#BookReview: Mooncursed (The Drowned King #1) by @authorhollyrenee

Synopsis: A cursed sea king, a stolen bride, and a fate meant for another.

They say madness dwells in the ocean's depths…and in the eyes of the Drowned King. Cursed to take a human bride and break her mind the moment she sees his face, the Drowned King spends his life in torment, watching. Waiting. 

Lou was never meant to be chosen. Branded from birth as a saltwitch, she has always been seen as the cursed shadow of her moonblessed twin. Now, veiled and bound in marriage to a man she must never see, she's thrust into a life of ancient gods and unraveling fate…and unspeakable desire.

Yet even as fear becomes tangled with a perilous longing for the Drowned King's heated touch, the truth of her choosing looms over her like a siren's song. It rages louder with every breath she takes as whispers travel through the kingdoms: rumblings of war, of ancient goddesses awakening, of a queen with saltwater on her lips who will change everything.

There is no stopping fate, for though she was never meant to be chosen, the moon has already summoned the tide.

#BookReview: Ashes of Austen by @zoeblakebooks

Synopsis: A DARK WARNING. A DANGEROUS SEDUCTION.

The first in the Gothic romance series Shadows of Pemberley, a seductive modern-day reimagining of Jane Austen’s most daring worlds, from USA Today bestselling author Zoe Blake.

Aristocratic scandal. Murder. A legacy cursed by Northanger Abbey .

Jane Austen's novels are not romances, they are a warning. Her poisoned pen exposed the arrogance and greed of British high society, even as she cursed them for it.

Reborn as a modern story of obsession, control, and dangerous desire.

To save her family from ruin, Julianna Whitcombe must marry the cold and enigmatic Lord Victor Tilney.

But within the crumbling walls of Northanger Abbey, danger lurks at every turn. Her wedding gown is destroyed, poison appears in the food, and a near-fatal accident makes one thing clear: someone is determined to stop the wedding. As whispers of a deadly bridal curse spread through the abbey, Julianna begins to uncover Tilney's dark and twisted legacy.

Yet the greatest mystery is Victor himself. Fiercely protective and dangerously possessive, he may be the only man who can save her—or the one she should fear most.

Dark, seductive, and steeped in gothic suspense, Ashes of Austen will leave readers breathless as love battles the forces of vengeance and a deadly curse that may destroy them both..

#BookReview: The Duchess Curse (Alchemy of Desire #3) by Charlie Lane

Synopsis: Shadows rule the darkness. She must embrace them to find the light.

A transcendent daughter’s life should be carefree, but Guinevere’s life has always been a curse. Loving any man could kill him, so she swears to remain a spinster. And when her parents force her into an arranged marriage, she knows the only way to save the mysterious duke she could love, is to break his heart by leaving.

No matter how much Guinevere pushes him away, the Duke of Braxton knows she’s the only woman for him. His magic allows him to hide his identity and follow her wherever she goes. As she cultivates the reputation of the most notorious potion maker in England, he abandons the role of duke for that of Guinevere’s bodyguard Bran.

Years later, a Queen’s command forces them to meet once more as man and wife, duke and duchess. But he can’t keep his secrets forever, and when Guinevere finds out Braxton and Bran are the same man…

He’ll do anything to atone.
And she’ll do anything to keep him safe, even break her own heart.

Book 3 in USA Today Bestselling Author Charlie Lane's historical romantasy series has:

~ Gaslamp fantasy
~ hints of steampunk and witchery
~ a marriage in trouble
~ spicy open door scenes
~ love potion revenge
~ all the groveling
~ women in magical STEM
~Bridgerton meets magic

Alchemy of Desire is an interconnected standalone series; each book has its own HEA!

#BookReview: A Time of Witches by @madelinemmartin

Synopsis: Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries—or be silenced forever, in the dazzling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin.

Lilith Legare’s life is unraveling. Since her mother’s death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.

Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.

In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.

Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women’s power for generations—and dare to claim their voices before it’s too late.

#BookBlitz: Beyond the Dome (The Allegiance Trilogy, #1) by @bre_readsbooks

Synopsis: One fateful night.

One impulsive move.
One example to set.

Leah Wetherly was just another law-abiding citizen of a labor dome—until she wasn't. After an impulsive action to protect her friends, as punishment she is thrust into the volatile world that the dome had shielded her from her entire life. Leah is forced to face a new reality, filled with tradesmen, Scouts, and the Upper Allegiance. She quickly learns this new world is a game of survival of the fittest, and she needs to be strategic if she’s going to stay alive. After rescuing her from a Scouts group on a whim, a found family of vigilantes takes her under their wing to give her a cause worth fighting for—a better world for tomorrow. In an ever-evolving cycle of hunter and prey, Leah is quick to realize that there's a whole world worth living for beyond the dome.

#BookReview: Daughter of Wolves by @nickipaupreto

Synopsis: A dark romantic fantasy by Sunday Times bestselling author Nicki Pau Preto.

Lua is a seventh-born daughter, cursed and claimed by the dark forest. The Wood takes what it is owed, and her human parents encroached on forbidden land to build their fine house. Raised among its ancient trees and dangerous denizens, Lua runs with wolves, barefoot and wild, and spends her nights watching the family that abandoned her at birth.

When Lua's childhood crush, Cristiano, offers her his hand in marriage-and a place within her own family-Lua cannot refuse. Their love and acceptance are everything she's ever wanted, but it comes at a abandoning her duty to the Wood. Thrust into civilized life, Lua spends her days trying to fit in among the humans while her fiancé parades her around. At night, she sneaks from her bedroom to make reports to the mysterious Thorne, a loyal servant of the Wood who mocks Lua's obsession with the humans and pushes her to embrace what she truly is-a shapeshifter unwilling to take on her wolf form.

But everything is not as it seems. Soon, alliances shift, lovers become enemies, and Lua must choose between the human realm, and the gruff woodsman, who might be more than just a servant of the Wood . . .

#BookReview: The Dreamwitch by @moniquehazelh

Synopsis: A darkly romantic, richly imagined and lyrically written gothic fantasy of forbidden magic, and the fragile boundary between reality and ruin. Perfect for fans of Ava Reid, Alix E. Harrow and Keri Lake.

In Camdyn, strangeness seeps from Wolford Manor like blood from an open wound. The manor swelters when it should freeze and the garden rots instead of grows – and the young nephew of Lord Montgomery suffers from crippling and pervasive nightmares. Desperate, the family calls upon Matiah Blood.

As a dreamwitch, Matiah can traverse and manipulate the realm of dreams. Wanting to bolster her reputation and support her struggling sister, Matiah travels to the manor – despite the threat of the huntsmen, an elusive sect who prey on dreamwitches.

While Matiah hurries to uncover Wolford’s secrets and prevent the nightmares from poisoning the rest of the household, she must rely on Atlas, the Montgomery’s handsome, brooding bodyguard, for protection. Forced to work together, the two can’t resist their growing attraction – despite Atlas’s devastating history with dreamwitches.

But something far more sinister than huntsmen and nightmares haunts Wolford, something Atlas can’t protect her from, that threatens to break the barrier between the world of dreams and reality. And if Matiah can’t find a way to save Wolford from the ghosts of its past, it might very well break her.

#BookReview: Huntsman (Hunted Kingdom #1) by Naima Simone

Synopsis: Welcome to the dark world of The Hunted Kingdom where the daughters of modern-day mob families are reimagined fairytale princesses like you’ve never seen before. In Huntsman, family is power... and power is everything.

Nine years ago, my aunt took everything from me.

My world. My throne. My mother.

I’ve bided my time since then, serving under her in the Mwuaji crime family, but she’s crossed another line. She put a price on my head, sending the legendary assassin the Huntsman, Malachi Bowden, after me.

The Huntsman’s never failed a contract before, but I know everything there is to know about him. It’s finally time for me to take my revenge and finish the war my aunt started.

The Huntsman might be my death. But Malachi Bowden?

He’s my weakness.

#BookReview: The Captive and the First Blood Game (Blood Type, #2) by @authorkalinde

Synopsis: As the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets.

A desperate human. A powerful vampire. A world divided.

Reyna Carpenter was promised paradise. She was delivered into hell.

Giving up her body for money was supposed to be the hardest part of becoming a blood escort. She never expected to lose her heart to her dark, enigmatic boss, Beckham Anderson. After being taken by a depraved captor who plans to rule the world, Reyna will do anything to return to Beckham.

She just has to find the will to survive this game.

From the pawn, rises a queen.

Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story begins in Blood Type and continues in Blood Cure.

This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

#BookReview: Conform (Reform, #1) by @arielhsullivan

Synopsis: In the far future, one young woman finds herself torn between two loves—and two sides of a rebellion boiling under the surface—in the first novel of a sweeping dystopian romance trilogy.

Centuries after a catastrophic world war nearly decimated the human population, a city arose from the ashes, ruled by an elusive and technologically advanced group called the Illum.

At twenty-seven, Emeline lives in limbo, wasting away her days in a job sorting ancient human art for destruction and waiting to be selected as a Mate for a procreation contract. Where others look forward to being chosen, Emeline has never felt like she fit into a society where a person’s worth is determined by constantly monitored genes, health, and the ability to procreate. She’s struggled to keep her discomfort secret, but when she is finally chosen, her Mate is revealed to be a member of the Illum named Collin, a man who seems to be harboring secrets of his own.

It is the first time an Illum has taken a Mate in decades, leaving Emeline—and others—baffled as to why she was chosen. Soon, she is swept into the dangerous game of Courting, filled with ballgowns, lavish dinners, and watchful eyes, where one wrong move can mean elimination. While parts of this elite lifestyle are unexpectedly appealing, the more embroiled she becomes, the more she sees its dark underbelly—and a rebellion rising in secret. Collin is confusing, both cold and protective, and worse, she finds herself drawn to the very last person she should be falling for: Hal, one of the resistance leaders.

As she draws closer to both Collin and Hal, the Illum exercise their power in increasingly brutal ways, forcing Emeline to question everything—most of all whether she’ll have to give up her heart and even her life to stop them.

#BookReview: Odd Spirits (The Summoner's Circle, #0.5) by S.T. Gibson

Synopsis: When newly married Rhys and Moira start experiencing malevolent spirit activity in their home, they do everything within their power to rid themselves of the entity. As a modern ceremonial sorcerer and a tarot-reading witch, this should be exactly their forte, but every quick-fix spell is met with failure as the strange occurrences continue to escalate.

Left with no other option, the couple turn to Rhys' secret society for help. Unfortunately, help comes from none other than Rhys' physic ex-boyfriend David, whose devil-may-care attitude is the last thing this marriage in trouble needs. Tensions run high amidst supernatural chaos and clashing magical styles, and Rhys and Moira's love is pushed to its limits

With everything that is dear to them on the line, Rhys and Moira will have to pull from their deepest wells of magic to survive. And, most frighteningly of all, they will have to remember how to trust each other.

#BookReview: Captive Traitor King (Braided Fate, #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

Synopsis: Brigid Kemmerer returns with the sizzling, high-stakes sequel to the #1 international bestseller Warrior Princess Assassin—where the betrayals are deeper, the magic burns brighter, and love might be the most dangerous weapon of all.

CAPTIVE. Asher has always sworn loyalty to Jory, the princess he’s loved from afar—but now the King of Incendar has claimed a place in his heart too. Someone wants them both dead, and only Asher’s blade can keep them safe. Yet his past won’t let him go, and he must decide if he can break free—or remain prisoner to his old scars.

TRAITOR. Princess Jory of Astranza agreed to marry the King of Incendar to secure peace, but betrayal runs closer than she ever imagined. With her own brother unmasked as her enemy, two kingdoms teeter on the edge. To protect her people, she must take the throne. But there are still dark secrets to unravel that will force Jory to confront where her true allegiance lies.

KING. Maddox Kyronan has discovered trust—and something more—with his reluctant bride and her deadly protector, but the fragile alliance between their nations threatens to unravel. His people are starving. His enemies are circling in. Torn between the crown and his heart, Ky risks losing it all.

As buried truths surface and tensions reach a breaking point, Jory, Asher, and Ky must confront the desires that could save their kingdoms—or shatter them forever.

TROPES:
Why Choose/polyamorous romanceSecret MagicHidden IdentityHurt/ComfortRoyal-Political SchemingBetrayal/Redemption

#BookReview: Red City (The New Alchemists, #1) by Marie Lu

Synopsis: The Godfather meets The Magicians in the sweeping adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu. Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab, Red City is a dark and deadly contemporary fantasy of magical warfare, star-crossed ambition, and the pursuit of perfection at any cost, set in a glittering alternate Los Angeles.

Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves: more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more.

Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city―and the paths of their lives―will be irrevocably transformed.

The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.

#BookReview: Kill the Beast by @serratheswift

Synopsis: The Witcher meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this debut original faerie tale of revenge, redemption, and friendship―for fans of T. Kingfisher, Naomi Novik, and cozy fantasy with a dash of gritty adventure.

The night Lyssa Cadogan's brother was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast, she made him a promise: she would find a way to destroy the immortal creature and avenge his death. For thirteen years, she has been hunting faeries and the abominations they created. But in all that time, the one Beast she is most desperate to find has never resurfaced.

Until she meets Alderic Casimir de Laurent, a melodramatic dandy with a coin purse bigger than his brain. Somehow, he has found the monster’s lair, and―even more surprising―retrieved one of its claws. A claw Lyssa needs in order to forge a sword that can kill the Beast.

When the witch Ragnhild decrees that Alderic and Lyssa must gather the other ingredients to forge the weapon together, or else the spell will fail, Lyssa gets more than she bargained for. Alderic is ill-equipped for the task at hand, and almost guaranteed to get himself killed.

But as the two of them search for the materials that will be the Beast's undoing, Alderic reveals hidden depths: dark secrets that he guards as carefully as Lyssa guards hers. Before long, and against Lyssa's better judgment, they begin to forge a blooming friendship―one that will either lead to the culmination of Lyssa's quest for vengeance, or spell doom for them both.

#BookReview: Willing Prey (Feral Love, #1) by @allie.oleander

Synopsis: An exhilarating, primal summer fling reveals an intensely sexy, edgy romance, where anything goes in the woods—just remember your safe word.

Post-divorce and buried in student loan debt, Claire Collins eagerly enters a spicy business agreement with an acquaintance who wants to explore his primal desires. The deal is simple—thirty days as his sexual prey, $30,000 in her bank account. All she has to do is give Shane Underwood the hunt of his life.

Claire’s a physical education teacher and perfectly happy to spend her summer having wild, kinky sex instead of working her usual serving job. But once they cross the tree line, she realizes how little she knows about the corporate lawyer paying her to be his prey.

Shane is different in the woods. Brutal. Devastating. Feral.

That’s okay with Claire—she is, too. And she’s sinking her teeth a little deeper into Shane’s heart every time he catches her.

#BookReview: Druid Cursed by C.J. Burright

Synopsis: One week of freedom. One cursed druid. One woman who could break the spell or doom them both.

Every fifty years, Kellen Ravenwood escapes his magical prison for seven days. This Samhain is his last chance to break the curse, or he’ll be bound forever. All he needs is a sacrifice: the blood of Maggie O’Malley, the last living descendant of the witch who cursed him.

Maggie, desperate for cash after a brutal divorce, jumps at the chance to win a $500,000 prize at a mysterious Irish estate. She never expected ancient rituals, strange magic, or Kellen, the dangerously charming man who claims she’s the key to his freedom.

But Maggie won’t be anyone’s sacrifice. And if there’s another way to break the curse, she’ll find it.

Because some destinies are meant to be rewritten.

And some love stories are worth defying fate for.

#BookReview: Claimed By Her Monsters by @authorlexidavis

Synopsis: On Halloween night, the storm comes for me…and so do three dangerous men who swear I’m theirs.

At nineteen I’ve taken my knocks, parents gone, extended foster care, and one bad night at my group home that lands me with a court-appointed, distant “relative.” He’s a beautiful stranger in a black suit; I’m a disaster in borrowed shoes. Neither of us wants this. Still, he brings me to a mansion that breathes. The halls listen. The portraits watch. Outside, the thunder speaks my name.

He tells me to stay in my room.
I don’t.

Downstairs I meet his friends.

Mick, the big one who growls.
Caspian, the quiet one who can’t stop staring.
Alister, the grump who brought me here.


A storm rages outside. The house whispers. The lights die. They tell me I’m the key to whatever’s waking inside these walls…and inside me. I have to complete a ritual before midnight or the thing under my skin will tear me and this town apart. They say it’s simple.

Fight and die.
Yield to it, and to all of them, and live.

But in this house, nothing is what it seems, least of all me, and when the clock strikes twelve, I’ll have to decide whether to resist the monsters at my door or admit they already own my heart.

A wicked, why-choose Halloween romance with crackling chemistry, haunted-house vibes, and a fierce heroine who doesn’t have to pick. High heat. No cheating. HEA. 

Perfect if you love fated mates, found family, grumpy–sunshine, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, protective, possessive heroes, age-gap tension, witty banter, and a chosen-one heroine.

#BookReview: Jingle Spells (Oak Haven Witches, #2) by Emily Grimoire

Synopsis: Pre-order this cozy Christmas witch romance now, perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and Rewitched

Sparks are flying under the mistletoe this Christmas…

Delilah hates Christmas. She’s a strong independent witch who has finally left her hometown of Oak Haven and is off forging her own path. But an emergency drags her back just in time for the holidays.

Jasper is a human who also hates Christmas. He’s attempting to avoid festivities when he stumbles into the magical world of Oak Haven – a place which definitely isn't supposed to exist – and sees things which should be impossible.

When chaos erupts in the town, Delilah and Jasper must join forces to restore order. They should be the perfect team. Their only problem? Their growing attraction to each other might be distracting them from their work…

The perfect cozy Christmas romance with a sprinkle of magic, where Gilmore Girls meets Charmed.

#BookReview: Witch of the Wolves (Witch of the Wolves, #1) by @kayleearcherauthor

Synopsis: When a powerful witch discovers she's the daughter of an Alpha werewolf and is taken by his Pack, she's determined to break free all the while denying her attraction to her abductor. Witch of the Wolves is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash.

Cordelia Levine comes from a long line of powerful witches. She's been flying under the radar in the human world, focused on strengthening her magic. She loves working at her aunt's apothecary in London, secretly serving supernaturals.

Until the truth about her family is revealed.

She always assumed her enhanced sense of smell came from her French perfumer father. But when Bishop Daniels abducts Cordelia at the request of her father, the Alpha, Cordelia learns she's a lycan--sharing both witch and werewolf traits. She's brought to Trevelyan, the pack estate, under the guise of protection from foreign threats who want to use her to continue their bloodline.

She quickly learns that to keep her from being sold off to another pack, her father intends to give Cordelia as a mate to Bishop. His second in command and the future Alpha.

Cordelia refuses to accept this as her fate. She can't rely on her magic alone to escape and when she learns Bishop plans to challenge her father's power, she reluctantly begins to trust him. The cracks within the Pack become evident and something is bound to break. And Cordelia and her growing desire for the man who shouldn't set her on fire are right at the center of it all.

Witch of the Wolves is the first book in this Victorian romantasy series, featuring an intense and sexy romance and a world on the brink of change.

#BookReview: One More Heartbeat (Carson Brothers #5) by @stinalindenblatt

Synopsis: Finding a toddler on my doorstep? Not exactly how I planned for the day to go. 

Zara Thompson has loved sexy, ex-Marine Garrett Carson since college—but he was in love with her best friend. For the past twelve years, Zara has kept her secret and her heart guarded.

Then a woman shows up on Garrett’s doorstep with a toddler and a shocking claim: the little girl is his daughter, and her mother—Zara’s former best friend—is dead, killed in a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now, Garrett is juggling fatherhood, a looming book deadline, a frightened toddler who won’t go near him, and a live-in nanny who refuses to warm up to Zara—especially after she witnesses an unexpected and steamy kiss between Zara and Garrett. 

A steamy kiss that sends their close friendship into a tailspin…

But as Zara focuses on expanding her small-town café and helping Garrett be a father, a mix of circumstances beyond her control and buried secrets conspire against her…threatening Zara’s chance at a happily ever after with the man her heart refuses to give up on.