The Shadows by Jacob Crawford

After a traumatic year, sixteen-year-old Roz is excited to move to Las Vegas, longing for the fresh start it will bring her and her father. Instead, she gets her possessions rearranged and ghosts chasing her from her home. While her father believes she’s having stress-induced hallucinations, Roz knows something more sinister is at play. With the help of her cousin, neighbor, and a pair of amateur paranormal investigators, she sets out to take on the specters herself.But the deeper she digs, the more terrified she becomes. The supernatural activity plaguing her increases, and with it comes new and terrifying threats. She finds an old journal from her troubled mother, and within its pages are revealed terrible truths: Worlds that exist beyond ours, mysterious powers she possesses, and dangerous beings that will kill her for these abilities. Determined to stop the shadows from overtaking her world, Roz and her friends will put a stop to the looming darkness, or die trying.

A Crime in 5C by Eryn Scott

Meg Dawson’s world is turned upside down when her Aunt Penny makes a surprise appearance at the Seattle apartment building she once called home. But beneath Penny's visit lies a mystery that could rock the very foundations of the Morrisey community. During her visit, Penny breathes new life into the beloved Morrisey Masterpiece Classic, an annual building scavenger hunt. Tensions soar and rivalries ignite among the residents, including Meg and Laurie. But what starts as a friendly competition soon takes a dark turn when apartment 5C is ransacked and a body is discovered. Suddenly, the scavenger hunt transforms into a deadly game of cat and mouse, with Meg and her neighbors unwittingly caught in the crosshairs. As the stakes rise and suspicions mount, they must band together to uncover the truth before it's too late. Only one question remains: Who will emerge unscathed from this twisted tale of intrigue and betrayal.

The Alpha’s Concubine by Claudia King

Taken from her people. Claimed by an alpha. Forced into a new life. In a time before tools of metal and houses of wood, tooth and claw rule the wild places of the world. The Moon People have been enemies to Netya's kind for as long as the stars can remember. They are monsters, demons, men and women who take the shapes of beasts. The murderers of her father. An outsider taken as a prize by the pack, Netya must overcome suspicion, rivalry, and the division of her own heart as she grows to realise that monsters wear many different faces. Among the Moon People she uncovers the potential of a life she never knew existed. The chance for a woman to become something more than a prize, or a mother, or a concubine. But as the alpha and others vie for her heart, the powerful huntress Vaya seeks to purge Netya from her pack. Before Netya can decide where she belongs, she must endure the trials of love, hatred, and heartbreak. The girl taken as a trophy must become a woman.

Yelen and Yelena by C. M. Rosens

In a rural corner of the Provinces simmering with civil unrest, Laundress Yelena's village is afflicted by a dangerous fungal rot-plague. When she is falsely accused of dark sorcery, Yelena is evicted from her cottage and forced into the rot-infested forest... Yelen is a forgotten tyrant, turned into a monster hundreds of years ago and desperate to distance himself from the power-hungry brute he once was... But he craves companionship and an end to his lonely existence. When the wind leads Yelena to Yelen, she discovers a kindred spirit in the aromantic, bi-attracted monster, and their relationship quickly escalates. But being a guest in a cursed castle with a lonely, amorous Beast is not all fun and games - while exploring, Yelena makes a disturbing discovery about the rot-plague's source, and starts showing symptoms of infection herself. Can Yelen and Yelena work together to find a lasting cure for the rot seeping beyond the castle walls, or will the castle's curse claim another victim? YELEN & YELENA is a standalone, monster-loving 'tour de force', perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast re-imaginings, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic, and T. Kingfisher's What Moves The Dead. Look no further for a deeply atmospheric Dark Gothic Fantasy with a Hopepunk core, and a sapphic riff on Orpheus & Eurydice subplot. Yes, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it is a genuinely refreshing one. For one, it is emphatically not a love story. Both Yelena and the beast, Yelen, are aromantic. They lust plenty, but their love is strictly platonic. We witness sincere affection blossom, but it’s the affection of dear friends. ... if you’re happy with no-strings attached smut, you will not be disappointed. This is one for the monsterf---ers, emphasis on f--k. It gets weird, it gets dangerous, and it is utterly unapologetic about it. - Dai Baddley, Divination Hollow Review

Day of the Void (The Faun Quartet Book 3) Kindle by Chris J Edwards

War on the horizon. Foes in the shadows. Blood upon the soil. The crown of the High Queen weighs heavily upon Dawn. All may be well in Céin Urthia, but now war beckons from over the mountains. An awful ritual, prepared by Gol-Gorom and his Disciples of the Void, nears completion – threatening to cleanse all creation in one climactic moment. But the Disciples of the Void are not the only enemy looming - for always the Witches grow, far in the east, their corruption creeping over the earth. Meanwhile, tenuous bargains are struck between unlikely allies within the Empire of Un as enemies abound and scores are settled in blood. As cataclysm looms, and machinations from friend and foe alike threaten to tear her apart, Dawn must decide whether to take up the sword of her own volition – or have it thrust rudely upon her. Will the strength of her allies – both new and old – be enough to carry High Queen Dawn to victory? Or will encroaching horror snuff out her light, and consume the waking world?

The Ghost Gun by Gareth Lewis

SPSFC 2024

The Ghost Gun kills what it hits, its ghost bullets ensnaring the victim’s soul to their killer. Except nothing is that simple. Certainly not an apparently simple theft that leads detectives into a war between secret societies over artifacts which have been around for millennia, their origin unknown, their abilities inexplicable. Demoted to Vice due to departmental politics, Detective Cassie Kinsala sees an opportunity to restore her career path. But what looks like it might offer a decent arrest soon turns into a quagmire the law might not cover, and might not protect her from. Jimmy Bancroft used to be a cop. Working for the other side lets him avoid paperwork. Investigating rumours of a competitor moving in on his employer’s interests, he becomes entangled in a war between criminals and a secret society. And someone might be trying to set him up.

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

The Lost Boys say that Peter Pan went back to England because of Wendy Darling, but Wendy is just an old life he left behind. Neverland is his real home. So when Peter returns to it after ten years in the real world, he’s surprised to find a Neverland that no longer seems to need him. The only person who truly missed Peter is Captain James Hook, who is delighted to have his old rival back. But when a new war ignites between the Lost Boys and Hook’s pirates, the ensuing bloodshed becomes all too real – and Peter’s rivalry with Hook starts to blur into something far more complicated, sensual, and deadly. Peter Darling is a queer, trans reimagining of Peter Pan.

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!

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 2) by Annette Marie

When I found myself facing down the scariest black-magic felon in the city, practically daring him to abduct me, I had to wonder exactly how I ended up here. It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender--but not at a bar. At a guild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right? Then my favorite guild members--three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages--asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding. So that's what we did. And that's why I'm here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago. Why did I agree to this again? -- Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden

SPSFC

A thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when he’s released from prison, Nate disappears. A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the King’s Hangman and in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesn’t concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him. Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the King’s guards cannot find them – the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids.

Wings So Soft by Dani Finn

SPFBO10

Can love bloom in war’s darkest hour? Mara and her owl work surveillance to keep Kuppham safe, but the news on the Stream is grim. The humans are coming, and she and her owl will soon be in the line of fire. Her once-vibrant city is a ghost town, with little to distract her as she waits for the skin-covered hordes to overrun the Maer capital. Until one day, this timid little artificer wanders into the aerie, asking to watch her owl land over and over. Uffrin makes owls powered by clockwork and magic to guard the great automatons on the northern front. He visits the aerie to study the owls’ flight mechanics, but it’s the owl handler who captures his attention. So gentle, so in control, with quick eyes that seem to stay with his all the time. Amid the looming clouds of war, hearts intertwine and feathers fly, but duty soon flings these two lovebirds apart. If the war goes as badly as everyone seems to fear, how will they ever find each other again? Love might be the only thing that saves them. Fly away from your troubles with this standalone fantasy romance, part of the Time Before trio. It’s steamy, with over 150 kisses, and includes a picnic in the park, a date in a basement speakeasy, and a secret mountain lake far from the ravages of war.

Platinum Rust by Andrew Gniadek

A heavy stench of burnt popcorn wafted off of the suspect as he was hauled into the station. Four dead men with a drunk suspect in custody. As strange as it seemed the main suspect was this one armed man. Lucky for them he is too tired to put up a fight. Soon enough they will find out how strange he is with the wild stories he tells them. They also find out how violently dangerous he is.