EXODUS 20:3 by Freydís Moon

Religious eroticism and queer emancipation meet in a claustrophobic monster-romance about divinity, sexuality, and freedom. When Diego López is guilted by his mother into taking a low-key construction job in New Mexico, he doesn’t expect to be the only helping hand at Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. But the church is abandoned, decrepit, and off the beaten path, and the only other person for miles is its handsome caretaker, Ariel Azevedo. Together, Diego and Ariel refurbish the old church, sharing stories of their heritage, experiences, and desires. But as the long days turn into longer nights, Diego begins to see past Ariel’s human mirage and finds himself falling into lust—and maybe something else—with one of God’s first creations.

Dreamer by Amy Campbell

Their dream of freedom will turn into a nightmare unless these outlaws can stack the deck in their favor. Safely back in his chosen home, Breaker mage Blaise should only have to worry about his bakery and his complicated relationship with Jefferson. But the lies that shaped his life continue to haunt him, and he sets out to reconcile with his mother—only to discover that a band of magical desperadoes has taken her. With old friends at his side, Blaise sets off across the frontier, chasing down leads and unaware that his new foes hope to snare the Breaker, too. Meanwhile, Jefferson balances guiding his fledgling homeland to nationhood while concealing magic he’s not supposed to possess. The demands of his ambassadorship send him to a faraway country where he’s embroiled in a web of intrigue between a shadowy cabal planning to use him and malicious politicians who want to see him—and the new nation—fall. As Blaise closes in and Jefferson navigates the dangerous political waters, they realize their circumstances are once again linked. Will their combined magic be the ace in the hole that wins it all, or will they fold in the final showdown?

A Christmas Truce by Emma Bennet

A BRAND-NEW, UTTERLY ADDICTIVE FEEL-GOOD FESTIVE GRUMPY/SUNSHINE ROMANCE FOR CHRISTMAS 2023. Photographer Libby just got fired. Again. Then she gets home early to find her boyfriend in bed with another woman. And just like that, her dreams of a Christmas Day proposal are shattered. Libby lands a new job as a personal assistant to enigmatic businessman Seth Coleman. He’s terse and demanding — it’s no wonder Libby keeps messing up. Then one day an adorable Golden Retriever puppy is delivered to the house. As Libby helps Seth train Barney, she realizes that there’s a surprisingly sweet side to this CEO . . . But everything goes wrong when Libby finds out that Seth’s company just bought the community centre where they’ve been training Barney. It’s not only puppy classes, it’s a lifeline for the whole village. Libby is devastated when Seth says it’s ‘just business’. So she packs her bags. Until disaster strikes and Libby is forced to spend her favourite time of the year with a man who doesn’t even own tinsel. It’s up to Libby to bring some much-needed Christmas spirit. Starting with a truce, since they’re going to be stuck together whether they like it or not. But Libby might just find magic under the mistletoe after all if she can encourage Seth to open his heart to Christmas . . . This heartwarming Christmas romance is perfect for fans of Jessica Redland, Jenny Colgan, Holly Martin, Teresa F. Morgan, Helen Rolfe and Julie Shackman. READERS ARE FALLING IN LOVE WITH EMMA BENNET’S UPLIFTING, FEEL-GOOD CHRISTMAS ROMANCE: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is the perfect feel-good read. A lovely love story. I loved the cute puppy Barney.’ Rosamond ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A really cute Christmas-themed novel. I loved the storyline and how a cute dog tied in as well. This would make a great movie as well! Perfect feel-good holiday novel. Highly recommend.’ A reader in the UK ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This was such a beautiful and enjoyable read. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.’ Sophie L. ALSO BY EMMA BENNET HER PERFECT HERO THE GREEN HILLS OF HOME THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY? STARSTRUCK FALLING IN LOVE AT NIGHTINGALE FARM

Snowed In With the Ice Dragon: A Small Town Christmas Romance (Monsters and Mistletoe Series) by Vala Stone

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Review by ChelseaK on 2026-01-08T16:01:12Z

Warmed Up by her Brother's Best Friend: A Small Town Age Gap Curvy Girl Short Romance by Julia Stone

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Review by ChelseaK on 2026-01-08T01:27:51Z

Icebreaker by Steven William Hannah 

Review by Mgee on 2026-01-07T19:50:22Z

Code Red (Side Hustle) by Lilah Hart

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Review by ChelseaK on 2026-01-05T01:03:52Z

Path Of War by David Green

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Review by Rosemarie_Cawkwell book blogger on 2026-01-04T16:46:02Z

Flint in the Bones by Eva St. John

In a city where history bites back, murder is just the beginning. Detective Eliza “Bish” Barnaby thought she’d left her home behind—along with its plague outbreaks, random time-shifts, and tendency to accidentally host people from the 1600s during breakfast. But when a dangerous practitioner escapes custody in London, Bish is forced back to Norwich, a city where ancient maps hide deadly shortcuts, angry nuns have scores to settle, and Puritans throw acid at those they don’t approve of. Armed with only a gun she can’t fire, a spaniel who thinks he’s a wolf, and a partner who dresses like a rejected Bridgerton extra, Bish must stop a killer before wild magic unravels the city’s fragile balance. But keeping her own forbidden talents hidden is just as dangerous as catching the murderer. And in a place where past and present bleed together, the only way to solve this mystery might be to embrace the very magic she fears. Grab the brand new adventure from Eva St. John, author of the bestselling Quantum Curators series

The Old Crones Club: A Fairytale Retelling from the Wicked Witches by Jennifer Taylor-Gray

Fairytales made witches villains. Now they’re taking their story back. Tibby never thought she’d end up in a prison for witches. She isn’t one, or so she claims. But on her first night at the Grimm Brotherhood’s Reformation Centre, she meets four infamous witches the world has branded wicked. As they share their real stories, Tibby begins to wonder if they’re not so different after all. When the Brotherhood threatens to erase their memories and their magic, the women stage a daring escape. But freedom isn’t enough. To truly reclaim their power, they must untangle the twisted fairytales written about them, confront the men who tried to silence them, and light a fire that could spark a rebellion. In a world built to turn women against each other, Tibby has to choose: stay quiet and survive, or rise and be remembered. A witchy fairytale rebellion for fans of Alix E. Harrow, T. Kingfisher, Naomi Novik and Gregory Maguire.

A Mage's Mentor by Stephen Jarocki

Twenty years after her mother’s mysterious disappearance, Sinccah sets out to find answers in the untamed province of Ucksland. Hoping to bolster her meager magic skills, she seeks out the old mage guarding the caravan. While talking to him, she discovers that the pendant her mother left her might hold a secret. Unfortunately, before she can uncover anything, the caravan is attacked and the pendant is stolen. Determined to get the pendant back at all costs, Sinccah makes an agreement with the local lord, Ucksil, and is sent into a goblin-infested wilderness. If she can find the powerful mage living in southern Ucksland and convince him to help, she’ll be one step closer to learning the truth. As she begins her search, she stumbles upon a member of a despised race of creatures who inexplicably agrees to guide her to the mage. But after decades of hostility between his race and her own, can he truly be trusted? With an uneasy truce lingering between them, the two companions navigate a land where peace is fragile and disdain runs deep. Yet as they struggle together, genuine conversations begin taking place and Sinccah starts to wonder at the truth of what she’s been taught. But even if she can overcome the murderous bandits, are they truly the greatest threat, or does something darker lurk in the shadows? If Sinccah can’t learn who to trust, her very life will be at risk and she’ll never find the answers (or purpose) she’s seeking.

Edenlost: The Borderless City: Book one of the Edenlost saga: a dystopian urban fantasy adventure by Alexandra Kathleen Blade

A perfect city. A memory slipping away. A power that cannot be ignored. Leyla wakes up in Edenlost, a city both dazzling and unsettling. She doesn’t remember how she got there and doesn’t know who to trust. Beneath the city’s radiant surface, shadows whisper, secrets grow, and a power she never knew she had begins to stir. The more Leyla seeks answers, the more Edenlost reveals itself as a maze of hidden truths, intense emotions, forced alliances, and revelations that shake everything she thought she knew. Friendships become lifelines, love burns silent but fierce, and supernatural forces call to her—pushing her toward choices she may not be ready to make. Eedenlost: The Borderless City is a dystopian urban fantasy filled with magic, mystery, and emotional depth. A cinematic story that plunges the reader into an adventure with a courageous yet vulnerable heroine, unexpected twists, awakening powers, and bonds destined to change everything. Perfect for readers who crave: • immersive and emotional urban fantasy • mysteries and hidden truths behind a perfect city • strong, relatable female protagonists • supernatural powers and gripping suspense • deep friendships and heart-wrenching romance • a vivid, cinematic reading experience Edenlost is not what it seems. Neither is Leyla. Step into the Borderless City and experience the story to the fullest.

Blackwater by Emily Blakeney

There is much to be done when the kingdom isn't looking. Iona Strider is a ruthless pickpocket cursed with a disobedient shadow. Violent, too. Worse, she can’t remember who cursed her, or why. But she does know one thing: with each passing day, her control of the shadow dwindles. In her relentless pursuit of answers, she winds up stealing from the wrong man: Captain Liam Blackwater of the Wraith. A man who, according to legend, might just turn the Silver Seas red. Blood-bonded together by a dishonest mistake, Iona begrudgingly teams up with the handsome rogue to embark on a bloody, swashbuckling quest in the hopes that she can break the curse of her shadow once and for all. Alas, it’s never that simple. Especially when Liam and Iona can’t keep their hands off each other. But as they carve a path through the realm, disastrous secrets of the kingdom are revealed, and when shocking revelations of her true past come to light, Iona must decide whether she is to become the kingdom’s villain, or something else of her own making.

An Oath Sworn by M.T. Kadisin

M.T. Kadisin's debut novel in the Saga of the Stone King series masterfully blends dark fantasy, political intrigue, and reluctant heroism. Grady, a clanless dwarf, lives an ordinary, lonely, and forgettable life. Until a mysterious Poster changes everything. Drawn into a brutal experiment by the ruthless Keyrdegen Salzum, Grady is molded into the perfect soldier: obedient, unthinking, unbreakable, extraordinary. But, as the truth behind the warlord's plans comes to light, Grady must fight to reclaim his will-and his identity. An Oath Sworn is a tale of control, resistance, and the cost of becoming a hero in a world that would rather you remain a victim.

Errant Gift by Rhys Price

A young shepherdess named Tali and her father abandon their flock to seek out a fallen star that speaks to them in wondrous visions and whispers. Under the star’s guidance, they are rewarded with a new life of luxury and status they could never have imagined. Everything seems blissful until Tali’s father is asked to partake in a strange ritual that may cost him his life. To her horror, he willingly agrees. Nine years later, swarms of Nemagraws—nightmarish creatures of unknown origins—have begun to spread across the land. Caught in their path of destruction is bookish Dale who fled the comforts of home when his parents were arrested on charges of treason. Armed with nothing but a keen knowledge of botany, Dale searches for his brother Finley, a fabled warrior who might be their best hope of saving the family from ruin. But when he finally finds Finley living with a mysterious cult, he realises that his brother will be of no help at all. Unbeknownst to Tali and Dale, their journeys are bound by a common enemy—one whose aims are far greater and darker than any have yet perceived.

Shattered Peace: A Miss-Fortunate Adventures Saga by Megan Russ

...the world broke more than 2000 years ago. After the gods fixed the world, they took magic and left. Now the seeds of darkness are spreading. The time of heroes has returned... Secretly nestled in the heart of the ancient forest, there is a tree that towers over all others. Within its embrace, the future generation of warriors trains for the day their nation calls upon them. An elven outcast with a secret to keep. A rare free human with something to prove. These two young monks have just graduated from training within the Monastery of the Leaf. With their training days behind them, it is time for them to find their place in the world. Have you ever wondered how the heroes began their journey? Let’s go back to the beginning. This coming of age, found-family, action-driven adventure will introduce you to these young heroes before their call to destiny. What dark horrors will they face along their journey? Find out within the pages of this Homebrew 5e-inspired story. The Beginning of the Miss-Fortunate Adventures Saga: Aearth, is a world that broke due to a Great War 3000 years ago. A world that lost its magic when the Gods knit the world back together. Sealing the magic into the world itself. They turned their backs on a world that could no longer feel their touch. Now darkness rises on the horizon. Will the heroes rise in time to save Aearth or will this world shatter for good? You can learn more about Aearth before Shattered Peace by reading ~ Lore by Megan Russ Dark Fantasy Horror Low Magic Found Family Action Adventure Martial Combat Fantasy Combat Spice Free Language/Alcohol/Smoking 5e Inspired Fans of Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Forgotten Realms and Dark Sun will enjoy this 5e homebrew inspired story. Fans of epic fantasy like Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time may find familiar tropes and grand adventures in the Balance of Fates Series.

A Djinnfernal Conspiracy: Saga of the Bearer: Book 1 by W.E. Singh

He's not ready to save the world. Zander Chung is having a spectacularly bad day. Sentenced to death by video call and hunted by homicidal appliances, he's been shipped off to the Egyptian Afterlife — where gods have agendas, djinn hold grudges, and dying was just the start. To survive (and find a way back) he'll have to rely on allies he definitely wouldn't have chosen himself and face powers far older and stranger than anything he imagined. But every bargain has teeth, and some debts bite back hard. Can Zander cheat fate a second time, or will the Afterlife decide it's keeping him? Perfect for fans of Wyrd Sisters, Rivers of London, and darkly funny fantasy steeped in myths, magic, and deliciously dangerous chaos.

The Legend of Damndrake by N.E. White

Damndrake was stolen on her hatchday, and her family scattered, before she was set adrift in the sea. After twenty-four years surviving the brutal White Wastes, she has Blaze now, her adopted sister with a secret that could get her killed or sent to the Blasted Sands. But trying to build a stable life in human-dragon society is a challenge Damndrake didn't think she'd fail again and again. When she's banished from yet another territory, finding a home for them both seems impossible until she's recruited to the Draghi Firegard. Her life takes a turn: a new purpose, home, and maybe the spark of something more—until their past catches up to them. The same dragon who tried to steal Blaze a decade ago is back, and this time, he’s not leaving empty-clawed.

The Black Bane: The Chronicles of Mealduth: Book 1 by L. Lyons

In a cursed corner of Avellion, a dark forest infected with the Black Bane spells death to all who enter — except one… When an old priest arrives at Kailas Darkchar’s door with a bag of gold, she’s right to be suspicious. His ancient sect is rumoured to practise dark magic. The priest claims Kailas has the power to enter the forest and retrieve the bones of his god. But not even the money she so desperately needs is enough to convince her. A member of a despised race, she’s lived her life in the shadows, believing her unique immunity to magic is useless in a world that embraces it. Forced to flee for her life, she meets a powerful stranger with eyes of gold who promises to protect her. But can he be trusted, or is he part of a darker scheme? Hunted by an army of holy warriors intent on fulfilling their ancient prophecy, Kailas is the only one who can stop the world from being plunged into darkness — and that may cost her soul…

In My Time of Dying by Sherrie a Bakelar

When Eloise Fontaine passed away from a heart attack, she left behind a pile of her belongings, a horse and her unfinished business. It now falls to her twin sister, Ebony, to fulfill Eloise' final Calling, Find the Farm Boy and save the kingdom, before Ebony passes away herself. Goaded on by her sister's ghost, Ebony sets out from her humble cottage to find the Farm Boy and help in his quest to regain his kingdom, usurped decades before by the Wizard King. What's a hedge witch to do?

Godless: An Epic Fantasy Adventure: Book One of the Xaidra Cycle by Edward Nile

It is the Third Cycle of known Xaidran history. Three thousand years of civilization. Three thousand years of questions. Three millennia of worship to the Pantheon. Mortals of Xaidra live their lives according to their Faiths, each born beholden to one of the Gods. Most find themselves Faithful to one of the Siblings, the seven Gods who safeguard the Balance of human souls. Seven Gods competing to tip that Balance in their own favor. In this world of ancient monuments, sacred incantations and powerful sprite Elementals, mortals find themselves mere pawns in the battle for souls. A battle Belkas, the War God, seemed to be winning. Until the Silence. In the turmoil of battle, those Faithful to Belkas looked to the sky and saw their Godmoon darken. Their deity's presence was gone. Belkas’s Harbinger slain. As the Belkan war clans reeled from the vanishing of their God, a child was born. A deformed creature, a Godless abomination cursed by the eyeless Fates. ---- Twenty years have passed. For twenty years disciples of a lost Faith have wandered Xaidra, fighting one another, killing and dying in worship to a God that seems to have abandoned them. The Silence weighs heavier on the older generations, on those who lived with the comforting presence of the War God since birth, only to find Belkas gone. Kael never knew the touch of War, never experienced the electrifying power of his Faith. Born on the day of the Silence, he never knew a life without that strange emptiness. To Kael’s generation, the Silence is commonplace. Even as they fight and kill in one-sided obeisance to a vacant God. Another emptiness plagues Kael. Born a misshapen, horned thing, considered an inhuman creature by his peers, Kael has fought to prove himself his entire young life. And all of it has come to nothing. Exiled, alone, without Faith or purpose, Kael begins his journey. ---- And Asra follows. Daughter of a War priestess, Asra yearns for escape more than anything. A release from obligations, expectations. A political marriage to the new Harbinger of War looms in Asra’s future, and she looks to any diversion, any way to delay the inevitable. Even so far as to hunt down the deformed son of a rival War priest. Even so far as to bring back her friend’s horned head. Asra’s hunt begins. All the while, the fabric of Xaidra itself begins to unravel, the Balance shaken again under the threat of War.

The Witch and the Woodcutter by L.S. Walker

This is not a story of magic. This is a story of persecution... The Far Isles are in a witch-hunting frenzy. Neighbour turns against neighbour, women are hanged from trees, and girls are thrown to the pyre. At the head of this fever is the Inquisitorum: the branch of the Church dedicated to the ways of hunting witches, their subsequent torture, and execution. Beorn is the woodcutter for the small town of Brexton. He lives a solitary life in the woods that provide him his livelihood, far from civilisation and inquisitive eyes. He takes no part in the witch-hunting frenzy that grips the kingdom, but nor does he lift a hand in defence of those condemned to die. He lives by a simple rule: I don't get involved. That is until a young witch is dragged into the town square to be burnt at the stake. The sight of her breathes life into old ghosts Beorn had long thought buried. Against his better judgement, he breaks his one rule. What follows is an adventure across a kingdom. Beorn will be faced with many challenges: thorn-helmed knights, black-robed Inquisitors, a head-strong young witch, and even his own world view.

Knee-Deep in Cinders by Ashley Capes

Freedom. Magic. Vengeance. Vilas is a man consumed by anger. Kept prisoner in the city that slaughtered his people, he dreams of the day his magic is unsealed so he can burn everything to ash. When the city's queen asks for his help hunting down rebel cultists, he agrees in exchange for his freedom, his magic, and a night in her bed. Given access to only a fraction of his magic and forced to work alongside a jailor who can seal it entirely, a quick escape is impossible. Vilas knows his freedom hinges on his wits—and his self control. But every day he's reminded of the horrors done to his people, testing the limits of his restraint. Can Vilas outwit the queen and have his revenge on the city, or will his all-consuming rage be his undoing? Knee-Deep in Cinders is a thrilling, standalone dark fantasy novel. If you love morally grey characters, underdogs, and quests for vengeance, lose yourself in Knee-Deep in Cinders!

The Throne of Ash: A thrilling Tudor-esque fantasy with all the deceit, politics and Courtly romance of the Tudor era by Lissy Porter

A Queen. A Princess. And a Consort who must be chosen to ensure the future of the Throne of Ash. The Queen's Face masks all—even the woman who wears it. None may see her without it, not even her Consort responsible for ensuring she brings forth a healthy daughter to succeed her. If he fails, being cast aside is the most favourable of outcomes. When Queen Cecily unknowingly determines on her sister's lover as her Consort, ambition, jealousy, and the demands of courtly etiquette threaten the stability of the Throne of Ash. Princess Bess knows only too well her responsibilities towards her sister, the queen, but when one of the powerful noble families attempts to ensnare both sisters with one lover, there can only ever be one winner. The Throne of Ash is a Tudor-esque fantasy in which women rule, and men are kept in the background, of little use, aside from when a Consort must be chosen. Then, court intrigues, and politics come to the fore in a deadly game of politics and etiquette that sets sister against sister. The Throne of Ash has never been more on fire.

A Little Feral by Maria Giesbrecht

In A Little Feral, Maria Giesbrecht navigates faith, family, and personal resurrection through a voice at once wild, intimate, and quietly rebellious. Written in the aftermath of leaving a conservative Mennonite upbringing, these poems chart a parallel journey of breaking away—from father, from God, from the confines of obedience. Giesbrecht’s language is lyrical and unflinching, a cadence that moves between tenderness and defiance, weaving ancestral memory with moments of stark revelation. A Little Feral asks readers to reimagine where holiness might be found—in the fractures of family, in the undoing of inherited faith, and even in the loneliness of a world shaped by patriarchy and exile.

The Unravelling of Ou by Hollay Ghadery

Moving on is hard—even harder when it’s from a make-believe friend who’s been your strongest source of support. On what should be one of the happiest days ever, the day her granddaughter is born, Minoo faces a terrible choice: make a clean break from her constant companion, a sock puppet named Ecology Paul, or lose her daughter and granddaughter forever. The Unravelling of Ou follows Minoo’s journey from teenage pregnancy in Iran through exile to Canada, exploring questions of sexuality, identity, and survival with extraordinary imagination and heart. What makes this novel particularly compelling is its bracingly effective central conceit—first-person narration by the protagonist’s sock puppet. This approach provides a unique lens for the examination of female shame, neurodivergent experience, and the courage required to break free from internalized oppression. It’s a story about finding authentic voice and reconnecting with the people you love told through a lens that’s moving and refreshingly unconventional. This promises to be a standout debut novel from an already acclaimed author whose memoir Fuse won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award and whose short fiction collection Widow Fantasies is a finalist for the 2025 Toronto Book Awards.

Weird Babies by Jaclyn Desforges

Weird Babies is a short story collection about weird babies: a miraculous set of reincarnated quadruplets, babies born from the bellies of trout, babies who are destined to molt like tarantulas, babies who hatch from piles of warm clothes. It’s also about the weird baby living in each of us—the tenderest part of ourselves that longs, at whatever the cost, to be loved.

Wound Archive by Anna Veprinska

Wound Archive is a collection of minimalist poems that document the concurrent ending of a relationship and the onset of a chronic invisible illness. These fragmentary pieces turn woundedness—both emotional and physical—into an act of linguistic reformation. The symbol of the wound recurs throughout, tracing the ways heartbreak and illness inhabit the body, and how the corporeal becomes a portal to the incorporeal: god, ghosts, healing. Tender and precise, Veprinska’s work reveals how brevity can hold the vastness of ache.

Valhalla The Valkyries Fire by A. J. Torres

Fire. Blood. Darkness. The tears of her parents were all she could remember. Valhalla Ӧnníka has lived with the Aesir since her fifth spring, since the day the God of Mischief took everything from her. Taken in by the Aesir and valkyries, she found some contentment, but past wounds have a way of returning. Years later, a clue embedded in the back of a dragon leads her to a confrontation with the god who murdered her family. Though training with blade and flame had made Valhalla fierce in her own right, she was still no match for him. Barely escaping with her life, the All Mother ordered Valhalla to cease her investigation, instead giving her a new focus. A mysterious letter found its way into the halls of Asgard, addressed solely to her. She was to meet with the High Queen of the lands of Veerence. Death. Submission. Pain. Nightmares were all he ever knew. Alistair Hilliard II was the High Prince of Veerence. His life should’ve been one of luxury and indulgence, and would’ve been were he anywhere else. Being born a man in Hilliard’s royal family, his duty was to obey, keep silent, and endure. By night, he belonged to the women of high society—a thing to be used—and by day he was charged with protecting the High Queen and her heir. The Prince was stretching ever closer to the end of his rope, worn ragged by the cost his duties levied upon his body, mind, and soul. Alistair’s mother had grown increasingly distant since his twenty first name day. His sister, whose personal mission to see him suffer through nightly torments, had gone quiet. Terrible rumblings began to spread, rumors of an attempt on her life. Regardless of her hatred for him, she was still Alistair’s little sister and it fell upon his shoulders to find out the truth. When Valhalla and Alistair’s paths cross, their fates will intertwine, finding themselves at the center of events that will reshape Midgard and ripple across the nine realms.

We Gladly Feast on Those Who Would Subdue Us by Roxanna Bennett

We Gladly Feast on Those Who Would Subdue Us marks a striking formal shift for Bennett, moving away from the recombinant sonnets that defined her previous three volumes. Infusing disability poetics with concepts of collage, Bennett enacts the improvised experience of disabled persons navigating an inaccessibly constructed world, using whatever comes to hand to make meaning and survive. Though her approach has evolved, her voice remains as singular, incisive, and powerful as ever.

Gitwaałtk by Crystal AJ Smith

Gitwaałtk tells the story of a young Indigenous woman who loses her sister to the Highway of Tears and embarks on a journey with her nux nux (spiritual beings) to find—and bring to justice—the person responsible. Weaving prose, poetry, and oral tradition, Smith’s novel traces a path through grief toward healing, where family, community, and culture become sources of strength and reclamation. The story is at once a personal act of remembrance and a larger statement on resistance, love, and spiritual continuity.

Living History: Essays on A. F. Moritz by Jim Johnstone

Living History gathers new essays from some of Canada’s most respected poets and critics—among them George Elliott Clarke, Robyn Sarah, and Karen Solie—to illuminate the life and art of A. F. Moritz. From his early publications to his tenure as Toronto’s Poet Laureate, the collection explores how Moritz’s lyric vision continues to shape Canadian poetry and the ways in which history, politics, and the natural world intersect in his work. Thoughtful, personal, and scholarly, Living History brings one of North America’s most celebrated poets into sharper focus.

The Fall-Down Effect by Liz Johnston

Exploring protest, climate change, and fractured family relationships, Liz Johnston’s eagerly anticipated debut novel, The Fall-Down Effect, asks what we really owe people in our lives when we are fighting for a greater cause. As a child in the late 1980s, Fern is the wild heart of her tree-hugging family—quick-tempered and yearning to spend every minute in the woods of the small Pacific Northwest logging town where they live. She is also most like her environmental activist mother, Lynn, who chafes against the demands of motherhood and yearns for the protests of her youth. As tensions escalate, Lynn leaves her partner, Tom, and their three children, telling herself she will devote her life more fully to fighting for the earth. At nineteen, Fern commits her own radical act of protest in the town, which authorities label ecoterrorism. When Fern goes underground, her parents and siblings—responsible grad student Sylvia and budding artist River—struggle to make sense of her actions while also trying to cover up her absence. Fern’s secret proves impossible to keep, and when she becomes a wanted woman, the rest of the family trades blame. Years later, when Lynn takes shelter from a forest fire in the home she left so many years before, the family is forced to confront their regrets during a fraught, baggage-filled reunion.

The Tinder Sonnets by Jennifer LoveGrove

Unabashedly confessional and radically vulnerable, The Tinder Sonnets rallies against the long-standing demand that “women of a certain age” politely accept being rendered non-sexual. Each poem is based on a date, relationship, or contemporary dating insight, and highlights how misogyny impacts the way we connect in the modern world–or don’t. Juxtaposing folklore and the natural world against the digital sphere of texting and dating apps, this is poetry that defies invisibility and instead confronts and subverts it through a discerning feminist lens. While experimenting with the traditional form of the sonnet, these sonically textured poems are playful and wry, erotic and joyful, all while refusing to shy away from palpable anger, frustration, and disappointment. Centering strength and resilience in the face of a resurgence of misogynistic chauvinism, The Tinder Sonnets is a staunch refusal to recede from view, to cede sexual space, or to be quiet and polite.

Seldom Seen Road by John Degen

When the body of local environmental activist Paul Robichaud washes up on the bank of a river in the small northern town of Burnt River, blunt-force wounds to his head suggest it was murder. Mark Roth is jarred out of his retirement reverie and drawn into the case. He has the least solid claim on the art of solving murders, but he is driven by the insistent busybody nature of the recently retired. Profoundly hard-of-hearing after a career in musical performance, and equally disappointed with finding himself alone in his world after the death of his beloved wife, Mark stubbornly and clumsily puts himself in harm’s way to draw out the truth. Constable Jeremy Roth, Mark’s long-lost cousin, is the muscle of the group, patrolling the northern highways for the local police detachment and investigating on the ground. Mark’s beloved daughter, Stephanie, building her name as a criminologist at the university in Thunder Bay, gets to the details of the matter using her academic credentials and her innate puzzle-solving instincts. Who dumped Robichaud into the frigid spring run-off? Is there a connection between his death and both the largest uranium refinery in the world and the local small-time pot trade? How do Robichaud’s wife, Kim Keranen, daughter Algoma, local real estate developer Gillian Larch, and her pot-head son Bobby fit into the puzzle? And who is The Albanian? Mark ignores all official advice and his own precarious health as he digs deep into the secrets of his new town. But the town is looking back at him—observing, plotting—and it may prove more than a match for Mark’s loved ones, and deadly to him.

Here's to Letting Go by Blaine Thornton

The city’s quietest stories are often found in its homeless population. Blaine Thornton weaves their audience through their life as they learned that safety wasn’t necessarily at Home. Blaine leads us through the loneliest places, and brings us back into resilience through poetry, prose and narrative. Thornton takes us through sleeping under the pines, sketchy rooming houses, and couches that come with the worst cost. They also reveal how just looking for assistance can sometimes further endanger a young trans, non-binary person. Through poems and prose, Blaine shines a light on what it takes to come back, to survive, and how Love sometimes wins.

Super Canucks by Matthew Del Papa and Andy Taylor

Super Canucks centres not on your typical big city superheros, but those who live in and around Canada’s more often overlooked locales, from the frostbitten shores of a Newfoundland outport to the restless streets of Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their mission? Tackle the chaos sweeping across the Great North: megalomaniac supervillains, sinister megacorporations, frightening wildlife, and—most terrifying of all—the creeping, existential fear of growing old. All the stories push the boundaries of a genre historically ruled by spandex and punchy slogans to ask the same question: what is it that really makes someone a hero—super or not? Super Canuck contributors: Pauline Barnby, Dwain Campbell, Matthew Del Papa, Matthew Heiti, Casey Lawrence, Melanie Marttila, Premee Mohamed, Christopher O’Halloran, Jim Robb, Niall Spain, and Andy Taylor.

The Darrian Shift by Noah Flynnt

A hidden bond. A rising darkness. A battle no one is ready to fight. When ancient stars whisper and mountains bleed light, a past long buried begins to stir. As Siver Pell makes its final preparations for winter, the ice and snow herald hunters from beyond the storms, merciless and unyielding, leaving the townsfolk with an impossible choice: stand and die, or vanish into the dark beneath their feet. Umar, a leader with more secrets than scars, must gamble everything on a desperate escape. Cerin, an enigma whose blades speak louder than her past, vanishes on a mission no one else would dare. And deep in the cradle of the mountain, shadows awaken, offering salvation… or something far more dangerous. In a world of haunted silence and dying light, every heartbeat matters. And some sacrifices aren’t just remembered. They’re carved into stone.

The Loss of the Star's Tranquility by Travis M. Riddle, Tobias Begley

When guests set foot on the Star's Tranquility, a flying resort island, what they can expect is luxury. The best food and amenities...a dream vacation, guaranteed. But their voyage has taken an unexpected detour, crashing in the Unclaimed Lands—an uninhabited forest teeming with deadly monsters and unknown magic. There won't be much-needed bonding time for the strained Harteus family, runaway Drea is farther from home than she ever planned, and reluctantly-retired filmmaker Raymond isn't sipping cocktails poolside any time soon. Stranded in a place where even the plants want to kill you, there's no time to kick back and relax. It's more than most of the wealthy guests can handle, and it's way above the waiters' pay grade, but they'll have to learn to work together if they want to survive. A brand new mystery adventure set within the world of Tobias Begley's Mana Mirror!

The Hunger of the Dragon: Dark Viking Fantasy by R.M. Schultz

Divine remnants are hoarded, stolen, and killed for. These items grant powerful magics to those with the strength to wield them. The war of the gods has passed, leaving Midgard without direction, but vengeance and the battle for control has just begun. A berserker of the Raven must protect her magical items from those bent on stealing them while a Wolf warrior renounces her clan to pursue the impossible—harnessing the magics of the Dragon. A thief of the Wolf is led astray and will never regain what is taken from him. They protect their own, claim what they can, and rise to power in waves of glory. But when a mysterious new clan emerges seeking to conquer all, the Ravens and Wolves must safeguard their divine remains or destroy each other. The resulting war will determine the fate of each clan as they succumb to the hunger of the Dragon and the forbidden runes.

Born of Shadow by Nicole Conway

The girl they condemned may be the only one who can save them, if they don't execute her first. Violet was born to be wicked. Surviving as a street urchin in the island city of Sol'Karr, she struggles to stay one step ahead of the city guards. And when a burglary gone wrong lands her in a jail cell, her nefarious Viperi bloodline could send her straight to the executioner's sword. Her last hope comes in the form of a job offer from a mysterious man who may not be who he claims. If she accepts, she'll be working for The Zenith's Call, an organization who guards the world's most powerful magical artifacts—a task that requires highly skilled agents willing to risk their lives. They believe Violet may have the skills to join them, if she can prove herself trustworthy, but when someone tries breaking into the Call's vault, rumors of Violet's treachery fly like arrows, and she's threatened with banishment back to a jail cell. Now the only option she has left to prove her innocence lies in hunting down the real thief. But embracing her wicked Viperi abilities to catch an expert criminal could be what finally condemns her once and for all. If you like Brandon Sanderson and Rick Riordan, you'll devour Nicole Conway's fast-paced, imaginative series.

A Comedy of Monsters by K.M. Harrell

Welcome to the kingdom of Zadea, where the monsters are in charge, the humans are mostly snacks, and political diplomacy often involves poison, sarcasm, or murder—sometimes all three. At the heart of it all lies Azwick, a sentient, brooding castle with a flair for sarcasm and an unlimited number of vases. As the reluctant host to King Einyuck (part ogre, part tyrant, all emotionally stunted), Azwick is stuck babysitting a royal court full of murderers, misfits, and magical morons. There's the Bixler, the meat contractor that the king has bamboozled into warding his heretic son. Whose maturity will bring about a curse that will destroy the entire realm. He just happens to mature six months every day (Einyuck didn’t mention that), and Marbus, the Assistant Minister of Bureaucratic Mishaps, has weaponized incompetence into an art form. When a time rift brought about by the heretic prince is about to wipe out the whole planet, Azwick might have a secret to share that could save them all. But who knows if he'll tell? *Think* Monty Python meets *Game of Thrones* by way of an extremely haunted *This Old House* If you like your fantasy dark, your monsters witty, and your castles judgmental, *A Comedy of Monsters* is your next favorite read. Just don’t drink the blood wine.

Jane is the End by Chanchito Massoni

Jane works for the Ministry of Magic, approving your spells, checking your permits, and making sure you have your papers in duplicate to prove it. Her life is an ordinary one, that is, until the world ends and everything goes to hell. Now Jane finds herself thrust into an adventure to save the universe from...herself. It is a journey full of space, cats, and demigods in a race against the 4rth dimension. But can Jane figure out how to keep herself from destroying the universe? Can Jane figure out Jane?

Snowed In With the Ice Dragon: A Small Town Christmas Romance (Monsters and Mistletoe Series) by Vala Stone

His touch is ice. His kiss, fire. And I can’t walk away. Bianca Kevin ditching me in the middle of a blizzard should’ve been the worst night of my life. Then I stumbled across a trail of glittering ice sculptures, each one more breathtaking than the last, until I found the man who made Ísarr. He’s rough edges and frostbitten silence, a dragon wrapped in a human form that barely hides his power. He warned me to leave. I should’ve listened. Instead, I stayed… and now every glance, every brush of his cold hand, melts something inside me I didn’t know was frozen. Ísarr I’ve kept the world at bay for years, locked in exile where no one could see the monster beneath the ice. Until her. Bianca crashes through my walls like sunlight breaking over a frozen lake, filling my silence with warmth and defiance. She should fear me, run from me. Instead, she tempts me past control. Her lips taste of fire, her body fits against mine as though she was made for me. Every kiss cracks the armor I’ve built around my heart. The storm outside is fierce, but the one between us is unstoppable. And if I claim her, if I give in to this hunger, I may never let her go. Snowed In With the Ice Dragon is a short, steamy novella that is part of the Monsters and Mistletoe shared author series. It features one grumpy ice dragon and an optimistic lost hiker searching for shelter against the coming storm.

Bound to the Vampire: A Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Hillcrest Hollow Shifters #4) by Vala Stone

He’s charming, undead, and totally off-limits. So why can’t she stop thinking about him? Jade Jade Whitaker only came to town to restore a crumbling library, not lose herself in a man with a voice like velvet and eyes like midnight. Luther runs the general store, always has what she needs, and somehow makes dusty archives feel like foreplay. She tells herself it’s just the isolation, the mystery of the town, but her pulse says otherwise. There’s something unnatural about too smooth, too still, too good at disappearing after dark. And when Jade stumbles across forbidden texts and records that don’t match reality, the spark between them threatens to ignite something far more dangerous than lust. Luther Luther has spent centuries mastering restraint. But Jade tests his limits from the moment she walks into town; sharp-tongued, soft-hearted, and smelling faintly of old books and temptation. He knows the risks of pulling her exposure, bloodshed, the unraveling of a delicate peace. But one taste of her laughter, one flash of those curious eyes, and he’s already losing control. He was never supposed to fall. She was never supposed to stay. But in a town built on secrets, desire might be the deadliest one of all. He’s not just drawn to her—he hungers. She’s not just uncovering history—she’s waking it. And neither of them is ready for what’s about to rise. This is Book Four in the Hillcrest Hollow Shifter series, but each book can be read as a standalone. Bound to the Vampire delivers a mysterious ancient vampire, a curious human librarian, a bat familiar who prefers gossip to upside-down naps, and a sizzling HEA that will leave you breathless.

Moon Dust by Millie Abecassis

"A short and brutal sci-fi thriller with an emotional twist of an ending. [...] I’m still recovering. Read this." — L.N. Holmes, author of The Floating Castle An underground lab. A dead scientist. A mysterious machine he was trying to destroy. Syd didn’t think things could get worse than being the reluctant leader of her own crime family—which she hates. That was before she found the dead body of Dani, the lead chemist of the family’s underground lab, and next to him, a mysterious machine he tried to hammer down. According to her late father’s notes, it’s a time machine, and Dani used it to steal the recipe for moon dust, a highly addictive drug that made the family’s fortune. Except Dani didn’t only bring a recipe back from the future. He also brought back a deadly pathogen that’s killing everyone underground. Moon Dust is a gritty thriller with sci-fi and horror elements in a huis-clos setting that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Warmed Up by her Brother's Best Friend: A Small Town Age Gap Curvy Girl Short Romance by Julia Stone

Training her body was easy. Resisting her was impossible. I’ve been in love with my brother’s best friend for two years. Which is exactly why my New Year’s resolution is to finally get over him. Lose a little weight. Gain a little confidence. Stop staring every time Cash he crashes at our place. Simple. Achievable. Easy. Thanks to my overprotective brother, Cash decides he’s the perfect person to help me “work on myself.” Morning workouts. Close proximity. Lot’s of hands-on activities. Getting over Cash was supposed to be the goal. Falling harder was never part of the plan. I’ve noticed Adelia since the day she became off-limits. She’s sweet. Curvy. Innocent in a way that makes me want to protect her from men like me. Especially from me. She’s Toby’s little sister. I don’t cross that line. Can’t. But when she asks for help learning how to catch a man’s attention, I can’t say no. Not when I know no one will ever be good enough for her. If she’s going to belong to someone, it should be a man who knows her worth. A man who wants her completely. A man like me.

The Desolation by Andrew Gillsmith

In a future Holy Land, shattered and rendered uninhabitable by a mysterious scourge, pilgrims come to die. Their reasons vary. Some come out of despair. Others to make a holy death or simply to lay down the burden of living. Some few come seeking either illumination or penance. The Desolation is a tale told in three parts: The Jerusalem Passage, The House of the Four Last Things, and The Eight Sacrament. It follows the stories of several pilgrims, each led by a strange wanderer who is somehow immune to the effects of the plague afflicting the Holy Land. A blend of Lovecraftian horror and the raw metaphysics of Dostoevsky, the book asks more questions than it answers. What are the limits of divine and human mercy? Are some sins unpardonable? Can grace transform even an undead conscience? For fans of Gene Wolfe, Mary Doria Russell, and CS Lewis.

Their Village, Their Fortress by Dylan Madeley

"A heroic death is not the goal. Survival is. Our survival, that of this community, and that of everything which matters most to us." When a calamitous new weapon fells a fortress once considered invincible, one soldier rides home to deliver the terrible news. This journey is against orders, but he insists no village is too small to be warned of what's coming, even if he's not sure what they can do. He delivers an impassioned call to action, daring them to try. Reconnecting with his community involves reconsidering why he left it, and what he might regret having left behind; but he soon faces scrutiny when they realize something about his appeal doesn't add up. Join the struggle of eclectic villagers as each decides their answer. Each confronts what's happening however they must, journeying through their emotions and sometimes delving into their personal histories to reconcile themselves. Each resister's specialties enrich their efforts to scrape together a victory from what's on hand. The events to follow reveal not just how they will fight, but why. Their truth, their skills, and their efforts enable them to resist—but even if they believe, can a hastily-prepared volunteer militia of farmers defeat a battalion of trained soldiers?

The Redemption of Jarek by Dylan Madeley

But this day… Jarek knows of none in his life yet worse than this one. Much of Jarek’s youth revolved around making him fit for the throne, but one terrible day in adulthood finds him defeated, humiliated, and banned from the capital. He may only return upon complete surrender. Once home, he faces a trial by his commanders, though they are also fugitives by decree. Their land is a former province cut off from royal support, only kept free by the number of soldiers loyal to Jarek; but he swore to uphold the terms of his defeat, never to attack the capital. As every illusion Jarek lived under is falling apart, he receives a visitor who tells him how people have suffered under his oblivious leadership. He faces a choice: drink himself to death while everything falls apart or change his land for the better. The latter might be impossible. Just as he makes his choice, strangers arrive from a part of the world unknown to him, seeking a free and peaceful life, warning of a tyrant who pursues them. The story of their homeland is also told. What is Jarek willing to do? And will anything ever be enough?

The Fate of Lenn by Dylan Madeley

"Like a book already written, turn a page forward or back, read a line or a page, yet all the words in that book exist at once, unchanging; is this how you see it? Like fate? Do we fall no matter what I do?" Future generations will mythologize Duke Lenn Wancyek, but he is a person like any other. He feels hope, worry, loss, pain, and the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders. When his responsibilities place him in a catastrophic situation from which he may not escape, his values will resonate through his actions more thoroughly than any speech he could ever make. You will meet everyone who looks to him and you will see their struggles which run concurrent with his: a friend and adviser who wishes to steer him right; three musicians who think they have landed the greatest job in the kingdom; a gardener who does so much yet asks so little; a woman who works to free her people. The list goes on, but time grows short. You will meet the man who becomes the legend. You will know the fate of Lenn. Cover by Jenn St-Onge

Prince Ewald the Brave by Dylan Madeley

"No, father. You have gotten your way for too long. This ends here." Meet the Kenderleys, the wealthiest and most powerful family in the world. The youngest, Prince Bonifaz, takes his lessons and trusts no one. The middle child, Princess Isabel, sneaks away to a secret regency of her own making. Their mother, Queen Dulcibella, watches out for her children just as readily as she watches over them. Their father, King Jonnecht, is a capricious tyrant who hopes to control his family as strictly as he does the largest empire, and his violent rage threatens all under his rule. Then there’s Prince Ewald, eldest and heir to the throne. No one is more aware of the threat his father poses to everyone. No one has better legal standing to do anything about it. How can he save everyone he loves while upholding his mother’s kind values? He must learn the lessons required to be the best regent, choose allies wisely and earn their trust, and enact a thoughtful and detailed plan. And even if he succeeds in all that, can one who draws the line and conducts a plan with honour defeat one whose rage, selfishness, and deceit know no bounds? Can Prince Ewald stop his father? A standalone prequel to the Gift-Knight Trilogy. Cover by Jenn St-Onge.

Sense & Irritability by Emma Lee Jayne

A few months ago, I was the star chef at one of Austin's hottest restaurants. Then it all came crashing down. Now, I’ve lost my job and my living situation is … questionable. Oh, and I owe my mother money. Don’t ask. When I get offered a job as a live-in, personal chef for a man I think is a rich, elderly, shut-in, I jump on it. Except, he’s not elderly. In fact he’s young, brilliant, and stupidly hot. I can't walk away from this job. What’s a down-on-her-luck girl supposed to do? Fall in love?

Code Red (Side Hustle) by Lilah Hart

She lost a cat. He found his forever. I've been a good girl my whole life. Followed the rules. Obeyed my father. Kept my head down and my heart locked up tight. One day in Wildwood Valley changed everything. It started with a cat. A diabetic escape artist named Snowball who bolted from my clinic on my very first day flying solo. Desperate and panicking, I ran to the fire station next door for help. I didn't expect to find a man in nothing but black boxer briefs, singing into a spatula like he owned the world. Devon Carlisle was grumpy, gorgeous, and completely off-limits. A rugged construction foreman with callused hands and a volunteer firefighter's heart. He had no business looking at me the way he did—like I was trouble he wanted to get into. I had no business letting him. But somewhere between chasing that cat through the woods and sharing drinks at the new honky-tonk in town, I stopped being the pastor's dutiful daughter. I stopped playing it safe. I started playing with fire. Code Red is a short and steamy instalove romance set in the small mountain town of Wildwood Valley, North Carolina. This 1-hour read is part of the Side Hustle series. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Side Hustle series! About the Series: From broke beginnings to business dreams, the real hustle begins after hours. Whether it’s garage startups or late-night gigs, these blue-collar heroes and heroines are chasing goals bigger than the next bill. When love throws them a curveball, they learn that building a future means risking their hearts. Side Hustle is a multi-author series of short, steamy instalove stories with guaranteed happily-ever-afters. Each one delivers open-door heat, real-world grit, and chemistry that burns hotter after midnight.

Mountain Man's Winter Darling: A Steamy Instalove Romance (Wildwood Valley Firehouse #02) by Lilah Hart

Snowed in. Guarded heart. One firefighter who stays. I’d spent years building walls. As the manager of Wildwood Ridge Roadhouse, I was the woman with the clipboard and the answers—the one who handled every crisis, solved every problem, and never let anyone see me crack. I’d watched charming men try to get past my defenses before, and I’d shut every single one of them down. Then the blizzard hit. Conner was everything I’d trained myself to avoid—a firefighter with a sharp tongue, an easy smile, and a reputation for never taking anything seriously. The jokester. The flirt. The last man I should have trusted with my secrets. But the storm stranded us together. And somewhere between the snow piling against the windows and the hours slipping quietly by, he stopped joking. He looked at me like he saw past the role I played for everyone else. He didn’t see the manager. He didn’t see the woman in control. He saw me. I’d never let anyone that close before. Never wanted to. But Conner made me want things I’d convinced myself weren’t real—the kind of connection that happened in one impossible night and changed everything. He said he wasn’t going anywhere. I wanted to believe him. But I’d been the responsible one my whole life—and responsible women didn’t fall for strangers during snowstorms. They didn’t risk everything on a single night. …Did they? Tropes: ❄️ Snowed-In Romance 🔥 Firefighter Hero 🏔️ Small-Town Mountain Setting 🧊 Forced Proximity 😏 Jokester Hero Who Falls Hard 🛡️ Guarded Heroine ❤️ One-Night-to-Forever Love 💋 Steamy Instalove Chemistry 🥰 He Falls First 🏡 Standalone Romance with HEA Mountain Man's Winter Darling is an OTT age-gap romance featuring an alpha hero and V-card heroine. It's a forced proximity ex-military, lumberjack romance with lots of steam that's designed to be read in only 1 hour. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Wildwood Valley Firehouse series!

Mountain Man's Winter Beauty: A Steamy Instalove Romance (Wildwood Valley Firehouse #1) by Lilah Hart

Trapped by winter. Claimed by a mountain firefighter. I noticed Mason the moment he walked into the roadhouse. Hard not to. He was built like the mountains surrounding Wildwood Valley—broad shoulders, powerful arms, hands that looked like they could either break you in half or hold you like you mattered. One of the new firefighters in town. The kind of man every woman noticed. Except he didn’t notice me. Or so I thought. For weeks, Mason came in with his crew. He talked to everyone—the bartender, the cook, the manager. Everyone except me. When I refilled his sweet tea, he couldn’t meet my eyes. When I asked for his order, he answered in single words, like speaking to me was harder than running into a burning building. I told myself it didn’t matter. I was just the server. The small-town girl nobody really saw. Then the snowstorm hit. The roads closed. My car couldn’t make it up the mountain. And suddenly I was stranded in a ditch—in the cab of Mason’s truck—with nowhere to go and no way out. That’s when everything changed. That’s when the quiet firefighter finally told me the truth. He hadn’t been avoiding me because he wasn’t interested. He’d been avoiding me because he was terrified of how much he wanted me. We had one hour before his crew reached us. One hour to decide if this was real—or just the storm talking. One hour that could change everything. Sometimes the best things happen when you’re trapped in the cold… with the one man who can keep you warm. Tropes: 🔥 Firefighter Romance 🏔️ Mountain Man Alpha Hero ❄️ Snowstorm Forced Proximity 🛻 Stranded Together 💪 Protective Age-Gap Hero 😳 Shy Alpha, Hidden Desire 🌸 Virgin Heroine / First Time ⚡ Fast-Burn Instalove ❤️ Small-Town Romance 🌡️ High-Heat OTT Novella Mountain Man's Winter Beauty is an OTT age-gap romance featuring an alpha hero and V-card heroine. It's a forced proximity firefighter romance with lots of steam that's designed to be read in only 1 hour. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Wildwood Valley Firehouse series!

The Curse of Dragon Tail Island (A Pirate Fantasy Adventure) by Jonathan Nevair

Dragonlance meets Pirates of the Caribbean in this swashbuckling pirate fantasy... a revenge-fueled tale of clashing cutlasses, monsters and magic, second-chance romance, and salty sea adventure. A once-legendary pirate and his loyal crew out to retake the high seas… Captain James R. Hawk, aka Trusty Jack, and his Salty Scoundrels are do-gooder buccaneers leaving a trail of merry mayhem in their wake. Their credo: ignore the corrupt laws of the Jewel Island’s greedy regent and sail the tropical seas in search of treasure, freedom, and adventure. But when the royal navy teams up with a powerful mage, Trusty Jack’s sordid past catches up with him. Lost love, lost lives, and a lost ship haunt the legendary pirate, none more than Marian, his once-betrothed. That’s when a cunning gnome arrives from the mainland with a daring proposal. Will Jack muster the salty courage to sail through the illusion-filled mists to reach a forbidden island? The ghostly horrors and powerful curse at his destination will test more than his pirate mettle. He’ll have to weigh the price of gold against the risk of peril to himself, his crew, and those he loves… and face down a haunting past trailing in his wake. The Curse of Dragon Tail Island: a standalone pirate fantasy adventure.

Hot Wolf in the Country - A Cozy Monster Romance (Monster Mate Mayhem) by Honey Phillips

Working late has never been this dangerous! Tech genius Harper moves to Monster Island for a fresh start, hoping to escape her workaholic tendencies. She doesn’t expect to fall even deeper into her old patterns, or to accidentally run into the most infuriatingly attractive man she's ever met. Adrian Moonstone isn't just the Alpha of the Moonstone Pack; he's a growly, dominant force of nature. Adrian wants nothing to do with big city girls, but Harper, with her pink hair, defiant attitude, and tantalizing scent, proves impossible to resist. He knows a tiny human female can't be his Luna. He knows she'll never truly belong in his world. Yet, his wolf’s need to claim her grows with every encounter. When a vicious cyber-attack threatens his pack, Adrian needs Harper's genius more than ever. But as they fight together to defeat this new threat, their undeniable passion ignites. Can Harper find her happily ever after, or will love prove to be a code that even she can’t break? smart heroine, possessive hero, fated mates, forced proximity, shifter romance A sweet and spicy monster romance! Each book can be read as a standalone romance. Intended for mature readers.