Tag: romance

books

Cover Reveal: Realm of Soot and Sorrow – Ashley J. Vinson

ramblingmads

We’re proud to present the cover for Realm of Soot and Sorrow by Ashley J. Vinson. Pre-order a copy today and stay tuned for the book tour!

Realm of Soot and Sorrow (The Divine Realms)

Expected Release Date: October 11, 2025

Genre: Romantasy/ MM Fated Romance

  • Fated mates
  • Rivals to lovers
  • Enemies to lovers
  • MM Romance
  • High stakes
  • Dual POV
  • Slow-burn
  • Grumpy x sunshine
  • Dash of spice
  • Gods, magic and more

Mateo, the Right Hand to the High Lord of the Realm of Stars, struggles through life. Yes, he has his close friends, lives in a beautiful Realm, and is in a loving relationship, but his past always finds a way to catch up with him.

Acheron, the Right Hand to the High Lord of the Realm of Clouds, is becoming fed up with said High Lord, Neil, and his increasingly troubling ideas and plans for the realms. He longs for love but believes he will never find his Mate.

When their Mate Bond snaps into place at the most inconvenient time, Acheron and Mateo find themselves in a precarious situation. Mateo must grapple with the fact that his relationship with Rowan is over and that his Mate is from enemy territory. Acheron is determined to break down Mateo’s walls and prove to him that their Mate Bond should be cherished and that his intentions are true.

Follow this beautifully woven tale of love and loss, wars both mental and physical, betrayal and newfound ties. Will their love truly have a chance to flourish? Or is it doomed to wither and die from the start?

PRE-ORDER HERE

CONTENT WARNING:

This book contains adult themes and may not be suitable for all readers, reader discretion is advised.

For the first half of the book or so, Mateo struggles heavily with his mental health, mental distress and addiction. He turns to alcohol and drug use (snorting stardust) in an attempt to cope with the pressure placed upon him. The book heavily deals with topics around this, so please take the time to read through the warnings below, as well as the full list on my website.

Readers should be advised that the story includes elements such as romance, fantasy and complex character relationships. It explores topics such as mature intimacy, emotional intensity, alcohol, drug use (snorting stardust), mention of parental death, grief, imprisonment, murder, choking, near death, injury, dominance/submission, biting, war, addiction, violence, torture, blood, gore, conflict, and other mature situations and topics and that could be triggering for some readers. Please read with caution and prioritize your well-being.

COVER REVEAL ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: The Ballad of the Last Dragon – C.A. Farran

ramblingmads

This is probably one of our most highly anticipated tour this year, and we are just thrilled to share The Last Dragon with you all this week!

The Ballad of the Last Dragon

Release Date: April

Genre: Epic Romantasy

🥀Grumpy/Sunshine
✨Found Family
🥀Quest
✨Tavern ambience
🥀“Who did this to you?”
✨Sarcasm as a love language
🥀Semi-unreliable narrator
✨Standalone

“A bard never reveals her secrets, only everyone else’s.”

There is no place for elves in this world, but Sylvaine knows she’s destined for greatness—a world-famous bard entertaining the finest nobility as far as Lindale. Unfortunately, performing in her local tavern off the beaten path lends scant opportunity to distinguish herself.

Until a group of adventurers arrive, promising fame, wealth, and glory when they slay the last dragon of their age and find the lost hoard. Syl convinces them they’ll need a bard to spread word of their heroics, and if she can claim some honor for herself along the way, well no one could fault her for recognizing a mutually beneficial arrangement. Even if it means ignoring the glaring disapproval of the hulking warrior assigned to protect her.

Jaromir is rude and ill-tempered. He makes no effort to hide his distaste when she joins their group. But as they grow closer, and are unable to deny the heat of their attraction, she discovers there’s more to him than his poor manners. He brings her passion, peace, and safety in a world in which she’s never felt welcome.

When the group suffers a great loss, they must use the power of a convincing story to keep their quest alive. A future that once seemed impossible, is suddenly within reach with Jaromir by her side. But even the ballads of love are rife with sorrow. Syl must slay her own dragons before she has a chance at surviving this journey and writing the ending she yearns for. Every bard knows the victorious ending comes at a price. Syl will see this tale through, no matter what it costs her…

Warnings: strong language, explicit sexual content, graphic depictions of violence, death, attempted SA

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

books

Cover Reveal: Ghost Whispers – Brittany Arden

ramblingmads

We’re proud to present this gorgeous cover with all of you today. Ghost Whispers is available for pre-order now!

Ghost Whispers: Blakewell Mages Book One

Expected Release Date: October 1, 2025

Genre: Romantasy/ Urban Gothic Setting

  • Found Family
  • Enemies to Reluctant Allies (with romantic tension)
  • Magical Murder Mystery
  • Love Triangle (slow burn)
  • Forbidden Magic
  • Bargain with Death
  • Touch-Starved Love Interest
  • Powerful Heroine Coming Into Her Magic
  • Ghosts with Unfinished Business
  • Gothic Urban Setting
  • Protective Love Interest
  • Secret Past
  • Only One Who Can See Him (Death)

She bargained with Death. She didn’t expect him to be beautiful.

Sonia Byrd sees ghosts—and they whisper their deaths into her bones.

It’s a dangerous gift in a city ruled by mage politics and bloodlines. A gift that makes her a target. When a murdered mage’s ghost starts haunting her, Sonia’s hunt for answers leads her straight into a forbidden House of magic, the ruins of her own past, and the arms of a grumpy, infuriatingly attractive mage-detective who keeps secrets like they’re sacred texts.

But the dead aren’t the only ones watching her.

There’s something older—darker—lurking in the veil between worlds. A dangerous being who calls himself Death. And he wants her. For her magic. For her blood. For something she doesn’t understand.

Now Sonia’s caught between two men with power—and hunger—that could destroy her. As the bodies pile up and ghosts begin to scream, Sonia must decide who to trust, who to betray…

And whether her heart can survive the war between the living and the dead.

Perfect for fans of slow-burn romance, forbidden magic, and morally grey love interest who whisper your name like a prayer.

PRE-ORDER HERE

If you would like to sign up to review an ARC, visit the link below!

ARC SIGN UP

Triggers:

Death of a parent. Grief. Brief moments of blood or body horror (mild, not graphic. Think murder mystery moment. The crime scene is found but is not gory.)
Themes of death, sacrifice, and betrayal

COVER REVEAL ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: One More Chance – Reno R. Mist

ramblingmads

Welcome to the tour for One More Chance by Reno R. Mist! Read on for more details!

One More Chance (Heretical Gods #1)

Release Date: June 30, 2025

Genre: Dark Psychological Romance/ Time Travel

  • Adult Romance
  • Angsty
  • Dark Romance,
  • Romantic Suspense
  • Betrayal and Redemption
  • Paranormal Romance (Time Travel)
  • Dystopian Romance
  • Vengeance
  • Infidelity
  • Second Chances
  • Groveling
  • Strong FMC

LOVE IS A DAGGER.

After dying in a devastating car crash, Levi wakes up twelve years in the past, back at the moment he walked out on the love of his life. His marriage to Sloane is shattered by betrayal, and his family left in ruins. But now, with the knowledge of everything he’s lost, and everything that’s coming, he’s been given one impossible gift: a second chance.

This time, Levi will do anything to make things right. To prove to Sloane that he sees her now, and show her that she was always the one for him – even if he has to spend the rest of his life proving it.

As the world quietly begins to crumble, Levi and Sloane must confront the wreckage of their past while fighting to protect their children and each other. Through heartbreak, healing, and the slow rekindling of a once-shattered love, they’ll discover that survival isn’t just about enduring the end – it’s about choosing one another, again and again.

First book of a gripping dark psychological romance series where time bends, betrayal cuts deep, and redemption demands everything.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Daughter of Mercia – Julia Ibbotson

ramblingmads

Echoes of the past resonate across the centuries as Dr Anna Petersen, a medievalist and runologist, is struggling with past trauma and allowing herself to trust again.

When archaeologist Professor Matt Beacham unearths a 6th century seax with a mysterious runic inscription, and approaches Anna for help, a chain of events bring the past firmly back into her
present. And why does the burial site also contain two sets of bones, one 6th century and the other modern?

As the past and present intermingle alarmingly, Anna and Matt need to solve the mystery of the seax runes and the seemingly impossible burial, and to discover the truth about the past.

But how is 6th century Lady Mildryth of Mercia connected to Anna? Can they both be the Daughter of Mercia?

Goodreads
Purchase

Dr Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of resonances across time. She sees her author brand as a historical fiction writer of romantic mysteries that are
character-driven, well-paced, evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners.

Her current series focuses on early medieval dual-time/time-slip mysteries.
Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language/ literature/history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher.

Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s.

She has also indie-published three other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. Her latest, Daughter of Mercia, is the first of a new series of Anglo-Saxon dual time mystery/romances where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries.

Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘compelling character-driven novels’, ‘a skilled story-teller’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘incredible writing style’, ‘intricately written’,
‘absorbing and captivating’, and ‘an absolute gem of a trilogy’

Facebook Instagram Twitter Website

My thoughts: I enjoyed the previous books Julia wrote and I knew I would like this one. Mercia is one of the kingdoms England was once split into, ruled by Saxons, roughly where the Midlands are today.

Archaeologists do indeed sometimes find amazing Saxon items buried in the ground, and sometimes farmers turn up things too! This time it’s the professionals but the grave makes little sense. There’s a seax (a knife or short sword) with an inscription that suggests an important woman is buried there, but no other grave goods, and there’s also the skeleton of a man, but further examination shows he’s from the modern day. This makes no sense at all as he seems to have buried as long as the female remains. 

As Dr Anna Petersen and Professor Matt Beacham investigate the remains and the inscription on the seax, they uncover more of the mystery, could the modern bones belong to their missing, but not much missed, colleague? Has he somehow travelled back in time to the sixth century? Doubting anyone will believe their theory, they keep it to themselves, focusing on the female bones.

Meanwhile for us, a secondary plot unfolds back in the sixth century settlement ruled by the Lady Mildryth, whose father is the king of Mercia. She tries to govern the way she believes her father would want her to, but a newcomer to the village turns her head and causes her to take foolish risks. Who is the man she names Theowulf, and where did he come from?

As both stories start to provide more answers than questions, we can fill in the gaps and solve the mysteries that haunt the characters. And as Anna and Matt grow closer, finding plenty to bond over, could he be the one to mend Anna’s broken heart?

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Curse of the Crown – V.B. Lacey

ramblingmads

We’re celebrating the release of V.B. Lacey’s new fantasy romance with a tour this week. Make sure to check out Of the Curse or the Crown!

Of the Curse or the Crown (A Veridian Empire Novel)

Release Date: July 24, 2025

Genre: Fantasy Romance/ Standalone

👑 Princess Diaries 2 meets King Midas

✨ Forbidden love

👑 No spice but swoon worthy romance

✨ Single dad

👑 She’s a fox shifter

✨ Mysterious curse

👑 Meddling Fates

✨ They’re stuck in a cave

👑 Mental health rep

✨ Witty banter

An heir. An Empress. A Queen.

As a former rebel leader, Clarissa Aris is no stranger to power. She’s ready to reclaim the throne of the Veridian Empire and is eager to guide her people out of a past of violence and into a better future.

But when a mysterious king unexpectedly asks for her hand in marriage to restore peace between their two lands, she chooses to accept. Clarissa travels to meet him in Mysthelm, a realm they had been cut off from for centuries, and is thrust into a foreign kingdom with secrets around every corner, a betrothed she isn’t sure she can trust, and brewing tension with his handsome best friend and advisor.

Clarissa’s search for answers uncovers the truth behind a deadly blight sweeping Mysthelm and a centuries-old curse threatening to destroy the people she’s come to care for. When she learns her magic may be the only cure, she’s determined to both rescue this kingdom from danger and keep her Veridian Empire safe from meddling forces.

Time is running out. Which will fall first: the curse or the crown?

GET IT HERE

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

books

Cover Reveal: The Croatian Island Library – Eva Glyn

ramblingmads

Where books are borrowed, and friendships are forged…

When her beloved grandfather dies, Ana Meštrović buys a catamaran in his memory, which she names Dida Krila – Grandad’s Wings.

For the summer months, it will be transformed into a travelling library, delivering books to children living across the Croatian islands.

Joined by crew members Natali, a young mechanic afraid of her own shadow, and Lloyd, an older widower who needs a fresh start, the newly-formed trio all have their own reasons for needing the floating library to be a success.

Embarking on an adventure that will change them for good, they each discover that a new chapter is only a boat ride away…

Pre-order Link

Publication Dates – 16th January 2026 (ebook) 29th January 2026 (paperback)

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. A love of books is a common theme too, so her publisher, One More Chapter, has christened them the Bookish Escapes collection which currently includes The Dubrovnik Book Club, and The Santorini Writing Retreat, with The Croatian Island Library to be published in January 2026.

In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter, and a new beginnings novel entitled The Olive Grove. All are set in Croatian, a country she loves.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Facebook Instagram Bookbub

Twitter: @JaneCable

books

Cover Reveal: A Poem Penned in Poison – R. Dugan

ramblingmads

We’re thrilled to present the cover for A Poem Penned in Poison by R. Dugan! Pre-order today!

A Poem Penned in Poison (Tales of Wonder and Woe Series)

Expected Release: October 31, 2025

Genre: Dark Romantasy/ Fantasy Horror

  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Forced proximity
  • Grumpy x sunshine
  • Assassin x healer
  • Reluctant partners
  • Masquerade ball
  • He falls first AND harder
  • Villain romance
  • Social Recluse x social butterfly
  • Touch her and die
  • Poet x muse

NAOMI WEATHERS is running from something—and no one knows it.

THE POET POISONER is on the hunt…and Naomi has just stepped into his path.

In the enchanting and deadly third installment of the TALES OF WONDER & WOE, a healer and a poisoner clash in a wicked struggle for survival…a struggle that might be a blade in both of their hearts.

PRE-ORDER HERE

COVER REVEAL ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: The Stardust of Dawn – D.L. Houpt

ramblingmads

Welcome to the book tour for the newest swoon-worthy release by D.L. Houpt, The Stardust of Dawn! Read both books now on Kindle Unlimited!

The Stardust of Dawn (The Heir of Darkness #2)

Release Date: July 10, 2025

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

💛 You will cry
💛 Slow burn
💛 Bodyguard romance
💛 Villain origin/prequel to book 1
💛 He’d burn the whole damn world for her (duh)
💛 The juiciest f*ck it moment
💛 Did I mention you’ll cry?

Even the most beautiful flowers have petals that rot.

Tethys, Patron Goddess of Venia, has always lived a life of duty—until she meets Araes, an honorable yet infuriatingly ambitious mortal lieutenant. When children begin vanishing from Venia, she is forced to set aside her hatred. But the deeper she searches for answers, the more secrets she uncovers—from her sister Polaris’s self-imposed isolation to the hidden histories of the primordial gods.

Inspired by Ares and Aphrodite, the second installment in the Heir of Darkness trilogy is an epic prequel of love and the fight for freedom, exploring the delicate balance between following one’s heart and the true power of a woman scorned.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: The Legacy of Ophelia – Nicola Platania

ramblingmads

We’re celebrating the release of this epic finale with a tour and giveaway! The Legacy of Ophelia is available on August 7th, and you can read the entire series on Kindle Unlimited!

The Legacy of Ophelia is the fifth and final book in the epic romantic fantasy series, The Curse of Ophelia. Start the quest today with book one The Curse of Ophelia where we follow a cursed warrior on a quest with her found family to try to find the boy she loved and restore her clan to glory before her curse takes her life, but she ends up exposing ancient prophecies and political schemes instead.

🪽 Meddling angels
🏛️ Curses & quests
🪽 Warrior clans
🏛️ Found family
🪽 Multiple slow burn romances
🏛️ High stakes fantasy

*SPOILERS*

A forgotten myth resurrected. A legacy to conquer them all.

Ophelia and Malakai have been ripped from their loved ones and are at the mercy of a vengeful god.

But they quickly discover that in order to uncover secrets buried among realms, that may be precisely where they need to be. Even if it jeopardizes all they have fought to become.

Meanwhile, their friends receive a surprise visit from a potential ally that spurs them to rekindle partnerships, deny the bounds of power, and push love to the brink of destruction.

With myths resurrected and the very fabric of Ambrisk at risk, can the warriors survive their final battle against the deities? Or are they fated to become the legends stories are written of?

Everything culminates in this high-stakes, realm-shattering conclusion to the Epic Romantic Fantasy series, the Curse of Ophelia. With a loveable found family, scorching slow burn romances, and inspiration from Greek mythology, this series introduces a universe full of twisted lore and ancient battles that is perfect for fans of Chloe C Penaranda, Sarah J Maas, and Melissa K Roehrich.

GET IT HERE

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS