and feel about sex.
My thoughts: this was a really interesting read, bits of it were very funny, because Sofie Hagen is a funny person, and bits of I were very insightful too.
I found Sofie’s exploration of sex, sexuality, gender identity, and the body intelligent and thought provoking. At no point was any of the discussion gratuitous or rude, and the range of people quoted, from academics to porn performers and drag kings, added to the discussion in new and interesting ways.
While exploring their own gender and sexuality, Sofie also shared a sample of different stories, some anonymously from the 1,800 responses to their survey and others from friends and experts. I liked the differing experiences and perspectives on the questions being raised. It felt like a collaborative exploration of the themes and showed that we all experience sex, love, sexuality and gender differently. I actually filled out the questionnaire, which was very insightful and made me think a lot about my own experiences and feelings.
Despite Sofie’s stated plan to end with an orgy, there isn’t really an overarching narrative, it’s more a collection of thoughts and experiences as Sofie gets to know themselves better and understand how others see the same things with their own perspective. We are all a collection of our thoughts, feelings and experiences after all.
The book felt like a great jumping off point to asking yourself about how you truly feel about sex, relationships, sexuality, gender identity and your own past, present and future, whether you’re currently having sex with another person or not. It has certainly raised questions in my mind that I need to work through.
I’ve seen Sofie perform before and am planning to go and see them again later this year, while this book didn’t make me more or less interested in them, I did think they gave a large insight into themselves, and opening yourself up to scrutiny like this is incredibly powerful. I know there will be negative responses, but I personally feel more positively towards Sofie, like I know them better and understand them more.
Because of the feelings the book might raise, I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest of reading and it may well ring bells within you, especially in the chapter about sexual assault and rape. So save this for when you feel safe and able to evaluate yourself. I wouldn’t say it’s one for reading on the bus to work for example, definitely more for at home on your own. But it is definitely worth reading.
*I was kindly gifted an advanced copy of this book, which will be published in May, but all opinions remain my own.
Welcome to the tour for The Spinners Tale by Rochelle Tattersall. Read on for more details!
The Spinners Tale (The Asgard Saga Book 1)
Publication Date: February 2024
Genre: Romantasy
✨Fated Mates
✨Leave to Save Them
✨Royals
✨Dark Past
Have you ever done something so bad, you never told another soul? Told a lie so often, you begin to forget what the truth is?
In a world of extraordinary supernatural beings, Alexis Beaumont is as ordinary as they come. Or so she insists. But when a surprise visit from someone she never thought she would see again forces her to face her past, her secrets and lies begin to unravel.
Set in a world where supernatural beings roam freely, Alexis is a rare and powerful being, with a deep dark secret that she’s been hiding for years. While most of her kind welcome their mate with open arms, Alexis is determined to keep hers away. The pain of watching her parents’ demise has convinced her she is better off alone, even if that means never feeling complete. But her carefully constructed plans are put to the test when her long-lost mate, Henri, finally finds her after 250 years apart.
Henri has spent centuries searching for his mate, and now that he has finally found her, he is determined to never let her go. But Alexis is just as determined to keep him at arm’s length, not wanting to risk her heart again. As they navigate the dangerous world of supernatural politics and their own conflicting feelings, they must also face the looming threat of a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy them both.
With their passion and their lives on the line, can Alexis and Henri overcome their past and find a way to be together? Or will their secrets and fears tear them apart once and for all? Fans of paranormal romance will be captivated by this thrilling and emotional tale of love, betrayal, and redemption.
Similar to the bestselling series “Twilight,” this book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
We’re thrilled to share the cover and blurb for Emily Schneider’s next book, The Love Chase!
The Love Chase
Expected Publication Date: July 8, 2024
Genre: Romance/ Contemporary Romance
TROPES:
💍Marriage of convenience
🩷Friends to lovers
⛈️Storm chasing
🎸Country music
🏠”One townhouse”
💕Forced proximity
🏘️Small town romance
🥰”It’s always been you”
💘She fell first, he fell harder
Marrying my best friend for money without revealing my hidden feelings for him…How hard could it be?
Everything was going great until my life fell apart. One minute, I had a great internship, I was accomplishing my dream of becoming a storm chaser, and I was happy.
But in one single day, I became jobless, homeless, and deeply in debt, my life stuttering to a crashing halt.
Forced to head home to Meridel, proverbial tail tucked between my legs, things only got worse when I ran into my best friend, Liam—err, ex-best friend.
We’d been friends since we were kids, up until he moved away two years ago to chase his own dream of being a famous country music singer, effectively cutting me out of his life for good.
But now he’s back, and to top it off, his manager has created a harebrained scheme to improve his new bad boy image—marrying me.
If it weren’t for the money promised to me in exchange, I never would have agreed, especially when I’d been hiding the fact that I’d been in love with Liam for years.
But now, I have to marry my best friend, live in close quarters with him, and help him fix his reputation, all while keeping my feelings hidden?
Should be a piece of cake. Right?
The Love Chase is a sweet, closed-door romantic comedy, full of laugh-out-loud moments, sizzling chemistry, and swoony kisses.
This is the third interconnected standalone in the A Sweet Meridel Romance series.
Four cities, four killers, four murders. The Alliance is just getting started.
When four unconnected serial killers simultaneously commit identical murders across four different US cities, FBI Special Agent Shannon Wallace faces an unprecedented threat—a cooperative of killers working in unison. Each homicide is witnessed by a survivor, and now these lucky ones need to decide how to tell their stories to the world.
Their posts about the horrific murders create a media storm and a new term is soon coined for the killers: The Alliance. As they recruit new killers into their ranks and more innocent people linked to the initial murders are killed it becomes clear that Wallace is dealing with an unprecedented threat—a deadly alliance formed to terrorize the nation with coordinated strikes.
With the killers always one step ahead, the very fabric of society threatens to unravel and Wallace battles to decipher The Alliance’s endgame before they dismantle civilization city by city. In a desperate race against time, can Wallace uncover the members and motives of the Alliance and end their reign of terror before more victims wind up dead.
Matt Brolly is the Amazon number one, and Wall Street Journal, bestselling author of the DI Blackwell novels set in Weston-super-Mare, as well as the DCI Lambert crime novels, the acclaimed near future crime novel, Zero, and the US thrillers, The Controller, The Railroad, and The Running Girls. His books have sold over one million copies in 16 countries.
Matt lives in London with his wife, their two children, a dog called Herbie, and a cat called W.G Snuffy Walden.
My thoughts: this was a really clever, twisted thriller, with a complex and disturbing premise.
At exactly the same time in four different cities, four 911 calls come through about four murders. As the police arrive at each scene they find two people tied to chairs, one alive, one dead.
The FBI get involved with this deeply unusual case, finding a similar series of killings in 1996. But there seems to be no explanation. Then all the survivors disappear.
It’s a really rather brilliant, if quite disturbing concept, I was totally hooked and wanted to find out what was going on and why all these things were happening.
*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 Honourable Cressida Fawcett is expecting the cathedral crypt to be full of dry old bones. But when she finds a body murdered just moments before, she’ll need divine inspiration to solve her most mysterious case yet…
Winchester, 1925. When heiress and amateur sleuth Cressida Fawcett is invited to her aunt’s mansion on Cloister Close, she is looking forward to a quiet stay in the historic town. The views of the cathedral are heavenly – and her aunt’s maid, Nancy, makes devilishly good ginger biscuits! But it seems Cressy and her pug Ruby won’t be allowed to rest in peace… On a tour of the crypt, they are shocked to stumble across the body of Anthony, the gentle, devoted verger. And a wild-eyed Nancy is standing over him, bloodied candlestick in hand…
Since Nancy was caught red-handed and the only other suspect is the Silent Friar, the legendary local ghost, Detective Andrews of Scotland Yard thinks the case is closed. But Nancy swears she would never have killed Anthony; they were in love. And while Cressy may not believe in ghosts, she does believe Nancy. So, whose soul is full of murder most foul? And will they strike again?
As she digs through parishioner gossip, Cressy discovers that for a man of the cloth, the verger had a surprising number of enemies. Was a local antiques dealer driven to murder over an illegal trade in holy relics? Would the head bellringer kill to achieve his musical ambitions? Or is the saintly Dean, whose black-cloaked figure resembles the Silent Friar and whose wife recently drowned, hiding a deadly sin?
The cathedral conceals many secrets, and it seems Cressy will need a miracle to uncover the truth. But then Cressy finds a hidden passageway to the crypt. Is this how the murderer escaped? The sceptical police lack faith in her theories, but can she catch the killer and save Nancy from the hangman’s noose? Or will she be too late to prevent another funeral march?
A totally gripping and deliciously witty historical murder mystery with a gasp-out-loud reveal, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.
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My thoughts: after all the murders and other crimes Cressida has dealt with, she’s looking for a quiet break at her aunt’s in Winchester, in the shadow of the cathedral. Accompanied by her loyal pug Ruby, and joined by Dotty and Alfred, it should be a lovely break.
Unfortunately Cressida’s luck doesn’t hold and she and Aunt Mary stumble across the body of the cathedral’s verger, Anthony, with Nancy, her aunt’s maid standing over him, holding the murder weapon.
Cressida calls in DCI Andrews to help the local police, who are baffled, as Nancy swears blind she didn’t kill anyone.
Obviously Cressida can’t help but investigate, and after spotting some family silver in a local pawn shop, she starts putting the pieces together. She just needs a few more.
Uncovering a conspiracy involving the bones of former Bishop, St Swithun, and with Ruby literally sniffing out some clues, it’s another compelling case for Cressida and Co.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Demisexual and Bisexual Rep
