The Secrets That They Keep by T.M. Lore

The Secrets That They Keep is a gritty and dark thriller with morally complex characters. Alyx Beck is caught in a nasty web. Driven by her determination to care for her neurodivergent twin brother she navigates a treacherous world where sex and money intertwine. As events spiral, both their lives hang in the balance and survival becomes the ultimate goal. Sometimes for the fly to survive it must kill the spider. Alyx has to fake it several times a day. Fake the desire, the lust, and the orgasms. What she doesn't have to fake is her love for her neurodivergent twin brother or her allegiance to her employer. She'll do whatever her handler requires of her. They've taken care of her since her parents died tragically, and they've never steered her wrong. They pay her well so she can care for her brother's needs, too. However, when Alyx's driver/bodyguard-and only friend- Sasha, goes missing with $100K, her devotion can no longer shield her from her handler's wrath. As events spiral Alyx realizes-a little too late-that she has been backing the wrong people. She's caught in a sticky web and there is only one way out-but she may have to get a little blood on her hands.It's Promising Young Woman meets Filthy Rich, with a touch of Haunting Adeline, Gone Girl, and Luckiest Girl Alive.This dark thriller has a female protagonist, neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ characters

Enchanting the Elven Mage: Kingdoms of Lore Book One by Alisha Klapheke, Laura Josephson

This fantasy romance about a princess and her marriage to a dangerous elven warrior will keep you up all night! A human princess. An elven warrior. A betrothal bound in a curse. Today, Aury learned three things: One, she is a princess. Two, she might be a powerful mage. And three, a brutal mountain elf is on his way to the kingdom for their marriage. Aury can’t escape her newly revealed and horribly cruel royal parents quickly enough. If they think she is going to marry some vicious elven warrior mage, they have another thing coming. They claim she’s a mage too, but she has yet to prove it. She heads to the magic military order to get her rune-marked staff and learn everything she can. If she becomes the weapon they need instead of her not-if-she-can-help-it husband, they’ll send the mountain elf packing, right? If they don’t, she will. Filip is certain of three truths: One, he is bound to wed a stubborn mule of a princess. Two, the union will give his people the farmland they desperately need. Three, his nightmare of a bride has wild magic that will probably kill him before their wedding day. But he will die before he gives up on winning her hand. War is coming, and the first battle will be fought in the heart. *If you want steam, but want to keep it sweet and fade-to-black, if you love banter, friendships, hopeful storylines, and happily ever afters, this series is for you. Loosely inspired by the old tales of Sleeping Beauty, this novel is set in the same world as USA Today bestselling author Alisha Klapheke’s Dragons Rising series, but readers can easily start with this book.