Realm of Thieves (Thieves of Dragemor, #1) by Karina Halle
Buy: Amazon
Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.
For Brynla Aihr, crime and survival have always gone hand in hand. Ever since she escaped the fanatical dragon-worshipping cult that controls her homeland, she’s had to carve out a life doing the unthinkable: stealing dragon eggs. Egg theft is illegal and, in most cases, fatal. To breach a dragon’s nest means a harrowing journey through the ancient wards spelled to keep the monstrous beasts confined. Dragons can’t get out and only those with a death wish can get in.
Despite the risks, dragon eggs are highly coveted for their magic. An illegal trade flourishes under competing criminal empires, and Brynla’s loyalty has always been to the highest bidder. Until she finds herself kidnapped and blackmailed by Lord Andor, a formidable lieutenant of House Kolbeck, and thrust into the dangerous political games of rivaling dynasties.
Brynla and Andor clash at every turn, sparking heat in ways Brynla’s never felt before. But in a world that’s prophesized to return to the dragons, and rife with betrayal and secrets at every turn…how close to the flames is she willing to stand?
Release Me (Wolf Hotel Mermaid Beach, #1) by K.A. Tucker
Buy: Amazon | Audible
The first book in the highly addictive Wolf Hotel Mermaid Beach series, a spin-off of the Wolf Hotel series.
I may not know much, but I am an expert in two things:
Heartbreak.
And hedonism.
I’ve been chasing escape from one bed to the next, finding distraction in all the wrong places.
Like with my roommate’s sister.
And my billionaire boss’s lover.
You could say I’m lucky in lust but very unlucky in the other L-word.
By the time I arrive in Mermaid Beach, Florida, I’ve decided I’m done with flings. I’m over chasing women I can’t have.
Until I meet Sloane Parker, the woman who has made it her mission to ruin the new Wolf Hotel.
A hotel I’m supposed to help manage, by the way. Yeah. Me, Ronan Lyle, Director of Facilities.
Don’t you dare laugh.
I don’t need another forbidden woman in my life, especially one who could derail my future.
But what I want? That’s a totally different story.
Please note: This series is intended for a mature audience.
The Fire We Crave (Iron Outlaws MC: Colorado, #3) by S. Cole
Review
Buy: Amazon
From USA Today best selling author, Scarlett Cole, writing as S. Cole, comes an electrifying small town MC, grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers romance.
Quinn
Two things happened on my thirteenth birthday. My older sister went missing. And I told Smoke Callahan, the Iron Outlaws Road Captain, that it was his fault she was gone.
Fourteen years later, I still hate him.
But hate doesn’t keep me safe when the Bratva sets its sights on me.
I need protection. The kind only a ruthless, broken man like Smoke can provide.
So I make him an offer. I’ll help him recover from the burns that nearly cost him his life. In return, he keeps me breathing.
It should be simple. It isn’t.
Because the more time I spend in his orbit, the more I see the man behind the scars. The one who carries a past as heavy as mine. And when he looks at me, it’s not hatred I see in his dark eyes anymore.
It’s something far more dangerous.
Smoke
Quinn Moran was just a kid when she came at me, fists flying, blaming me for her sister’s disappearance. I let her. I deserved it.
Now she’s all grown up—sharp-tongued, stubborn as hell, and standing in my cabin, asking for my protection.
I should say no. I should send her away.
But I don’t. Because even if she still hates me, I’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt her.
Even if it means she learns the truth.
Even if it means she never forgives me.
Because she was never meant to be mine. But that won’t stop me from taking her.
Beyond the Stroke (Carolina Current, #1) by Erin Hawkins
Review
Buy: Amazon
“You know, Wildflower, I think you just ruined me.”
SUMMER
After years on the road, I’ve discovered Coral Cove is the perfect beach town to live a quiet, untethered life where I can paint in the shadows. That is until a mermaid cosplay goes horribly wrong and Rory Shields, world champion swimmer and the town’s golden boy plucks me out of a sticky situation.
Our chance encounter soon develops into a surprising friendship, and the more I learn about Rory, the more I find myself feeling protective over this charming golden retriever of a man. So, when his meddling parents and relentless ex won’t leave him alone, I announce that we’re not only dating, but married.
My parents’ miserable marriage taught me to never say ‘I do’ but knowing the guise will help Rory focus on training, I agree to follow through with the ruse.
But the more we play husband and wife, the harder it becomes to keep the lines from blurring. And before I know it, I’m treading water in the deep end and falling for my fake husband.
RORY
After rehabbing a knee injury that almost ended my swimming career, I’ve returned to Coral Cove, home of the Carolina Current swimming club, determined to focus on training and preparing for the next summer games. But not everyone in my life is on board with my plans for another run for gold.
My parents and ex-girlfriend have a different plan for my life. Until Summer, the intriguing woman I pulled out of the ocean, announces we’re married and I realize being tied to the gorgeous, free-spirited woman is the perfect solution to keep my parents off my back.
What starts out as a marriage of convenience quickly turns into something much deeper, and suddenly I’m fighting for a future I never saw coming. But Summer doesn’t believe in marriage and happily ever after, so how can I convince her we’re meant to last?
BEYOND THE STROKE is a black cat/golden retriever, marriage of convenience romance. This is book one of the Carolina Current, a series of interconnected stand-alone spicy romantic comedies set in a small, coastal beach town.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
Buy: Amazon
What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.
Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.
Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.
It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.
But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.
When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.
You, Me and Forever (Blushing, #1) by Laura Pavlov
Review
Buy: Amazon
USA Today bestselling author Laura Pavlov delivers a spicy enemies-to-lovers romance about a billionaire developer and a small-town entrepreneur battling their desires in the Land of the Midnight Sun.
Myles St. James is tearing my world apart.
Wish I’d known that before I slept with him.
It was supposed to be a one-night stand.
Like I knew anything about those.
But I needed to blow off steam.
My ex had just gotten engaged.
My dry spell was nearing six months.
And my booming wedding planning business—the one I started with my bestie—was about to lose its favorite venue to some bulldozer-happy developer from New York.
The Seaside Inn is such a special place.
My second home.
And ever since that famous singer got married there, people are flocking to Blushing, Alaska, for their own weddings too.
Guess whose fling turns out to be the hotshot real estate guy?
But he isn’t what I expected.
And sleeping with the enemy doesn’t feel nearly as wrong as it should.
Because Myles St. James is rocking my world.
Too bad giving in to him could mean giving up my dreams.
The Situation (Brewer Family, #5) by Adriana Locke
Review
Buy: Amazon
Someone should tell Tate Brewer that one-night stands aren’t supposed to come with a sequel.
I’ve learned the hard way—don’t be reckless with anything, least of all my heart. But after one too many vodka sodas, saying yes to a much younger, devastatingly smooth stranger for one wild night seems like the perfect way to forget my brutal divorce. I even gave him a fake name. What could go wrong?
You’d be surprised.
Because instead of being my spicy little secret, Tate is now the chief marketing officer at my new job. He’s determined to prove our night together was only the beginning—and he has the tools to do it.
Chiseled jaw. Washboard abs. Effortless charm. He’s as sinful as he is sweet and knows exactly how to get under my skin and melt my defenses.
I wanted a one-night stand. Instead, I got a “situation.”
A Good Book (Sunday Morning, #3) by Jewel E. Ann
Review
Buy: Amazon
Gabriella Jacobson has one goal for her freshman year of college: Get Matthew Cory to fall in love with her.
Lucky for Gabby, her best friend, Ben, is attending the same college on a music scholarship. He is the perfect resource—girls love him, and he’s more experienced with relationships than her, since she’s never had a boyfriend.
When Gabby panics before her first date with Matt, she begs Ben to show her how to kiss. But Ben has a secret, one he’s been keeping from Gabby for years. He’s in love with her.
One kiss turns into two, leaving Gabby confused and scared that their friendship might not survive the unforeseen emotions. She avoids Ben until something unexpected changes his life forever, and he’s forced to drop out of school.
Gabby tries to contact him, but he won’t respond. And Matthew Cory, her sister’s ex-boyfriend and handsome law student, is ready to fill the void Ben left behind.
Now that Gabby has the man she thought she wanted, can she forget about the boy who kissed her twice?
Dive into this unforgettable coming of age romance today!
Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan
Review
Buy: Amazon
When the world is plunged into darkness,
Who would you turn to?
Amid the sun-drenched orange groves of California, childhood friends Tuck Mattice and Emily Swanson shared a bond that seemed unbreakable—until life ripped them apart.
Thirteen years later, Emily is a rising pop sensation in need of security, and Tuck, a brooding ex-con, is in need of a fresh start. When fate brings them together once again, Emily hires him on as her new bodyguard. They butt heads and bicker, just like the old days—yet neither can deny the heat rekindling between them.
But when a cataclysmic solar flare disrupts the electrical grid, society is suddenly plunged into chaos and darkness. For Emily, the familiar comforts of fame and fortune crumble, but for Tuck, this stark new reality could be the chance he needs to finally prove himself. As they come to terms with all they’ve lost and the bitterness that’s kept them apart, they must find their way back to one another and discover a new place, under the sun.
Wicked Greed by Christine Zolendz
Buy: Amazon
Love was never part of the deal. Survival was.
Marlowe wanted one night of escape.
She never expected the brooding, dangerous stranger she spent it with to crash into her life again, wearing a skull mask, armed with a crowbar, and demanding answers she doesn’t have.
Damian Cross doesn’t do mercy.
Raised on violence and betrayal, he doesn’t believe in fairy tales or second chances. But when Marlowe gets dragged into a deadly game she never asked to play, he’s the only thing standing between her and a shallow grave.
She’s tangled in lies.
He’s drowning in rage.
Together, they’re a collision course waiting to happen, and it’s already too late to stop.
Can’t Get Enough (Skyland, #3) by Kennedy Ryan
Buy: Amazon
Hendrix Barry lives a fabulous life. She has phenomenal friends, a loving family, and a thriving business that places her in the entertainment industry’s rarefied air. Your vision board? She’s probably living it.
She’s a woman with goals, dreams, ambitions—always striving upward. And in the midst of everything, she’s facing her toughest challenge yet: caring for an aging parent. Who has time for romance? From her experience, there’s a low ROI on relationships. Anyway, she hasn’t met the man who can keep up with her. Until…him.
Tech mogul Maverick Bell is a dilemma wrapped in an exquisitely tailored suit and knee-melting charm. From their first charged glance at the summer’s hottest party, Hendrix feels like she’s met her match. Only he can’t be. Mav may be the first to make her feel this seen and desired, but he’s the last one she can have. Forbidden fruit is the juiciest, and this man is off limits if she plans to stay the course she’s set for herself.
But when Maverick gives chase—pursuing her, spoiling her, understanding her—is it time to let herself have something more?
Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen
Buy: Amazon | Apple | Kobo | B&N | Google Play | Audio
The acclaimed USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author returns with a twisty thriller that probes how well we actually know the men in our lives.
Rowan Gallagher is a devoted single mother and a talented architect with a high-profile commission restoring an historic mansion for the most powerful family in Maine. But inside, she’s a mess. She knows that stalking her ex’s avatar all over Portland on her phone isn’t the healthiest way to heal from their breakup. But she’s out of ice cream and she’s sick of romcoms.
Watching his every move is both fascinating and infuriating. He’s dining out while she’s wallowing on the couch. The last straw comes when he parks in their favorite spot on the waterfront. In a weak moment, she leashes the dog and sets off to see who else is in his car.
Instead of catching her ex in a kiss, Rowan becomes the first witness to his murder—and the primary suspect.
But Rowan isn’t the only one keeping secrets. As she digs for the truth, she discovers the dead man was stalking her too, gathering intimate details about her job and her past.
Struggling to clear her name, Rowan finds herself spiraling into the shadowy plot that killed him.
Will she be the next to die?
Stolen Dreams (Dream Series, #4) by Natasha Madison
Review
Buy: Amazon
Lilah
I was left for dead when I was eighteen.
Coming to Mustang Creek Ranch gave me something to live for.
My boss is grumpy and reclusive.
But I’m secretly in love with him, even though he’s made it known he’ll never settle down.
Even though he’s made it clear, he’ll never be mine-or anyone’s.
Emmett
I’ve kept my distance from Lilah for years. No matter how much I want her, she’s off-limits.
The only family I will ever have are the ones I fought beside in battle-the family I chose.
Until the phone rang and I found out I had an eight-year-old daughter.
Watching Lilah with my daughter makes me wonder what it would be like to do the thing I swore I never would: have a family and fall in love.
When I move her into my house to keep her safe from the dangers of her past, all bets are off.
Jilted by Vi Keeland
Buy: Amazon
Weddings. I spend every working minute talking and writing about them, when just the thought of one makes me want to scream. After my fiancé abandoned me at the altar last year, my dream job at Bride magazine has turned into a reoccurring nightmare.
To add insult to injury, the bridezilla at my latest assignment, somehow roped me into filling in for a missing bridesmaid. Of course, I had to get paired with the most gorgeous groomsman. Wilder Hayes is perfect—except when he opens his mouth and we end up bickering all evening. That is, until the coat closet incident.
At least I’ll never have to see him again. Or so I think… Until I walk into work on Monday and find out Wilder isn’t just a jerk, he’s also my boss’s son. And I’ll be spending the rest of the season working with him at every single wedding I cover this year.
Can the jilted bride and the man who is afraid of love find a way to heal each other?
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Review
Buy: Amazon
The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.
I’ve spent my life kneeling—to their will and to my father’s. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.
I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.
But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.
Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him—bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.
Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.
But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?
And what if—for the first time—I reached for it?
Destructively Mine (The Webs We Weave, #2) by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Buy: Amazon
Ex-grifter Phoebe Graves’ new life threatens to come crashing down around her in the next unputdownable novel from the New York Times bestselling authors of the Addicted series.
As the daughter of a con artist, Phoebe Graves only knew a life of swindling the rich until her best friend and fellow grifter, Hailey Tinrock, proposed an idea to start a new, honest life in a wealthy college town of Connecticut. Once there, they decided to leave behind their deceitful tricks and be truthful for once. But you know what they say about best intentions. . . .
While Phoebe is fake-dating Jake Waterford, the third-born son to an uber-wealthy and influential family, she’s actually dating and falling deeper in love with Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock—Hailey’s older brother. To make matters more complicated, Phoebe’s mother shows up out of the blue with conniving match-making designs of her own.
Her mother’s arrival threatens to unravel Phoebe’s plans. To keep her love, her friends, and her newfound happiness, Phoebe will have to return to her old games . . . and win.
King of Envy (Kings of Sin, #5) by Ana Huang
Buy: Amazon
He had everything he could’ve wanted…except her.
Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive.
Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle.
His only exception? Her. The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession.
He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire.
She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her.
***
Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous.
To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.
What people don’t know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency.
Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man.
Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person she finds comfort in…
Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love.
King of Envy is a steamy billionaire romance featuring a morally gray hero. It’s book five in the Kings of Sin series but can be read as a standalone.
Prince of Darkness (Dark Protectors #17) by Rebecca Zanetti
Review
Buy: Amazon
Unknown to humans, beyond daylight lies a world of intoxicating darkness where deadly creatures prowl with insatiable desires and unbelievable power: vampires, demons, witches, shifters. When vulnerable humans find themselves thrust into that realm, they’ll never be the same. . . The 17th installment in the long running fan-favorite Dark Protectors series from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti
In the aftermath of war, a fragile peace hovers between the Kurjan nation and the Dark Protector coalition. Yet amid labyrinthine politics and intrigue, Vero Phoenix, a Kurjan, stands apart. He has lived devoid of legacy or lineage—until the day he backed his newfound brother as king, putting himself into the treacherous position of enforcer and shield. Yet there is another thorn in his side, no less vexing, undeniably captivating—and all-too-human . . .
Lyrica Graves was once ensnared by Kurjan captors and now embodies defiance and freedom as she guides other women to independence and modernity. She is particularly amused—and breathtakingly challenged—by her battles with Vero. But their clashing also belies a sizzling connection, a dark attraction between supernatural and fully human that threatens their chosen destinies and makes them a target for far too many bloodthirsty enemies . . .
Quietly Yours (Quiet Love, #3) by L.H. Cosway
Review
Buy: Amazon
Ada Rose never expected to find herself homeless in her thirties. Then again, she also never thought she’d encounter a man as heartless as Jonathan Oaks. Her job managing a care home for the elderly is a struggle and the sudden death of her father and stepmother—who she had been living with— has thrown her world into disarray. The house is left to Jonathan, her stepmother’s estranged son, and he wants Ada gone ASAP.
In fact, he’s given her a week to pack her things and move out.
As a resident in the home, Ada knows she has certain rights but her pride gets the better of her. If Jonathan wants her gone then she’ll go, and finding herself out of options, resorts to sleeping in her car. But she’s a survivor and has gotten through a lot worse.
After a week and still finding no apartments in her price range, Ada is getting desperate. She receives a call from Jonathan requesting she come collect some of her late father’s belongings. She doesn’t expect him to be there when she drops by, and after he takes one look at Ada’s possessions stuffed into her car she’s filled with a sense of shame. Resentment, too, because he’s the very reason her life has been upended.
Being a wealthy investment banker, Ada anticipates Jonathan’s disdain for her situation but it never comes. Instead he mentions a vacant apartment he owns and offers to rent it to her for a reasonable price. Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ada accepts his offer. But what she doesn’t realise is that the apartment is right next door to Jonathan’s, and becoming his neighbour means getting to know him a whole lot better.
Quietly Yours is book #3 in L.H. Cosway’s Quiet Love Series and can be read as a standalone.
Hot Shot (Roseville Ramblers, #2) by Staci Hart
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
Never thought I’d agree to a marriage of convenience to my hot, firefighter ex boyfriend.
Especially after he casually informs me we’ve been married for ten years.
Ten years ago, Wilder and I were so in love that we got married in Vegas for one night only before leaving for college on different sides of the world. He was supposed to mail the annulment papers.
Problem is, he didn’t.
Worse? He didn’t tell me.
Not even when I came back to town to marry another man.
But now he needs my help, and I can’t say no. All I have to do is have to pretend in front of the whole town like we’re married. Hold hands. Kiss. Not throw myself at him when he looks at me like I’m the only woman in the world.
My body might remember him, but the rest of me isn’t ready. Because I’m just learning how to find myself, and if I get wrapped up in Wilder’s world, I’ll lose more than my heart—I’ll lose everything.
Again.
The Last Time (The Last Ever, #2) by Anna Bloom
Buy: Amazon
❝ He swore he wouldn’t fall. She never expected to want him to. ❞
OLIVIA
Boxing Day was supposed to be spent with my children. Instead, I was alone in a hotel bar, drowning in heartbreak while my ex played happy families with his new girlfriend. And then he walked in.
Dr. Ryan Simmonds—arrogant, guarded, and too damn gorgeous for his own good.
He was supposed to be a one-night escape, nothing more.
✔ Not my sister’s heart surgeon.
✔ Not the man making my children laugh.
✔ And definitely not someone I could fall for when my world is already crumbling.
RYAN
I don’t get involved. Not after my fiancée left me for my brother.
But Olivia Brown is a complication I never saw coming.
✔ She’s fierce, exhausted, and willing to fight the world for her sister.
✔ She’s the one woman I shouldn’t want.
✔ And she’s breaking down every wall I’ve built.
Her sister’s failing heart means I’m her only hope. But Olivia deserves more than a man who can’t afford to love her.
Now I have to make an impossible choice:
Be the surgeon who saves her sister… or the man who won’t break her heart.
🔥 A heart-wrenching, slow-burn romance about love, fate, and impossible choices.
If You Stayed by Brittainy Cherry
Review
Buy: Amazon
There once was a man who loved me, until he forgot every memory we’ve ever shared…
Gabriel Sinclair would forever be my first. My first best friend, my first kiss, my first love…and my first heartbreak. The accident that nearly took his life ripped the memory of me from his grasp—and for the last decades, I’ve let the guilt of that one terrible night keep us apart.
It took me years to make peace with the fact that he would no longer be in my life, so when he shows up as the architect for my new home, my world’s tossed upside down. Now, I’m trapped in a loveless marriage, raising a child, while Gabriel stirs up feelings I thought long buried. It feels like my soul is waking up after years of being in a deep slumber—and my controlling husband will do whatever it takes to keep us apart.
I know I should push Gabriel away to protect him from the shadows surrounding me. Yet, I can’t deny the hope that blooms whenever he’s near—the chance that he might remember me, that we could reclaim the chapters of our story that we’ve lost.
Nothing good could come from us, but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if this time…he stayed.
There once was a man who loved me… And now he’s my only hope for tomorrow.
The Shadow Path (Shadowlands, #2) by Elizabeth Hunter
Review
Buy: Amazon
Carys Morgan is torn between two worlds.
One bright. The other shadow.
One familiar. The other filled with magic.
In one life, Carys is an assistant mythology professor in Northern California. In the Shadowlands, she’s a dragon rider with close ties to royals, fae, and powerful magic wielders. It’s not just differing worlds that Carys must navigate, but the love of two very different men who wear the same beloved face.
When the Anglian king dies, Carys returns to the Shadowlands where a brittle peace accord is threatening to crumble. As war looms and old gods begin to wake, Carys will have to choose between the two men vying for her heart, and the two worlds that promise very different destinies.
Dragons, fae, and a fantasy world that is at once familiar and entirely unique— USA Today Bestselling Author Elizabeth Hunter is a master at her craft, unspooling complex worlds and characters into an addictive page-turner that you won’t be able to put down!
Swan Song (Modern Fairytale) by Katy Regnery
Review
Buy: Amazon
From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Katy Regnery comes a beloved collection of breathtaking romances based on the world’s most well-known fairytales!
** SWAN SONG (The Ugly Duckling) **
Once upon a time, a swan egg rolled into a duck nest…
While visiting Washington, D.C., with his billionaire parents, four-year-old Ivan Stepanov is kidnapped from the National Zoo, vanishing without a trace.
Sold, abandoned, neglected and abused, “Vaughn” matures out of the American foster care system with little-to-no memory of who he is or where he came from. Eventually finding work as a janitor at the Kennedy Center, he starts to question if a life void of love, family and friendship is even worth living.
Ballerina Sasha Collins worked hard her entire life to earn a position in the esteemed corps of the Washington D.C. Ballet, which rehearses and performs at the Kennedy Center. Intrigued by the scruffy janitor who’s often reading Russian poetry, she offers him kindness on one of the darkest days of his life, giving him a reason to live.
As they fall desperately in love with one another, Vaughn and Sasha have no idea that their days together are finite. His birth family is growing closer and closer to finding him, a circumstance that will eventually tear them apart.
From the cherry blossomed avenues of Washington, D.C., to the snowy streets of Moscow, to the breathtaking beauty of London in the fall, these separated, star-crossed lovers will have to crisscross the globe to find each other again.
Nocturne by Karina Halle
Buy: Amazon
Seven meets L.A. Confidential with a vampire twist, in this true crime and film noir-inspired standalone dark romance from New York Times Bestselling author Karina Halle.
In 1940s Los Angeles, the murder of Lena Reid’s closest friend, Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, shocks the city and leaves whispers of a serial killer stalking the shadows. Drawn to danger and desperate for answers, Lena crosses paths with Victor Callahan, an ex-boxer turned private detective with a tormented soul and haunted past.
Their connection is fiery, obsessive and depraved, but as the investigation deepens, Lena discovers a darker threat lurking beneath Callahan’s carefully controlled exterior.
The blackouts he can’t explain.
The nights he can’t remember.
The blood on his hands.
With each passing night, something primal awakens within him—a heritage concealed since birth. Callahan is hunting a killer while unaware that vampire blood runs in his veins, transforming him into something both powerful and dangerous.
As they uncover the terrifying truth behind Elizabeth’s murder, Lena and Callahan are thrust into a twisted game of love, lust, and violence. In a city where monsters wear human faces, they have no choice but to confront the predators stalking them—and the ones lurking within.
Wicked Love (Single Dad Playbook, #4) by Willow Aster
Review
Buy: Amazon
I fell in love with his little girl first.
From the moment nine-year-old Becca Fox and I hugged, it was like we’d known each other forever. Precocious, sweet, and kind, I just knew this little girl was exceptional. Her dad, though? Not so much.
Bowie Fox checks every box in the looks department—rugged, intense, and the kind of man who makes you forget how to breathe—but his personality? About as warm as a snowstorm.
That is, until we’re seated together at his best friend’s wedding, and then…we dance.
For hours.
Beneath that gruff and hard exterior, I catch glimpses of a man who wants to let loose and enjoy life.
After the wedding, when a hotel mixup leaves me without a room and stranded in Landmark Mountain, Bowie invites me to stay in his room. In his bed.
It’s innocent at first. Until it’s not. A sizzling one-night stand for the books. Then I wake up alone and when I see him at breakfast, he is as distant as ever.
Bowie lets me know his life revolves around Becca, his teammates, and football. He makes it perfectly clear that there is no room for anyone else—especially the bubbly coach of his daughter.
As much as our paths keep crossing, I know the broody linebacker isn’t ever planning on falling for me, but when I find out I am pregnant—I wonder, Can he fall for us?
Wildest Dreams (Forbidden Love, #2) by L.J. Shen
Buy: Amazon
He’ll protect his best friend’s baby sister from anything…other than himself.
Rhyland
Dylan Casablancas is a forbidden fruit,
Undeniably delicious, but one bite just might kill you.
She’s my best friend’s baby sister, a single mom, and a royal pain in the ass.
When Little Miss Baggage moves downstairs to house-sit her brother’s Manhattan apartment, my potential business partner mistakes us as a couple.
He wants a family guy.
I want access to his billions.
And Dylan?
She needs a big, burly guy to scare off her loser ex.
Pretending to be engaged to the feisty girl next door gets messy when I take a bite of the illicit apple.
What can I say? I’m an instant gratification kind of guy.
We made a deal to walk out of each other’s lives once my contract is signed.
The only problem?
She might take my heart with her when she leaves.
Dylan
Rhyland Coltridge is out of the question.
Unless the answer is: “Who’s the biggest man-whore you’ve ever met?”
Hedonistic. Wild card. Utterly corrupt.
And those are just the traits the jerk prides himself on.
My life is too messy for a boyfriend. Even if it wasn’t, Rhyland would be the last man I’d consider.
He is supposed to be my ticket out of this nightmare.
But he’s fast becoming my wildest, most dangerous dream.
Author’s note: this is an enemies-to-lovers, fake engagement standalone with an alpha hero and a feisty heroine. Please check trigger warnings before reading.
If Tomorrow Never Comes by Allison Ashley
Review
Buy: Amazon
Fate connects two people in life-changing ways in a deeply romantic and emotional novel about hope and second chances by the author of Would You Rather and The Roommate Pact.
Uncertain of what tomorrow brings, Elliott Holland decides to live it up—on the eve of a stem cell transplant to treat her leukemia. It’s destiny when she crosses paths with handsome and charming Jamie Sullivan. The chemistry is magic. So is a beautiful evening that ends with a bittersweet kiss goodbye and no expectations of ever seeing each other again.
One year later, Elliott’s future looks good. Her cancer is in remission. Her career in graphic design is taking off. And she’s finally met Carly, the young woman whose stem cell donation gave Elliott a second chance at life. Then, in a twist of fate both blissful and unfair, she meets Carly’s boyfriend. It’s Jamie, the man Elliott kissed like it was her last day on earth. Neither of them has ever forgotten it.
Now, the most difficult decisions of all lie ahead. Whatever risks there are to the heart, one need wins out: to grab hold of everything that can make someone feel alive again.
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
*2025 FAVE*
Review
Buy: Amazon
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a playful yet deeply emotional romance where one date is all it takes for two people to know they’re perfect for each other . . . until one of them moves 2,000 miles away the next day.
There’s no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediate yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong . . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake.
But after one incredible and seemingly endless date, Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be. Only no amount of distance or time is enough to forget what’s between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.
Undeniably Enemies (Boston’s Irresistible Billionaires, #5) by J. Saman
Review
Buy: Amazon
I knew better than to take my best friend’s little sister’s virginity at that Halloween party. But in my defense, I didn’t know how to say no. Or maybe I simply didn’t want to.
She was my Cinderella and I was her masked villain.
Then I ruined everything. Twice.
Years later we’re undeniably enemies, our hate for each other legendary.
Except I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. Or that night.
Only now she works for me in the hospital where she’s a medical student and I’m an attending physician. Not to mention, without realizing it, I bought the apartment next to hers.
We try to keep things professional but when she learns the truth behind the secrets I’ve been keeping, angry sparks explode into a raging inferno of scorching touches and burning passion.
I know I have to keep my distance. She’s all wrong for me. Too young. Too bratty. Too dangerous to the life I’ve worked tirelessly to rebuild. The one being with her would destroy.
The problem is, I’ve never wanted anyone more. And I don’t know how to stay away for long.
Especially when I discover I’m not the only one keeping secrets.
The Oath We Take (Iron Outlaws MC: Colorado, #2) by S. Cole
Review
Buy: Amazon
She’s the one woman I can never have. Now, I’m the only man who can keep her alive.
Ember
Being the daughter of a motorcycle club president means two things—power and protection.
But it also comes with one unbreakable rule: No biker touches the president’s daughter and lives to tell about it.
Which means Hudson “Atom” Addams, the club’s brooding enforcer and the man I’ve loved half my life, will never be mine.
Until the Bratva rolls into town, demanding protection money.
Now, my father is forcing me to accept Atom’s protection.
Close quarters. Late nights. And the one man I swore I’d never beg for again.
Atom
Five years ago, the woman of my dreams laid her heart at my feet.
I wanted to claim her. Keep her. Make her mine.
Instead, I let her go.
Butcher’s warning was clear—touch his daughter, and I’d be dead before sunrise.
So I buried my need for her and turned my back.
Now, the Bratva is making a play for her bar. And to make matters worse, she’s got a boyfriend.
I should walk away. I should let her go. But I’m not that strong.
Protecting her means breaking the rules. Claiming her means starting a war.
And I’ll burn this town to the ground before I let her slip away again.
The Girlfriend Zone (Love and Hockey, #4) by Lauren Blakely
Review
Buy: Amazon
In my defense, I had no idea the tattooed, glasses-wearing, soulful hottie I spent one perfect day—and one unforgettable night—with was a hockey star on my father’s team.
And Miles didn’t know I was the coach’s daughter.
That’s the point of a “no-work-talk” date.
But now? He’s as forbidden to me as I am to him.
When I land a new gig as the team photographer, we vow to keep it professional. We mostly succeed…except for that time after a game when he couldn’t keep his talented hands off me. But I swear, it won’t happen again.
Too much is at stake—I can’t risk my heart or my father’s team.
But when I end up living at Miles’s place to care for his pack of rescue pups, the lines blur fast. Late nights turn into stolen moments and I discover there’s more to him than I ever imagined—a man who’s genuine, thoughtful, and irresistibly real.
He looks at me like he can’t believe his luck. Touches me like he never wants to let go. And listens to my hopes and fears.
My heart’s getting dangerously attached. But if I follow it… am I putting everyone’s dreams on the line?
Tropes: coach’s daughter, the one who got away, starts with a bang, second chance vibes, age gap, forbidden hockey romance, forced proximity, workplace romance
Lover Forbidden (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #23) by J.R. Ward
Buy: Amazon
The aristocracy is making a run for the throne in this latest thrilling, star-crossed paranormal romance entry in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
When Lyric goes out for the night, she’s not ready for a brush with death—and she’s really not ready for the male who comes out of nowhere and saves her. Her family, especially her father, Qhuinn, are so relieved she’s okay, but all she can think about is her mysterious savior.
Without telling anybody, she seeks out Devlin, and they are immediately drawn to one another. Her near-death experience has given her a fresh appreciation for life and the desire to live it to its fullest, but she has no idea that he’s hiding a secret—or that he could be the key to ending the war between the Black Dagger Brotherhood and the lessers forever.
Immortal Sun by Rachel Van Dyken
Buy: Amazon
Discover a brand-new world where demons, vampires, fallen angels, gods, and fae roam the earth in modern day San Juan Islands in Immortal Sun, a gripping romantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken. There isn’t a lore that doesn’t exist around Mt. Olympus, and nobody is safe from the wrath of the gods who watch.
My only goal: Beat him at his own game and escape.
His: Save the world, by way of me.
Thousands of names have been written on the ancient parchment, but it moans for one last signature.
He promised he would help me find my brother.
He lied.
I don’t know why I immediately trusted Cyrus. He was stunningly gorgeous, nice, and so accommodating that maybe I felt too safe—maybe that was the first red flag.
The second was that he always said my missing twin was fine, that he’d come back when the internship was supposed to start again.
Looks are deceiving. And I forgot..
Now I’m completely screwed. I’m trapped here until the eclipse and the great Sun God says I’m the last sacrifice he has to make in order to ascend to Olympus. I have so many questions about the mixed mythology but what I don’t have is answers.
He says I’m the last name he needs to enter on the pages of the Book of Life—a book that contains every descendent of his mortal enemy. He says he’ll reward me with any immortal god for twenty-four hours. He doesn’t know that my only goal is to do exactly what he does.
Burn the world down—Him included.
My Silver Lining (Rosewood River, #2) by Laura Pavlov
Review
Buy: Amazon
Lulu Sonnet is the bane of my existence.
She’s caused me more physical pain than any man should ever endure.
From an accidental throat punch to a near death by shovel—
Don’t even get me started on that vicious pool ball accident where she almost robbed me of my family jewels.
She’s a hot little heathen, and what’s worse?
She’s staying in my brother’s rental house while I’m temporarily living in the guest house.
And now she needs a favor.
A fake boyfriend.
I’ll dote on her for a few weeks, she’ll return the favor so my boss’s daughter will stop nagging me, and then we’ll part ways.
It seems simple enough.
Until we end up in the same shower.
And then the same bed.
The lines are blurring.
She’s beautiful and fierce and sexy all at the same time.
But Lulu isn’t staying in Rosewood River forever.
The place I call home is just a pitstop for her.
But suddenly everything I thought I wanted is no longer important to me.
My fake girlfriend has turned my world upside down.
And now nothing feels right without her.
Save Your Breath (Kings of the Ice, #4) by Kandi Steiner
Review
Buy: Amazon
THIS JUST IN: HOCKEY BAD BOY AND POP STAR EXTRAORDINAIRE ENGAGED!
That was the headline we wanted. If only I’d known the cost to get it.
Aleksander Suter has been my best friend since high school—and the only man who’s ever been able to truly get under my skin. With his reputation for trouble and a smirk that could melt ice, he’s also the NHL’s favorite bad boy.
When my publicist’s plan to fix my image collides with his need to clean up his own, we find ourselves in a fake engagement that feels too real from the start.
Now, I’m releasing my new album, putting on a show for the paparazzi I usually try to dodge, and falling too fast for a man who never falls for anyone. Every stolen glance, every heated touch blurs the lines between us until I’m wondering where the lies end and the truth begins.
And when a hurricane traps us together in his high-rise condo, all my carefully built walls collapse, and resisting the pull between us becomes a losing game.
Suddenly, the stakes are higher than just headlines, and the risks feel more personal than ever.
But as our past resurfaces and old feelings reignite, I realize the biggest risk isn’t losing my career—it’s losing my heart to the one person I thought would never be mine.
Save Your Breath is book four in the Kings of the Ice series: a series of interconnected standalones following a team of professional hockey players and the women who bring them to their knees. They do not need to be read in order, but you will gain glimpses of future characters/couples in each book.
Beautiful Exile (Sparrow Falls, #4) by Catherine Cowles
Review
Buy: Amazon
I should’ve known Lincoln Pierce was trouble from the moment I held my knife to his throat.
I’ve been running for most of my life, hiding away in a small town and hoping no one discovers who I truly am. The only problem is that I can never let anyone know the real me. Or at least that was true until my brother moved his best friend onto our shared property.
Now, I’m stuck trying to avoid the nosy billionaire’s probing questions and piercing stares. And it doesn’t help that I almost killed him the first time we met.
Oops.
But when all my carefully crafted lies come crashing down around me, it’s Linc stepping in to shield me. And when it looks like the person hunting me for all those years is back, Linc will do anything to keep me safe.
Only it’s not just my safety at risk. It’s my heart. Because when Linc touches me, I lose all sense. And when I truly get to know the broken billionaire, he’s so much more than a ruthless business tycoon. He’s the man showing me that it’s time to really live.
But I’m not the only one with secrets. Linc has them, too. And when the forces from our pasts emerge from the shadows, it’s with only one goal: to end the new life we’re building together. For good.
Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #5) by Suzanne Collins
Buy: Amazon
The phenomenal fifth book in the Hunger Games series!
When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Buried Dreams (Dream Series, #3) by Natasha Madison
Review – 5 stars
Buy: Amazon
Montgavin Township will never be the same when one night changes the lives of six people.
The course of their lives and the trajectory of the town sets them on a collision course for disaster.
Everleigh
One night changed my whole life.
After the truth about that night came out, I knew I had to leave.
Taking my broken heart with me.
I had no choice but to go back.
I knew it would slice me back open again.
But sometimes the root of the flower you planted starts to grow again, no matter how many times you’ve cut them down.
He was my everything, and then he was my nothing.
Brock
My parents taught me honor and integrity.
And in one split second, I ruined it all.
I lost everything I ever wanted.
But I had no choice.
I tried to go on with my life.
And the only good thing I had was my daughter.
Never expected to see the one woman who I’d loved and lost here again.
They say time heals old wounds.
They were wrong.
It just splits you open, making you bleed out.
I just have to survive again.
If You Love Me (Toronto Terror, #4) by Helena Hunting
Review
Buy: Amazon
Love You Always (Buttercup Hill, #5) by Stacy Travis
Review
Buy: Amazon
A sexy, small-town, grumpy-sunshine romance by bestselling author Stacy Travis
Ever heard the one about the rom-com princess who gets swept off her feet by her fake fiancé?
Yeah, that’s not my story.
I’m an actress whose reputation is currently circling the drain, thanks to a string of public relationship disasters. All I want is to adopt a baby and leave my tabloid trainwreck days behind me.
When the adoption agency doubts my ability to provide a stable home life, I agree to a fake engagement with a guy who screamed “PR-approved.”
Easy enough—until Archer Corbett blows it all to pieces.
He’s a broody, hockey-playing winemaker who makes grumbling an art form. He also hates my fake fiancé—pretty sure “douchebag” was in there somewhere—and doesn’t care who knows it. But when Archer rescues me on the side of the road and keeps me safe, I discover there’s more under his scowl than grunts and muscles.
A lot more.
Turns out, Archer has a guarded heart, a fierce loyalty to his family, and a self-sacrificing streak a mile wide. He’s also infuriatingly hot—and impossible to resist. One stolen kiss turns into carwash-steamy nights and a bond I didn’t see coming. But there’s a problem: he doesn’t want kids, and I can’t imagine a life without them.
Our lives don’t fit together. Our dreams are miles apart. But what if Archer’s exactly what I need to rewrite my story? And what if I’m the one to thaw his frozen heart?
If only this were a movie, I might get the happily ever after I’ve always wanted.
Merit (Treasure State Wildcats, #4) by Devney Perry
Review
Buy: Amazon
The world loves Maverick Houston. Me? I’ve hated him since we were ten.
It’s not exactly easy to escape your childhood nemesis when your parents are best friends who live on the same block. Through countless vacations, parties and holidays, Maverick and I have spent the past decade trading insults.
Until that family dinner when his mother tells us she’s dying. When she asks us to forget the past and start fresh. That’s how I found myself on a date with the Treasure State Wildcats football star. The campus playboy. The boy I kissed when I was three. The man who is the bane of my existence.
He’s arrogant. He’s blunt. He’s too handsome for his own good. But if he has a single, redeeming merit, the guy sure does love his mom. And that’s why I started fake dating Maverick Houston. That’s why I made him a proposition of my own. That’s how this sham of a relationship ruined my life.
The world loves Maverick Houston. Me? I hate that he made me love him too.
Story of My Life (Story Lake, #1) by Lucy Score
Buy: Amazon
A Gilmore Girls meets Schitt’s Creek redemption romcom.
Hazel Hart was a successful romance novelist until a breakup drives her straight into writer’s block. Having failed (and failed some more) to deliver her new manuscript, she’s hiding from the world behind a wall of old takeout containers until her publisher lays down the law. If she misses her next deadline it’s The End.
Desperate for inspiration, Hazel impulse-buys a historic home online and flees Manhattan to tiny Story Lake, PA. Upon her dramatic arrival—involving an incident with a bald eagle—she discovers the charm of her new home may have been slightly exaggerated.
The house is a wreck and the town is struggling after their biggest employer shut down. Also, since her raccoon-infested home came with a seat on the town council our introverted heroine is stuck with a front row seat to all the small-town shenanigans.
But Hazel isn’t worried. Not since all six-feet-three inches of grouchy contractor Campbell Bishop slapped a bandage on her forehead and unintentionally inspired the heck out of her. There’s only one thing to do: Hire Cam and his equally gorgeous brothers to renovate her new spider museum…er…house.
Okay two things. A fake date for “research purposes” will really put her work-in-progress on track. Before Hazel knows it, she’s writing a romance novel and living one. At least until the drywall dust settles, the town she’s falling in love with faces bankruptcy, and growly Cam remembers why he can’t live happily ever after.