We love a good cozy fantasy and we highly recommend you check out Diffidence and the Rift by Amy Crook! You can now find it at your favorite retailer!
Diffidence and the Rift
Release Date: May 29, 2025
Genre: Cozy Fantasy/ MM Romance
MM romance
Half-orc/human
Crushes to lovers
Open-door spice
Found family
Unusual magic
Fiber arts
Lots of tea, this book will make you hungry
Diffidence Obedience Atonement Smythe is a grad student who prefers to never use his full name. Ever. He’s finishing a Ph.D. in Extemporaneous Magic, and his research project for his dissertation is closing the Rift between worlds that he accidentally opened when he was thirteen. Obviously, caffeine is an important part of his life.
Ergi Thusol-Von Klempt is a half-orc who works in the infamous Goblin Market, selling magical pastries to those who need them – or, in Diff’s case, just want them. He’s got bubblegum-pink hair, lovely lilac skin, and a smile like sunshine, at least if you ask Diff. Ergi is intrigued by his frazzled, but handsome, frequent customer.
The Goblin Market is a magical space that anyone can find if they truly need it, and most people visit once or twice if at all. Diff is there several times a week as he untangles the layered mysteries of the Rift, and has had years to develop his crush on Ergi.
In this cozy urban fantasy, Diff and Ergi find some solutions to life’s problems in the Market, along with the courage to talk to each other.
Diff might even find a future beyond the Rift that has consumed over a decade of his life.
Welcome to the tour for Beyond the Border Forest by Molly Haniszewski. Read on for more deets on this gorgeous Snow White retelling!
Beyond the Border Forest: Into the Prawdziwy Las
Series: The Immortal Seasons Cycle Book 1
Expected Release Date: September 30, 2025
Genre: LGBTQIA+ Snow White Retelling
🍄 Fairytale retelling
🌈 Queer Rep
❤ Plus Size Heroine
🌲 Enchanted Forest
💙 Trans Love Interest
😂 Hilarious Banter
🦌 Slavic Folklore
☕ Studio Ghibli Vibes
💪🏻 Unlikely Heroes
🩷 Sapphic Romance
🌟 Riddles
❄ Seasonal/Elemental Magic
Two kings rule the ancient woods—the Oak King in summer, the Holly King in winter—and no mortal may cross into their realm without leave. But when eighteen-year-old Rowan Gwózdek’s sister vanishes, Rowan defies the old laws and enters the forbidden forest, desperate to find her. She isn’t alone for long. Keziah, a trans (and very handsome) hunter with a shadowy tie to the Oak King, offers his help—and a perilous path to the Bear Maiden, a creature said to grant wishes. Together, Rowan and Keziah face mossmen, a wood dragon, and other servants of the forest kings.
But danger lurks deeper still. Caught between the warring Oak and Holly Kings, Rowan is forced to take sides in a battle far older and fiercer than she ever imagined. Saving her sister could cost her everything—including her way home.
How beautiful is this cover? Fans of K-Drama and time travel will love Where Fireflies Dwell by Samantha J. Won!
Where Fireflies Dwell
Release Date: January 2025
Genre: YA Time Trave Romance/ LGBTQAI+/ K Drama Vibes
Enemies to lovers
Best friends to enemies
Time travel
BL, LGBTQ Rep
Family
Time travel is not a choice. It’s a curse.
Ri Yunho and his best friend, Jo Wooju, have it all. With the immense fame and wealth that come with being two of the most popular Korean Hallyu actors in their generation, the pair jump from one wild success to another. But when Yunho’s life is shattered after a heinous allegation by Wooju leaves him in prison, he’s forced to grapple with the reasons behind his best friend’s betrayal.
As if to salvage his life from the ruin it has become, Yunho mysteriously meets a magical entity and is transported back to his teens, where he is given one chance at redemption—to reshape his future and uncover the truth behind Wooju’s backstabbing.
Caught up in a mounting conspiracy that will force Yunho to reconsider everything he knew about his former best friend, he’ll need to delve into the past and find the shadowy figure pulling the strings that led to his imprisonment.
Can Yunho unravel the web of secrets behind Wooju’s betrayal? Or has his fate already been decided?
Where Fireflies Dwell is a story about friendship, family, and youth. But most importantly, it’s about what it means to love unconditionally.
The Betrayal of Thomas True is out now in glorious purple paperback and I am re-sharing my thoughts from the hardback tour below. You can buy a copy from all the best bookshops or direct from Orenda Books.
It is the year 1710, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.
Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices. Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?
Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…
A.J. West’s bestselling debut novel The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a longforgotten true story. An award winning BBC newsreader and reporter, he has written for national newspapers and regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events. A passionate historical researcher, he writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world. To connect with AJ and discover more about his research, visit http://www.ajwestauthor.com
My thoughts: set in the world of molly houses, secretive clubs where gay and bisexual men gathered when homosexuality was illegal and men could be hung for the crime of sodomy, The Betrayal of Thomas True relates in slightly Dickensian ways, the story of young Thomas True, who runs away to London from Highgate (then a village outside of London) to stay with his relatives, a macabre uncle and aunt and cousin Abigail, his pen pal. They run a chandlery – making candles, and Thomas asks to apprentice rather than return to his parents.
He meets The community of “mollies” that gather at Mother Clap’s, discovering his place and his true desires there. Unfortunately the men who congregate there are under threat and with a Rat passing their names to the authorities and their friends being killed.
There’s a playfulness to the language – and certainly in the nicknames the mollies use for themselves in their community, as well as in the characters’ daytime names. As Gabriel and Thomas hunt for this Rat, as their friends are arrested and prosecuted, executed and murdered, and as the two fall in love; they see horrors, confront assassins and venture into Bedlam to rescue one of their number.
Georgian London’s dank underworld, it’s sinister demi monde is explored in fascinating and intelligent detail. Despite the darkness of Thomas’ London life, there is some brightness and colour in his misadventures. I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and was sad to reach its end.
Success and failure, reason and passion, Blair and Roslyn.
When these two roommates volunteer for a brain mapping experiment at Michigan University, all they’re looking for is one last shared experience to cap off their semester together. Despite Roslyn’s misgivings, Blair leaves her behind and enters the imaging chamber without a care in the world. Then fifty years pass in the blink of an eye. Blair wakes up alone in New York City, far removed from everyone she’s ever loved, including Roslyn. She’s been murdered, but a digital copy of her mind remains trapped inside a synthetic body. With the help of a cheery young AI and a street-savvy private investigator, she resolves to hunt down her killer before they can strike again. But Blair soon discovers she’s not quite alone as she believed; Roslyn’s memories are still alive inside her. In pursuing the mystery, these two head-mates learn their deaths may be as closely linked as their new lives. It’s a test of cooperation and compromise for these polar opposites, and if they fail, one or both of them could be deleted forever. They’ll either live together, or die alone.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, it’s a clever, future set thriller, where you can upload your consciousness into a replica body when you die. Unfortunately Blair is missing the last 50 years of memories, and doesn’t know what’s going on. Thankfully between the AI past her built and the PI she hired, they’ve got it covered. Oh, and she’s sharing head space with her former BFF, college roommate and ex-girlfriend Roslyn.
Both women have the knowledge and skills needed to survive the dangerous future they find themselves in, as long as they don’t fall out. And you thought sharing a room was hard! Try sharing your whole body.
Hopefully book two would be out in the not too distant future as there’s lots of mysteries still to unpack and I want more!
Set in the dreamy backwoods of Oregon, Brothersong is a queer, paranormal romance of burning passion and pack loyalty, and is the fourth book in the Green Creek series.
In the ruins of Caswell, Maine, Carter Bennett glimpsed the truth of what had been right in front of him the entire time. And then it was ripped away from him.
Desperate for answers, Carter takes to the road, leaving family and the safety of his pack behind. But therein lies the danger: wolves are pack animals, and the longer Carter is on his own, the more his mind slips toward the endless void of Omega insanity. Relentless, he pushes on, following the trail left by the feral wolf he tracks: Gavin, the son of Robert Livingstone. The half brother of Gordo Livingstone.
What Carter finds will change the course of the pack forever. Gavin’s history with the Bennett family goes back further than anyone knows. And it includes a secret kept hidden by Carter’s father, Thomas Bennett. But uncovering this knowledge will come at a price: for the sins of the fathers will come to rest on the shoulders of their sons.
Brothersong is the fourth and final book in the beloved Green Creek series by bestselling author TJ Klune. Start the journey with Wolfsong.
My thoughts: Return to Green Creek and the gayest wolf pack ever, where it’s finally time to face their biggest enemy, the twisted Robert Livingstone. He’s been turned into a giant mutant wolf, mad with rage and without his magic. He’s also keeping his son Gavin tortured and bound to him, despite the call of the pack.
Carter, the oldest Bennett brother sets out to find this missing wolf, to bring him home, despite the dangers. But in typical Bennett style he doesn’t tell his brothers where he’s going and they have to come after him.
Livingstone brings the fight to their town, to their pack and to the resilient humans who live alongside them. Can Green Creek survive and what will the pack lose in the fight?
It was about time Carter had his own story after both his brothers and Gordo had told theirs, but his story is also Gavin’s story. Gordo’s half-brother has had a sad time of it and being slowly drained of his life and living in terror with his deranged father isn’t much of a life.
Carter was probably the most straight brother, plenty of women around Green Creek could attest to that, but as with much of the rest of the pack, his mate is not going to fit into his image of himself. Gavin might be damaged, might prefer being a wolf to being human, but he’s always heard Carter, even while his father’s voice drowns out his thoughts.
The final book in the quartet means endings, bringing the story to its conclusion and hopefully peace for the Bennett pack and their friends. If you’ve been enjoying the series, it’s definitely bittersweet, saying goodbye to these characters but I think they deserve it, as all four books have had them fighting for their lives against all manner of terrible things.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Della Wilde has set aside her dream of moving to Paris to study at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu, choosing instead to support her family torn apart by war. By night, she works at the prestigious Ambrose Café, serving the city’s elite – she feels utterly invisible. Until a chance encounter with rebellious Alice Winters, the daughter of a powerful MP, upends Della’s world.
Alice is a woman caught between duty and desire. She secretly yearns to be an artist but is expected to marry a respectable suitor and raise a family. Della, with her sharp wit and quiet strength, is unlike anyone she has ever known. She makes Alice feel alive. So she draws Della into her orbit – first as a muse for her secret art, then as something infinitely more intimate.
But in a world where reputations are easily shattered, their growing bond is a danger that threatens not only their futures, but those around them. As Alice risks scandal and Della faces the consequences of following her heart, they must will they allow others to choose their path, or dare to forge their own?
Inspired by her childhood fascination with old films which led to a career as a Film Archivist, Carryl’s debut novel The Forgotten Life of Connie Harris is a dual timeline story set against the immersive backdrop of cinema. Originally from the Isle of Wight, Carryl now lives in Devon with her husband, son and a cat called Ditsy who keeps her company while she types.
My thoughts: Set in a time when being openly in a same sex relationship was illegal and dangerous, this follows the lives of two young women, Della and Alice, as they meet, fall in love and risk everything they have.
Della works in the kitchens of the Ambrose, making beautiful cakes and dainty patisserie for the well heeled customers. After a wild birthday party that she made the cake for, she discovers birthday girl Alice asleep under a table in the ballroom. Smuggling her out so as not to draw attention (Alice’s father is an MP) the two women feel a connection.
They’re from different worlds, Alice’s life is whirl of parties and lunches, playing both the wild party girl and the dutiful daughter. Della is the only member of her family currently drawing a wage, the war having taken her father and two eldest brothers. Her mother is prone to bouts of depression and she has three more brothers at home. She can’t risk scandal or losing her job.
But neither woman can deny the spark between them. Unfortunately there are jealous eyes upon them and when things turn ugly, they have to face up to the fact that not everyone is happy for them. They find a true friend in Alice’s family butler, and she learns her parents’ secrets. Can they stay together in the face of opposition that threatens to tear them apart?
Insightful, written with compassion and care, this is a love story that we don’t often see, proof that there have been queer couples hiding in plain sight all along, not just “good friends” but forced to play a terrifying game of hide and seek. Thankfully that has changed in many ways, and women like Alice and Della can love openly.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Happy release day to author Poppy L. Roberts! Check out Vessel, a sapphic horrormance you will want to add to the top of your TBR!
Vessel
Publication Date: June 20, 2025
Genre: Sapphic Paranormal Romance/ Horrormance
Cults
Ritual Sacrifice
River Baths
Morally Gray FMCs
Hand Necklaces
Dark Secrets
Forced Proximity
Demons and Dark Magic
The hollow waits.
Harper is lost—drowning in a life that feels hollow, disconnected, and disenchanting. Technology, consumerism, and monotony have drained the world of meaning, leaving her restless and yearning for something real. Then one day in her search for feeling, she stumbles across an obscure online forum whispering about Saint’s Hollow, an off-grid commune hidden deep in the mountains. They promise her a detox from the bog of her overwhelming life and reconnection with herself. They promise belonging.
Desperate for escape, Harper sells everything, erases her old life, and follows the invitation that simply reads: We’ve been waiting for you.
Saint’s Hollow is beautiful, untouched by the decay of modern life. Its people are warm, and its leader, Naamah, is intoxicating. But the deeper Harper sinks into their world, the more her reality fractures. Strangeness seeps into every crevice of life in Saint’s Hollow. Shadowed figures haunt her movements and the darkness whispers back.
As Harper unravels, she faces an impossible choice: fight for her fading humanity or surrender to the darkness that has always been waiting.
Because Saint’s Hollow doesn’t just want her dreams.
CW: This book is intended for adults and may contain graphic or distressing content, including graphic on-page violence, death, gore, and explicit sexual content. A detailed list of content notes can be found at authorpoppyroberts.com.
We’re celebrating the release of Hate to Haunt You this week with a tour! Follow along for reviews and other great content – #rrbtHatetoHauntYouTour
Hate To Haunt You (Afterlife Incorporated Book 2)
Release Date: June 16, 2025
Genre: Sapphic Urban Fantasy
Slow burn
Hurt/comfort
Ghosts
Grim reapers
You always haunt the ones you love.
First, I got stuck as a ghost in the suburbs of Toronto. Now my reaper roommate is dying. Dying! Reapers aren’t even supposed to get the sniffles.
Turns out, we’re connected, and I don’t just mean a shared love of pineapple on pizza. Kelly and I have a rare and dangerous bond that’s draining my favourite reaper’s very essence away. If we don’t figure out how to break the link, Kelly is headed for a permanent sabbatical.
Now we’re exploring creepy corners of Afterlife, making risky deals with paranormal weirdos, and—worst of all—I might be falling for the reaper I’m literally haunting to death.
Being dead has never been easy, and there’s no way in hell I’m facing it alone. It’s time to save Kelly, even if it means breaking my own heart in the process.
Hate to Haunt You is the second instalment in the Afterlife Incorporated urban fantasy trilogy. It cannot be read as a standalone. Kelly and Ember’s romance? Still a work in progress.
My thoughts: I loved the first book in this series and was so excited to read this, I fell off my bed when I opened the email with my copy attached! Honestly, I am that clumsy.
After the crazy events of book one things have started to improve in Afterlife, and Ember is bored of all the constant meetings to discuss things. She wants to start getting things done, but none of the reapers have signed up to help.
Luckily her roommates and Kelly, her personal reaper and friend, are there to keep her spirits up, they’ve even got a new cat, that hopefully isn’t secretly a god-like being (aren’t they all, at least in their own minds?)
But something is very wrong with Kelly and it might be the connection between ghost and reaper that’s causing it. Their journey to uncover the problem and find a solution will take them to all sorts of new (to Ember, anyway) parts of Afterlife, bring them face to face with a soul-sucking ghoul, and stretch their connection to its limits. Also Ember might be falling in love with Kelly, if that’s even possible.
I really enjoyed this secret outing for Ember, Kelly and their friends, which was definitely darker than book one, but really gave the characters room to grow, for us to see more of Afterlife, and set up book three (yes!) to be even more shocking and probably make me cry. Kelly’s apathy about what’s happening to them was a bit frustrating and I felt for Ember, trying to do everything she could to save her friend, with Jupiter and X trying to help, even though as living people there were places they couldn’t go. I think after however long Kelly has been undead (I don’t know how reapers see themselves) they’re just not sure how to react anymore.
Hurt/Comfort (note: it’s not primarily a romance, but has a romance as a subplot later in the book)
The ice moves for no one, the trees do not answer, and the Svall obeys no master.
Selkie warrior Aalgur Thalon was born to fight in honor of the Dread One. She’s going to win the Dusk Trials, join the elite Duskingr Air Fleet, and kiss her old life as a deckhand goodbye. But when her body betrays her, Thalon is forced to give up the biggest part of her identity.
And that might just be the least of her worries.
Thalon must learn the strength of vulnerability as she faces battles she’s never trained for: Spindel Co. getting into everything and everywhere, villains in unexpected places, and worst of all, herself.
ramblingmads 