Red Gifts in the Garden of Stones by P A Swanborough

It’s 1969. Distrust and arrogance are alive and well in the timeless bones and living stones of this close Welsh community, and the pagan ancestors aren’t as far in the past as people might think. It only takes a very small dog to inflame a monster… Suspiciously long-lived matriarch Lizzie Coombe expects her one-hundredth birthday to be a special day. She’s always kept aloof from the neighbours; hasn’t spoken to some for over 50 years, and cares even less for their opinions. But Reverent Morgan, latest in a long line of Morgan vicars at the tiny village chapel, is affronted by events. And he finds a ready audience for his hostility. Caught inside the haunted walls of the ancestral farmhouse, aristocratic Lizzie and her solid daughter Myfanwy only know long-dead love. Lizzie’s unstable granddaughter Sarah Maud is frightened of it. Great granddaughter Jenner doesn’t seem to need love at all; is she a wise woman, or a witch? As events and people spiral out of her accustomed control, Lizzie faces her own ghosts and sees she might have to do the unexpected: care for her family.

Till the Wishes Bloom by Montaha Nasr

In this homage to Arabic web novels, a dying wish results in an arranged marriage between a pharmacist and a man with whom she shares a complicated past. Eight years. That was how long Jihan Khalili spent under the umbrella of Al-Saif family, a product of her mother's marriage to the family's second-born heir. It was within those eight years, within that household, that Jihan experienced fleeting daydreams and inevitable heartbreak. Those days are long behind her, memories to collect dust. Now a pharmacist, Jihan spends her time navigating around curious neighbors, dismissing pointless proposals, and mulling over her workplace's status of paranormal activity. But then arrives Nadir, Al-Saif family's youngest heir, obliging her mother's dying wish by asking for Jihan's hand in marriage. He is insistent despite her warnings, and far too accommodating to her requests and terms. Is it all out of sense of duty, or is there another motive behind his pursuit? Perhaps this is the chance to mend an old heartbreak, to turn a daydream into a reality.

Love At Second Sight by Ayoka B.

Shane's life is full...of poetry, motherhood and friends. She is a Single Mom who is pensive, passionate and generous and loves her family. Having experienced loss and heartache, her trust must be earned. Enter Mike. He is talented, complicated and guarded. Their powerful connection changes their hearts and lives. A beautiful and layered story of artistry, relationships and love, this novel spans generations. Love At Second Sight will make you laugh, cry, and cheer and inspire you to rethink what it means to love.

Off Balance by Tiffany Costa

Juliette had plenty of love in her life. She owned and operated a a ballet studio bursting with students, parents, and staff that she adored. Sure, there was a gaping hole in the romantic love department, but she was happy. Everything was going right. Until her teenage student, Kelsey Delgato, revealed that she had been abandoned by her mother and needed a place to stay. With a birth certificate in hand naming a man Kelsey didn’t recognize as her father, Juliette tracks him down and makes the call. Only to find out that Caleb Ramirez didn’t know Kelsey existed either. After the shock of a lifetime and a move across the country, Caleb Ramirez is thrown even farther off balance when his alliance with Juliette begins to feel a little more like friendship. Then a bit like attraction. And then a lot like love. Thrown together by circumstance, the three navigate the unknown together in this heartfelt, raw story about whether genetics really does play a role in family and whether or not we can choose who we love.

The Crimson Walls of Algorath by Enna Hawthorn

When sand turns crimson and walls become cages, only love can keep them from breaking. Lady Ariadne Caldwell, the Golden Rose of Valenul, received everything she could desire from the courting Season: freedom from the Society’s expectations, a doting husband, and the inner strength to overcome the horrors of her past. With Lord Azriel Caldwell’s bond sated and his darkest secrets revealed to his new wife, he can finally settle into his new life. Everything is as it should be. When the newlyweds are torn apart by revenge, however, their plans for a peaceful future disappear. Exposed and arrested, Azriel is sent to Algorath’s infamous Pits to serve out his prison sentence through trial-by-combat. But Ariadne is determined to save her husband from certain death and must leave everything and everyone she loves behind—including her sister, bound for a dangerous marriage. As Azriel struggles to stay alive, he’s faced with challenges he thought were long since put to rest: a crumbling bond and an old enemy sworn to kill him. Ariadne must act quickly to free him, for even if he survives the fights, the bond may damage him beyond repair.

Holland, My Heart by Jennifer J. Coldwater

You know that stress inventory you can take? You get one point each for a long list of disastrous life events? Let’s just say I have lost count. In the last year alone I’ve lost my husband (and his brother), sold our home, moved across the country, quietly quit my job, watched my closest friend-slash-sister-in-law move out of the country, and… well, I guess that’s it. Could be worse, right? So, here I am. My name is Holland Gallagher and I'm a twenty-seven-year-old MBA with no job and a broken heart. Which, of course, is when my best friend-slash-mother-in-law Naomi introduces me to her oldest and dearest friend, Kai Ipu. He’s the empirically attractive Black-slash-Samoan CEO of a corporate consulting firm (think a started-in-his-dorm-room company with an eye to making corporations better citizens of the world). But I’m a mess and he’s significantly older than I am. So, I don’t have to worry about that, right? You’d think. He just invited me to join his company. I’m never one to turn down a challenge… so, here goes everything. Loosely based on the Bible book of Ruth (but with f-bombs from Kai, Holland’s drunken confessions of adoration, and one spicy sex scene), Holland, My Heart is the first in a collection of biblical women’s stories retold as contemporary romance. Holland, My Heart is an MF, dual POV, love-after-loss, slow burn, witty standalone romance.

The Multiverse- Amnesty by R. Sims

Max's life on Marzolie, the ancient world of Mars, was marked by its deep-seated misogyny and internal conflict. Just as Mephisto’s forces launch a devastating invasion, Max is deceived into escaping to Gaia (Earth) by none other than his younger sister. Unbeknownst to him, he is the UnMaker's oldest, and likely most evil, son, with a destiny intertwined with darkness. Kalion Amarys, former Yaragru princess and a formidable immortal, is tasked with escorting Max back to the war-torn planet. As she grapples with Max's disdain for her gender and him going through maturity, she now finds herself conflicted by her own emotions. Max's demands for her to abandon her immortal duties and bear strong sons challenge everything she stands for. Max, meanwhile, has grand plans. He wants to save his planet, marry Kalion—despite bizarre racial quirks, such as growing flowers from her head and being yellow. Yet, he’s determined to make a few changes to her, including overcoming her pre-selected mate, and starting a family immediately; since motherhood would make her forget her friends and obligations and her independent adventuring ways. As Max and Kalion clash over their differing goals, their journey becomes a test of endurance and trust. With Mephisto's threat looming, can they overcome their differences and find a way to return to Gaia together? Or will their quest end in ruin, like so many before them?

The Golden Rose of Valenul by Enna Hawthorn

Gold can tarnish, roses can wilt, but love can last forever. Ariadne Harlow didn’t want to be the Golden Rose. With the prestigious title comes too much attention. But when the courting Season begins, she has eyes for only one the Valenul General. He cares for her, helped her recover after being abducted, and holds the power to keep the horrible monsters of her past at bay. A perfect match. Azriel Tenebra didn’t want to be the personal guard of the Golden Rose. Yet despite his misgivings, he ends up at her estate at the start of the Season. Before long, his struggles, and the real reason for his avoidance, a fae bond connecting him to Ariadne. She’s all he can think of, and it risks the safety of himself and everyone who gets between them. Night after night, Ariadne can’t help but be drawn to her quiet new guard, and Azriel’s resolve to leave her slowly cracks. For when the General’s intentions become evident, she must uphold her reputation, and that of her family, by accepting his hand. Anything less and the truth would be exposed, putting Azriel’s life on the line and opening her to the scandal of the ages.

The Burden of Us by Alexandra Orchard

Ella Webb was never destined to be free. When she turned sixteen, Ella's only present was an arranged marriage to Dean, her ex-friend. Desperate for time, she bargained for a three-year reprieve to get an education and graduate before she was forced to marry. Falling in love with someone else was never Ella's intention. Yet she allowed herself to fall deep into the rabbit hole of forbidden love and hidden family secrets that Ella wished had stayed buried... but it all might be the key to setting herself free.

Ravens & Roses: A Women's Gothic Anthology by Kristin Cleaveland, Judith Crow, Carla Eliot, A.L. Garcia, Tara Jazdzewski, Rebecca Jones-Howe, Liz M. Kamp, Catherine McCarthy, Olivia Claire Louise Newman, Alexa Rose, and Helen Whistberry

A woman haunted by guilt. A man obsessed with the obscene. A vampire consumed by love. Ravens & Roses is a unique collection of Gothic stories penned by a diverse group of women authors. Pulling inspiration from some of the greatest Gothic works of our time, these writers have created eleven poignantly beautiful tales of love, tragedy, and the female experience.

All The Parts of the Soul by Catherine Fearns

Perhaps all women are witches at heart… The year is 1545; Geneva has defeated the Catholic forces of the Duke of Savoy and established itself as the center of the Reformation, with John Calvin as its spiritual leader. But peace is fragile and the city ravaged by plague, the atmosphere one of fear and suspicion. So when new rumors of witchcraft emerge from the isolated village of Satigny, Calvin sees an opportunity, and plucks a reclusive young magistrate to investigate. Henry Aubert was orphaned by plague at the age of twelve, and since then he has lived alone, consumed by fear and by the temptations he finds in the margins of his book collection. Now, for the first time, he is forced to confront the possibility of society, friendship, even love. Local healer Louise de Peney is kind and beautiful, but skirts dangerously close to the fringes of his investigation. Can he escape the horrific task he has been set? And is it too late to save a soul that has too long been turned in on itself?

Every Beautiful Mile by Ashley Manley

A widowed bartender, a summer road trip, the detour she never expected. Penelope ‘Nel’ Crawford is stuck. At least that’s what her family tells her. A year after losing her husband of seventeen years, she’s still so deep in her grief that she’s barely hanging on, let alone living. She hardly recognizes her teenage kids and finds no joy in doing the things she once loved. Her solution? An attempt to heal herself and the relationship with her kids with a summer road trip. From one destination to the next, Nel not only has to navigate life on the road, but the trials and tribulations of motherhood after loss. When a detour leads her to a flirtatious restaurant owner she’s been emailing off and on for months, she starts to remember that life—no matter how unpredictable—is made for living. And the heart, even if broken, finds ways to love again. Every Beautiful Mile will make readers laugh, cry, and remind them of the healing powers of nature, family, and love itself.

Not Quite Meant To Be by Genevieve Croeser

Love is like a four-leaf clover. You find it only when you're not looking. Elana Anderson is definitely not looking for love. When her parents' marriage falls apart, she is left with a ranch full of horses and a rebellious teenage sister. A relationship is the last thing on her mind. A relationship with Colton Johnson, who collects buckle bunnies like most people collect coins, is about as likely as her chances of winning the lottery. The fact that his dimpled smile makes her heart skip a beat means absolutely nothing at all. After having his heart shattered by his high school sweetheart, Colton Johnson decides that true love and happily ever afters exist only in fairy tales. He is perfectly happy with his commitment-free lifestyle, until he really gets to know the dark-haired cowgirl who has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. Can he risk his heart again for the chance at a fairy tale ending to their love story? Is Elana willing to give up everything she thought she knew about Colton Johnson in favour of getting to know the man behind the mask that he presents to the world? Could there possibly be room for him in her world, after all? Horses, ranch lore, love and laughter and of course, a beautiful love story make up this debut novel by Genevieve Croeser.

When Wildflowers Bloom by Ashley Manley

How would you live your life if you believed any day could be your last? Having the same genetic mutation that took both her mother and grandmother, Birdie Rose Hawkins meets her thirty-seventh birthday with the grim belief that this year will also be her last. While she normally spends her days living by lists, rules, and routines—alone—she starts her final year doing something she never does: having a one-night stand. When the stranger fatefully reappears in her life, this time carrying baggage of his own, it’s with an offer of friendship. Rather than doing what she thinks will keep her safe, he, along with the few people she has in her life, teach her how to lean into the things that scare her. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for them to ignore the connection they’ve had since that very first night. When a secret is exposed and threatens to destroy everything they’ve built, Birdie has to decide if she wants to survive like she always has or trust in the unknown that comes with truly living.

Sweet Torture by P.L Waites

What happens when you accidentally send a text to your best friend's dad that was not meant to be for his eyes? Elona, who is eighteen, is on the cusp of a new chapter- her final year of high school. A dream she has her sights on becoming a model. But beneath her confident exterior lies a secret crush on someone unexpected- Mr. Crane, her best friend's father. Three years ago, after the tragic loss of his wife, Mr. Crane, a painfully handsome man, stands as a hardworking billionaire, a symbol of both success and unspoken pain. His world intersects with Elona's through her best friend, their shared street, and his friendship with her dad. One fateful day, a slip of a thumb changes everything. Elona accidentally sends Mr. Crane a series of revealing photos intended for her best friend. As he sits at the boardroom table, he receives the unexpected images. His gaze lingers on the screen, he has a choice to make. Will he confront the accidental message, risking a fragile friendship and potentially igniting emotions neither anticipated? Or will he grapple with his own desires in silence, seeking a way to navigate this uncharted territory without disrupting the lives around him?

Waterweaver by Maya Gouliard

Lara has successfully raised four children on the limited resources of the wastes. Now, as she begins to search for her new purpose in life, the town well has run dry. To help her family, friends and neighbors Lara travels to Azural, the Blue Realm to try to bring the water magic back. Azural has been hidden behind a magic waterwall for generations, and they are not excited about outsiders, especially ones that bring unbelievable stories of Wastelands beyond their borders. Lara must prove herself worthy of a magic stone, and do so against the system. Oh, and did we mention the adorable baby dragon?

Heartbreaks & Homeruns by Mika C.C.

A marriage-in-trouble story about redemption and rediscovery. Richard 'Ramsey' Greene has focused on his life in baseball since he was a kid; however, things take a turn when the only woman he's ever loved walks out on him. Ramsey's one love starts and ends with Amelia, so when she walks away, he's forced to make a choice: Amelia or the game? Amelia walks away from her marriage as she struggles with self-image and body dysphoria, but moving back to her family's farm across the country isn't going to cut it. Amelia must work through her own problems, but will she be able to change when Ramsey comes to take her "home", or will she ruin everything she's built for herself?

Malediction by Katerina King

She’ll survive, or burn everything in her flames. Scarlette Petrova is only a shell of who she once was. A go-getter without a care in the world. But that changes when her stability is ripped away from her and her voice of reason disappears in the night, and all that’s left for her is an addict for a mom and memories. She already lost everything once, and now it's happening all over again. Scarlette's blood runs deep with ancient power built by witches of old. But she finds herself powerless when her estranged uncle demands she live with him after he starts making threats and in order to protect her drug-addled mother, she does. She hates Whitechapel. It’s her mom’s hometown and her uncle controls everything there, but the joke's on him when she finds a deeper connection to her roots and important traces of family history that furthers her magic and connection to herself. Not to mention the return of a childhood friend, Elijah Hutton, whose been outcasted by the overly religious town for being gay. Together, Scarlette and Eli learn about her past, and the closer they get to answers, the more everything and everyone seems to want to kill her. Scarlette's determined to survive, but she may not be able to make that choice anymore. But Scarlette runs hot. If she goes down, she's taking everything and everyone down with her…in the flames.

Mother of Pearl: A Sapphic Sugar Baby Romance by A.A. Fairview

The summer has never been so sweet. Lydia hadn’t planned to spend the summer poolside. She was supposed to get an internship in the city and spend nights with her girlfriend. Instead she’s single and making minimum wage as a country club lifeguard. Chlorine might dry out her scales, but it’s not all bad. At least she can flirt on company time. Stephanie is a bombshell mom with a fortune five-hundred job but without a wedding ring. She might have baggage, but it’s designer–and she’s happy to share the wealth with Lydia in exchange for some lessons in fishfolk biology. Lydia isn’t sure she’s ready to navigate exes, kids, or even a proper relationship. But summers never last forever. Will this situationship be any different?

Book of You & I: When Two Souls Collide by G Severino

OLIVIA WOODS IS CONVENTIONAL, DOWN-TO-EARTH, AND COMPOSED. She's the kind of girl who goes out of her way to do the right things for others but forgets about herself. BRANDON COLLINS IS UNCONVENTIONAL, A CREATIVE SOUL, AND PRONE TO ECCENTRICITY. He values facts over feelings, and his ability to detach from emotions can sometimes make him lonely. When the universe pushes them together under unfavorable circumstances, like lovers from the past and secret relationships, they try to stay apart. But their feelings are too strong to ignore, and they become swept up in a love like they've never felt before...until their true colors start to show. Even after their first kiss, their first touch, the first time they ever laid eyes on each other; were they destined to meet and fall in love, or was their relationship doomed from the start? *Inspired by true events*

South of Home by Rebecca Amiss

Boston, Massachusetts, 1946. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, twenty-three-year-old Maggie O'Hanlon lives a charmed life. Filling her days dancing with handsome sailors or dress shopping in high end stores, she gives very little thought for anyone besides herself. Despite her affluent upbringing, Maggie has a strained relationship with her parents, who are more keen on growing her father's grocery store empire. The one and only person who understands her, is her Uncle James, who was severely wounded during the war. When Maggie’s careless antics land her on the front page of the newspaper, she is horrified to discover that she is being sent to Savannah, Georgia where she is to assist an elderly widow tend to her large house and pecan farm, wrenching her from the comfort that luxury brings. Flora Alcott is as sweet as the pecan bread she bakes. Welcoming an angry and entitled Maggie with open arms, Flora shows Maggie something she has yet to grasp: kindness. While struggling to adapt to her new surroundings, a devastating tragedy strikes, forcing Maggie to reexamine everything she's ever known in life.

An Impossible Dream by Ellie Lieberman

A Cinderella story of friendship, love, survival, and dreams, even when they seem impossible... Sare has survived fifteen years playing the perfect little servant, but can she survive the castle? After all, nowhere compares to the castle and no one compares to the King.

Where the Heart Is by Ellie Lieberman

When everything else was taken from someone, the least they should be able to hold onto was their story. This is Clary's story. She was Princess of Alsceance. "Jewel of the South." Married to the feared Shadow King for peace after years of war. And with the stroke of her hand, she was Queen of Midgrim. For seventeen years, she remained trapped within the belly of the beast, a lonely warrior whose only weapon was her heart. But was she traded for nothing more than the falling sand in an hourglass?

Fangs and Felonies by K. Malady

In a city torn between humans and the paranormal, attorney Emily Lane thrives on ambition and her dreams of making partner. Her one vice? Illegal encounters letting vampires drink her blood. But when a prominent anti-creature businessman meets a sticky end and the local vamp coven leader Lucian is arrested, Emily's life takes a dramatic turn. Determined to prove his innocence, she teams up with the accused, the vamp whose looks are as potent as his bite, and crew of paranormal creatures. As Emily gets further entangled into the murder investigation, she wades through a world unseen by humans, where trust is scarcer than a werewolf at a flea market. But with every step, she risks her reputation and career. Can she clear Lucian's name without destroying everything she's worked for? Join Emily on a fast-paced journey of intrigue, romance, and unlikely connections in this paranormal mystery, Fangs and Felonies.

Tangled in Ribbons by Penny Heart

On a trip that goes awry from the start,... Vicky and Michelle, best friends since childhood, rented a cabin for a last hurrah together before Michelle's upcoming nuptials. The day of their trip, Michelle receives an email with proof her fiance cheated on her. The two women head to the cabin anyway to escape the chaos of a cancelled wedding. Neither of them expected the cabin to already occupied by three sexy guys. Vicky's snowed in with three hot guys... When Michelle's ex shows up unexpectedly to set the story straight and asks to meet her at a nearby hotel, Vicky gets snowed in with the three men, where things get even hotter! It starts out as happy fun times, but what happens when none of them want to let go? What else is she supposed to do to pass the time other than them? Read "Tangled in Ribbons" to find out if they salvage their friendships when jealousies, insecurities, and realities intrude in this snowed in, why choose adventure. This is full consensual, why choose erotic romance with MFMM and limited MM action. For a list of sexual activities included in this book, please check out https://www.pennyheartbooks.com/#books This story was previously released on Kindle Vella. This version has been modified to include additional content, including additional spicy scenes and other material to further develop the characters and story. Contains extensive explicit sexual language.

Well, Well, Well by Jody Wenner

No one wants to hear about another person’s dream—unless they’re in it. Bren Wendell, a Midwestern journalist, is compelled to write a column about a seemingly benign dream but worries it will be a career breaker; instead, it spreads like a virus. Letters start pouring in, and to the entire newsroom’s shock, they are not all written by angry boomers. Thousands of readers claim they’ve had the same dream. And somehow Bren has been deemed head weaver. As the country slips into hysterics over its meaning, Bren and her co-worker Zack head out to tackle several of the wackier stories for the newspaper. Feeling pressure to find solid answers, Bren sets aside her own personal problems and digs deep into the investigation. When someone leaks private information about her to the press, the masses deify her on a whole new level, making the work more difficult. A strange conversation she has with a retired psychology professor leads her to wonder if she alone could be responsible for all of the madness she’s witnessed. In order to right the wrong and get things back to normal, Bren has to switch gears and prove the dream wasn’t real.

A Blend of Magic by Kate Kenzie

A witch cannot exist on potions and tea alone. Hiding in the shadows, staunch singleton Willow Anderson is content running her successful business, The Enchanted Emporium. With Christmas days away, she’s eager to exchange selling bespoke tea blends and spells for extended bubble baths and binge-watching festive movies snuggled next to her Maine Coon, Vincent. Nate never usually runs away from his problems, but drunk and disorientated, he finds himself in a small fisherman’s cottage in the Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby. After discovering his girlfriend’s affair, he is in no rush to return to the City. His wish for time alone in a Christmas-free zone comes true until an uninvited feline guest arrives. Neither Nate nor Willow want company, especially from each other, but they have little choice when concussion means they must spend at least twenty-four hours together. Sparks fly and not just the romantic kind. When darkness from Willow’s past returns and threatens to destroy all she has worked for, pursuing a love affair is the last thing she needs. With meddling ghosts and a teenage apprentice with her own matchmaking agenda, love and change are in the air. But can Willow face her fears, and the past, to capture the happiness she deserves?

Hiding Places by E.J. Post

When fatal gunshots ring out at a restaurant in Chicago, Ellie, an ER physician assistant, becomes the unwitting hero in a national tragedy. Forced to make an impossible choice, she saves the life of a stranger-and loses her husband all in the same breath. The investigation takes a drastic turn when Ellie's haunting past is thrust into the relentless scrutiny of the media, leaving her ensnared in the twisted web of the broken American legal and medical systems. Ellie unravels in her immeasurable grief and anger, anchored only by the unlikely companionship of the man she saved at the diner, James. Her journey unveils the painful reality of hidden wounds in a world determined to keep skeletons buried. As she learns to cope with this new reality, Ellie is dragged through a sensationalized trial where she stumbles upon a discovery that is hard to swallow: she has more in common with the gunman than she ever thought possible.

What Was Lost by Melissa Connelly

When a young girl feels complicit in her own abuse, how does that thwart her attempts to build a happy life as an adult woman? Disturbing memories begin to surface for Marti and so she returns to the small Vermont town she ran away from thirty years ago to face her demons. She drags her unwitting and unwilling teenage daughter along on the journey heightening already existing tensions between them. But Marti is determined to achieve what she’s returned home for: forgiveness for lies told, and revenge for secrets held. Exploring the vast social change from 1970 to 2000, in times before language such as #MeToo helped give voice to these all-too-common occurrences, What Was Lost is a raw, powerful tale of one woman confronting the ghosts of her past.

The Christmas Gift by Melina Druga

Set during the events of Family Upheaval, the last holiday novella in The Rock Star’s Wife series follows the Economos siblings and their mother as they try to find something to celebrate during the most wonderful time of the year. Now that her lousy husband is out of the picture, Daria Economos is facing a wide-open future. This hardly feels like a new beginning, however. She never expected to be starting over in her twilight years; she’s a grandmother for heaven’s sake, an old fogy! Even with the holidays right around the corner, Daria just can’t seem to drum up anything to feel thankful for. She’s not the only one struggling. Her adult children are still reckoning with the revelation that they have four half-siblings out there in the world — newfound family members they’ve come to love, for better or worse. And for Daria’s oldest son, the fear that the sins of the father might be genetic is very real… The Economoses’ first Christmas as a broken family is fast approaching. Can this once-close clan make peace with their own hurt feelings, or is the holiday cheer gone for good?

Rock Star Parents by Melina Druga

Things come full circle for erotica author Cassandra Hardwick as her teenage kids wade into the mire of dating and sex, in the final chapter of The Rock Star’s Wife. Cassie thought she’d handle her kids’ comings-of-age differently than the conservative Economos family dealt with hers. But she finds herself at a near-total loss when faced with parenting teenagers — an endeavor that includes accidentally walking in on her son exploring himself, helping her younger daughter shop for bras, and discovering that her oldest may have just as high a libido as she does. Of course, she’s not the only Economos dealing with sex-related drama. Her brother’s stressing out over his unmarried daughter’s pregnancy. And just as Chris stops worrying that their unfaithful father has left an indelible mark on his descendants, the Economoses learn they may have even more half-siblings in Illinois. It’s been a long, crazy journey for Cassie, and there’s still plenty of track left on this roller coaster ride. You won’t want to miss the stunning conclusion to this 33-year adventure.

The Pandemic Diaries by Melina Druga

Cassandra and Nat Hardwick never let his demanding touring schedule get in the way of their romance. But will spending lockdown together put their relationship on the ropes? Nat Hardwick’s career has kept him away from home for much of his marriage to Cassie, but the two have never had trouble keeping the spark alive. Now that COVID-19 has shut down the country, Nat’s band has been forced to suspend its current tour, which means he’ll be home for the foreseeable future. Not that anything feels “foreseeable” with the pandemic ravaging the globe. The Hardwick kids are in existential crisis, and their parents aren’t faring much better. Carving out privacy has never been a problem before, but being packed in the house like sardines frustrates Cassie and her husband at every turn. With COVID closing in, the Hardwicks must weather all the pandemic’s greatest hits, including a toilet paper shortage, a scandalous Zoom call, the rising death toll, and the realization that things may never go back to “normal.” As heartfelt, hilarious, and high heat as its predecessors, this new installment in The Rock Star’s Wife series takes readers through the ups and downs of pandemic life, as seen through Cassie’s ever-observant eye.

Holiday Headaches by Melina Druga

Nobody said parenthood was going to be easy, but the holidays are really taking it out of Cassandra Hardwick’s family in the third Christmas interlude of The Rock Star’s Wife. Cassie and her husband haven’t established a solid parenting routine, given that he’s usually on tour. Now, with Nat at home in the Chicago suburbs and the 2004 holiday season fast approaching, these first-time parents have their hands full with baby Megan. Meanwhile, back in Sterling, Cassie’s cousin and his wife are experiencing what can only be described as Murphy’s Law run amok. From a photo with Santa gone horribly wrong to an automotive accident that keeps right on giving, these two sure aren’t getting the gladdest of tidings this year. Finally, in Minneapolis, Cassie’s sister and brother-in-law try to salvage some merriment for their sons and daughter in the face of mounting debt — one that threatens to force them to move back to Sterling. Can these three couples find some Yuletide magic, or are they headed for a disastrous holiday season? Told in three vignettes that range from side-splitting to serious, Holiday Headaches is the perfect Christmastime read for fans on the go.

Family Upheaval by Melina Druga

Family drama is the name of the game in this emotional follow-up to Sex and Surprises, as Cassandra Hardwick is forced to deal with the fallout when a casually taken DNA test turns up some life-changing results. Cassie was just trying to support her best friend. Shawna never knew who her parents were, but jumping into the deep end with genetic testing was too scary to go it alone. Neither of them expected to find a bunch of strangers listed among Cassie’s closest relations. When Cassie was growing up, it seemed like her extended family always had each other’s backs. That’s what tight-knit clans do, after all. Looking back on it, however, maybe things haven’t always been as happy as she thought. How did she miss the warning signs? And what is she supposed to do when she finds out these new relatives might want to get to know her? Moving through the final years of the 2010s, the sixth entry in The Rock Star’s Wife sees alliances tested and familial bonds broken, as Cassie and her family — those she grew up with and ones only recently uncovered — reckon with their now-complicated history.

Sex & Surprises by Melina Druga

Cassandra Hardwick wouldn’t trade having her globetrotting husband home for anything, but will their barely tested parenting plans hold up when a new baby gets added to the mix? Cassie’s spent the last five years feeling like a single parent to Megan and Josh while Nat was touring the country with Dramatic Sneezer. Now that his wife’s writing career is taking off, however, there’s less pressure on Nat to play show after relentless show, and he can finally offer Cassie some much-needed relief from running the household. Of course, that’s not all he brings to the table. With no tour dates to stand in their way, the couple waste no time indulging their high libidos. But when Cassie discovers she’s pregnant with their third child, the routine they’ve just begun to establish gets ripped out from under them, and everything suddenly seems to be in a state of flux. Spanning six years of Cassie’s diary entries, Sex and Surprises follows the eponymous Rock Star’s Wife as she tries to balance a happy marriage, healthy parenting, and a promising career — all while reckoning with the challenges a growing family brings.

Holiday Homecoming by Melina Druga

Set during the events of Rock Star Romance, this wintry interlude in the Rock Star’s Wife series follows two couples wrestling with family drama in the midst of holiday cheer. Cassie Economos’s family hasn’t met her new boyfriend yet. To tell the truth, she isn’t sure she wants them to; things went catastrophically wrong the last time she brought a guy home for the holidays. To avoid embarrassment and hopefully save her burgeoning romance from crashing and burning in the aftermath, Cassie puts Nat through meet-the-Economoses bootcamp in the weeks leading up to Christmas. But trouble is brewing back home in Sterling, where Jennifer, Cassie’s friend turned cousin-by-marriage, has just learned her absentee father wants to rebuild his relationship with his daughters. No one seems to know how Jennifer should respond — least of all herself. Meanwhile, the men in Cassie’s and Jennifer’s lives are just trying to make it through the holidays. Phil’s willing to try anything to help his wife weather the coming storm, and Nat just wants to make a good first impression and ease his girlfriend’s fears. Holiday Homecoming moves between these four young narrators as they figure out where they stand against external forces and internal desires.

Rock Star Mom by Melina Druga

The rock star’s wife is back and better than ever in Rock Star Mom. When she decided to pursue a relationship with Nat, Cassie knew what she was getting herself into. His responsibilities as the frontman for Dramatic Sneezer keep him on the road for weeks, or even months, at a time. Spending that much time away from him was hard enough when they were dating, but now Nat’s tour dates leave Cassie to raise their infant daughter alone. Still, she’s totally rocking this whole motherhood thing. Sure, she had to lie to Nat about missing his daughter’s first steps, and Megan might be forgetting how to say “DaDa” while her dad’s out of town, but Cassie’s holding down the fort. She’s got her act together, 100 percent. She might even have the book deal she’s always wanted. What neither she nor anyone else knows, however, is that there’s a big surprise waiting just around the bend — one that could make her rethink this rock-and-roll living arrangement. The fourth installment in the Rock Star’s Wife series, Rock Star Mom follows Cassie through her unglamorous daily life in the Chicago suburbs, as she struggles to balance raising a family with the pursuit of her long-held aspirations.

Christmas Surprise by Melina Druga

This multi-POV interquel in the Rock Star’s Wife series follows four young adults through one fateful holiday break in the year 2000. Double first cousins Cassie and Phil might be all grown up, but that doesn’t mean they’re exempt from their conservative Greek family’s expectations. And by dating non-Greeks, they’ve gone and kicked a hornet’s nest. Spending the 2000 holidays at home in Sterling, IL, Phil and his girlfriend, Jennifer, wrestle with their desires for the future. They’re in love, but his family objects. Besides, Phil’s proposed courthouse wedding is not the event Jennifer’s been dreaming of. Cassie’s parents have similar misgivings about her relationship with her boyfriend, Corey. But unlike her cousin, Cassie isn’t sure that spending the rest of her life with him is in the cards, given their disparate post-graduation plans. Moving between Cassie, Corey, Phil, and Jennifer, Christmas Surprise offers a profound look at the inner lives of young Gen-Xers. With the girls’ college graduation — and what comes after — looming on the horizon, these four must try to find solid ground in an ever-changing world where nothing is certain, even as the countdown to winter break’s end ticks closer.

Rock Star Romance by Melina Druga

A college grad still reeling from an amicable breakup falls for a rock star who’s given up on love in this contemporary, second-chance romance. A year after she and her now-ex-boyfriend were forced into a devastating decision when life took them — literally — in different directions, Cassandra Economos is done with men. Or so she thinks. Just as Cassie’s getting bored and starting to think she needs to get back out there, she meets Nat, and everything changes. Dramatic Sneezer frontman Nathaniel Hardwick hasn’t dated anyone for months, ever since he caught his girlfriend cheating. Weeks away from the launch of the band’s next tour, however, he finds himself falling for his sister’s friend. Nat isn’t Cassie’s type, but something about him — something more than mere rock star charisma — draws her in. Soon, she’s breaking all her long-standing relationship rules for him. With tour dates looming on the horizon, Cassie’s already seeing parallels to her last breakup. But what happens if this is more than just a summer fling? Jam-packed with sizzling scenes and post-Y2K nostalgia, Rock Star Romance is a must-read for fans of Scarlett Cole and Christina Lauren.

Mr. Right is a Myth by Melina Druga

This heartfelt follow-up to Sexual Awakening follows its ambitious diarist to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where her hopes and dreams for the future are further tested by a string of social hiccups. Cassie Economos has rules. If a new boyfriend can’t wait two months to have sex with her, he’s not the guy for her. If he refuses to wear a condom, he’s not the guy for her. And if dating him would mean maintaining a long-distance relationship, he’s… well, you get the picture. She’s got her life planned out, and she knows better than to try to make things work with someone who can’t agree on the basics, like where to live and whether to have kids. But Cassie isn’t perfect, and the more disappointing situationships she finds herself in, the more she wonders if there’s even such a thing as a “Mr. Right.” But Cassie doesn’t have time to worry too much about that. Her four years at U of I are passing quickly, which means it’s time for her to chart her final course: toward Chicago, the city of her dreams. Readers are in for a rollicking ride through college life in the ’90s here, as Cassie and her friends wade through continental relationship shifts.

Sexual Awakening by Melina Druga

This coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of the mid-1990s Midwest, follows Cassandra, a high schooler whose big dreams clash with her family’s conservative expectations, as she comes into her own while navigating the complexities of teenage sex and dating. Fourteen-year-old Cassandra Economos doesn’t fit the mold of her traditional Greek family. She’s always been a good kid, but lately she’s begun to question how much influence her relatives’ expectations should really have on her life. Cassie doesn’t understand why anyone would want to stay in Sterling, IL when there’s a whole world out there to explore and experience. She wonders why her brother Chris gets showered in love and affection after becoming a father at 25, when she and her sister, Vanessa, aren’t even allowed to date before they’re his age. And she’d rather go see Nirvana play live in Chicago than attend her homecoming dance. Perfect for fans of Now Is Not the Time to Panic and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this series-starter traces the social entanglements of the Economos sisters and their friends — from bodice-rippers and bad sex to secret boyfriends and matters of consent — through Cassie’s diary entries from 1993 to ’97.

The Trail Blazers by Melina Druga

A pioneer. An abolitionist. A feminist. Three generations of one family. Three stories spanning 19th century Canada in this striking collection of novellas from the author of Angel of Mercy. Book 1: Journey of Hope An idealistic young couple set out across country in search of a better life for themselves and their young son in this sweeping historical novella set against the rugged backdrop of early-19th-century British North America. Book 2: Rose’s Assignment When she’s asked to care for a young Black woman fleeing bondage, a white Ontarian must confront her privilege and the racism that pervades her community. Book 3: The Unmarriable Kind In 1880s Ontario, the arrival of a new, forward-thinking headmaster forces a young teacher to wrestle with her heart’s conflicting desires.

The Unmarriable Kind by Melina Druga

In 1880s Ontario, the arrival of a new, forward-thinking headmaster forces a young teacher to wrestle with her heart’s conflicting desires. Lucretia Goodwin bucks centuries of tradition by refusing to take a husband. She wants no part in the custom that has her best friend keen to marry a man who treats her poorly and whisked a beloved sister off to do missionary work in Barbados. Besides, women lose what few rights they have the moment they say, “I do.” When she suddenly finds herself teaching under a politically outspoken headmaster, Lucretia isn’t sure what to do… or how to feel. Mr. Steward believes in women’s suffrage and — perhaps more shockingly — wants to open all classes to students of both sexes. But what do girls need to know about history or geography, when they’re fated to become keepers of hearth and home? As Lucretia tries to determine where she stands on issues both personal and political, she’s caught between family and friends convinced she’s gone radical and the frustratingly handsome headmaster pressing gently against her resistance to change. But when a tragedy strikes that intensifies her anxieties surrounding marriage, will she permanently close herself off to the possibility of courtship?

Rose's Assignment by Melina Druga

When she’s asked to care for a young Black woman fleeing bondage, a white Ontarian must confront her privilege and the racism that pervades her community in this striking historical novel from the author of Angel of Mercy and Journey of Hope. Rose Goodwin is proud of her charity work with the Simcoe County Vigilance Committee, where she’s responsible for gathering provisions to help formerly enslaved Americans start new lives in Canada. Her entire life turns upside-down with the arrival of Judith, a critically ill Black refugee who grew feverish after she lost contact with her children during their border crossing. Now practically immobile and still bearing the marks of brutality, Judith needs someone to nurse her back to health before she can settle in the local Black village. The assignment falls to Rose, who quickly notices the cracks in her hometown’s wholesome façade. Her husband offers little support. The town doctor refuses to treat Judith, and even Rose’s own mother and sisters act as if the refugee herself were the problem. This Good Samaritan may be completely out of her element, but her dedication to her patient increases to meet every ounce of resistance she encounters. And still the question remains: Will it be enough to save Judith?

Journey of Hope by Melina Druga

An idealistic young couple set out across country in search of a better life for themselves and their young son in this sweeping historical novella set against the rugged backdrop of early-19th-century British North America. When her drunken father-in-law showed up threatening to kill both her and her husband, 19-year-old Claire didn’t need any more convincing to strike out west. Together with their 1-year-old son, she and Harold leave New Brunswick behind on a 900-mile trek across Upper and Lower Canada. At first the journey feels like the adventure that farm-boy Harold has always wanted, not to mention a way for Claire, who was hired out at ten, to finally move up in the world. But the land is unyielding, the weather harsh, and it isn’t long before the couple find themselves waylaid. Soon every mile they put behind them feels like a step in the wrong direction. As her previously happy marriage takes a turn toward estrangement, Claire scrabbles for shreds of peace and stability, seeking out what little work she can find to help pay for their mounting travel costs. But tragedy lies right around the corner, and these two young pioneers will be forced to lean on each other — or risk losing everything they’ve sacrificed so much to build.

Where Poppies Grow by Melina Druga

Melina Druga’s stunning WWI trilogy follows a young nurse and her family as they navigate the challenges and heartbreak the Great War brings. Now read the entire trilogy in one volume. Book 1: The War Front Story: Angel of Mercy Being an idle housewife never suited Hettie Bartlette. So, when her husband, Geoffrey, decided to enlist only a couple of months after their wedding, the choice to join him was easy. Book 2: The Home Front Story: Those Left Behind Newlyweds Hettie Steward and Geoffrey Bartlette wasted no time heading to the Western Front after the war began. In the wake of the couple’s traumatic and untimely separation, their families begin to knit themselves together ever tighter. Matriarchs Lucretia Steward and Amelia Bartlette attempt to keep the home fires burning, unable to escape the tumult of the war. Book 3: The Homecoming Story: Adjustment Year It’s been five years since Hettie left home a blushing bride. Recently relieved of her duties as an army nurse, she makes her long-awaited return a newlywed once again… and pregnant.

Adjustment Year by Melina Druga

The stunning conclusion to Melina Druga’s World War I trilogy traces Hettie’s attempts to reacclimate to civilian life in the aftermath of the conflict. It’s been five years since Hettie left home a blushing bride. Recently relieved of her duties as an army nurse, she makes her long-awaited return a newlywed once again… and pregnant. Hettie can’t escape the painful memories of the thousands of wounded soldiers she tended to at the Casualty Clearing Station, the devastation of the Halifax Explosion, or the death of her first husband, killed in action shortly after they arrived in France. In a fragile state, she finds little in the way of acceptance or affection among her new in-laws, who can’t seem to understand how a way of life that was once so familiar could become so frightening. To make matters worse, Hettie barely knows the man whose child she’s carrying. By the time the war finally came to an end — and she accepted his proposal of a hasty marriage — Col. Alfred Taylor had spent more time as her penfriend than her lover. He’s the only family she has in Niagara-on-the-Lake, but Alfred might be too caught up with his own problems to notice Hettie’s ongoing battle. Both husband and wife are still fighting the ghosts of the Great War, but will they realize how similar their demons are before it’s too late?

Those Left Behind by Melina Druga

Told through a series of epistolary vignettes, the second novel in Melina Druga’s World War I trilogy traces the lives of the Steward and Bartlette families as they contend with their children’s and siblings’ wartime absences. Newlyweds Hettie Steward and Geoffrey Bartlette wasted no time heading to the Western Front after the war began. In the wake of the couple’s traumatic and untimely separation, their families begin to knit themselves together ever tighter. Matriarchs Lucretia Steward and Amelia Bartlette attempt to keep the home fires burning, unable to escape the tumult of the war. Hettie’s brother and brother-in-law join her on the front lines. Back in Ontario, some households grow. Others remain painfully stagnant. Romantic relationships wax and wane as these bright-eyed young adults fall in and out of love with one another and wrestle with the tension between timeworn traditions and the shiny appeal of progress. Those Left Behind offers readers the opportunity to connect deeply with the characters they met in The Unmarriable Kind and Angel of Mercy. As five years of deaths, births, tragedies, and triumphs unfold, one question never strays far from center: How does one maintain strong filial bonds — and repair weakened ones — when the world is changing rapidly on all sides?

Angel of Mercy by Melina Druga

The first installment in a spellbinding trilogy centered around Canada’s involvement in World War I follows a privileged young newlywed to the fraught medical encampments of the Western Front. Being an idle housewife never suited Hettie Bartlette. So, when her husband, Geoffrey, decided to enlist only a couple of months after their wedding, the choice to join him was easy. At the time, it seemed as if the tide would turn against the Germans at any moment. But once the ambitious young couple arrives in Europe, it’s plain to see that the turmoil on French soil shows no indication of abating. It isn’t all bad: Hettie finds purpose tending to the wounded in the Casualty Clearing Station. Unlike people back home in Ontario, hardly anyone within the Allied forces believes her work as an army nurse to be unseemly for a married woman of Hettie’s wealth and breeding. But nothing, not even coming face-to-face with the horrific aftermath of gas and gunfire on a daily basis, can prepare Hettie for the tragedies and tribulations 1915 has in store. With letters from her family pouring in, begging her to come home, Hettie must soon decide on which side of the Atlantic she belongs.

The Reason Jude Exists by A Morgan

‘Amy and my love story began when my first love story ended. What you’re about to read won’t be pretty, but it is an epic tale of love, personal growth, and the things in life that both get in the way and open the door to the best relationships of our lives.’ -Jude Kendrick ~ When Jude became a widower and a single dad aged just thirty-six his life went into a tailspin. Now he tells his unique and heart-wrenching story of how he navigated the complexities of falling in love again, overshadowed by grief and reluctant fatherhood. Falling in love in your late thirties presents many challenges, not least because very few people get to this age without excess relationship baggage. Jude has more than his fair share with his dead wife and overflowing black book. Amy on the other hand, hasn't had children yet, and with the clock ticking, Jude is far from the right man for her to get involved with despite his overwhelming belief that he is. Their story takes place in middle-class England where success is measured by impressive careers, beautiful homes, and fancy cars; yet everyone is failing miserably where it truly at being happy. With his heart on his sleeve and his ego in check, Jude takes a chance at happiness with Amy in the face of the external forces threatening to keep their love tantalisingly out of reach.