Finding Fault

By Annie McDonald

Friends & Community
Age Gap
Federal Agents
Police / Cops
Enemies to Lovers Romance
Women in Uniform
Political Thriller
Animals 

Two immutable forces are destined to clash in the Canadian prairies.

Dr. Evie O’Halloran is a geologist and a lifelong environmental activist. Her current focus is one of Saskatchewan’s chemical manufacturers, Farmexal, whose toxic products have been mysteriously showing up in local farmers’ fields.

Merritt Shepherd, an investigator with the Ministry of Environmental Resources committed to changing environmental policy, is undercover at Farmexal in the middle of a potentially catastrophic situation and directly in Evie’s sights.

Evie and Merritt have radically different ideas on preventing environmental disaster, and neither is looking for love. Evie is struggling to manage her PTSD, and, as an undercover investigator, Merritt risks upending her case if she shares the truth with Evie. But when they develop an attraction stronger than they’ve ever known, Evie and Merritt must risk their hearts to save their love and the environment.

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Hot Keys

By R.E. Ward

Friends & Community
Gangsters
New York City
Bisexual
Music
Enemies to Lovers Romance
Magic
Big City
People of Color

In 1920s New York City, it’s hard on the streets, but Betty May Dewitt and her best friend, Jack Norval, are determined to make their Tin Pan Alley dreams come true. Fate leads them to a speakeasy called the Trespass Inn, where people play fast and loose and criminals run the show. Betty and Jack are whisked into the glamorous and dangerous world of Prohibition rum-running, but fate has more in store for them than adventure. Romance blooms when a psychic medium’s magic dazzles Betty, and a gangster infuriates and fascinates Jack all at the same time. But danger lurks in every alley, and with the Trespass Inn under attack by rival gangsters, Betty and Jack will have to fight—not only for their hearts and dreams, but for their lives.

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Hustle & Bustle

By Maggie Cummings

An All I Want for Christmas Novella

Hannah Monroe is ready to dazzle customers with her pop-up shop at NYC’s winter holiday market. NYPD beat cop Toby Beckett, who just wants to protect and serve, barely notices the spirit of the season until events keep pushing her into Hannah’s path.

Hustle & Bustle was previously published in All I Want for Christmas: Romance Novellas (Bold Strokes Books, 2020).

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Securing Ava

By Anne Shade

Bodyguard/Protection Romances
Private Investigator
People of Color

Ava Prescott has had one goal in life, to carry on the Prescott legacy by taking the reins of Diamond Unlimited Wealth Management. Her father’s determination to uphold the company’s wholesome family image propels Ava into a reluctant fake relationship with Kyle, a man she’s sure is a threat to the business. When her father is the victim of a suspicious accident, Ava believes Kyle is responsible and has no choice but to run.

Paige Richards saw enough violence to last a lifetime during her years as a counterintelligence specialist. She’s ready for some peace on her ranch in Oklahoma and is paying the bills as a private investigator. Paige takes a case to locate and bring back runaway heiress Ava Prescott. It seems simple enough, until she stumbles upon a bungled kidnapping attempt and her peaceful life is turned upside down. Now she must use every skill she has to secure Ava.

As they try to figure out who is out to hurt Ava and her family, Paige and Ava fight to stay one step ahead of the threat and resist their growing attraction. But ignoring their feelings may prove impossible when their hearts and lives are at stake.

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The Amaranthine Law

By Gun Brooke

Big City
Age Gap
Bisexual
Financial gap/Class disparity
International Setting

In 1761, Tristan Kelly is one of six children to survive a mysterious fever aboard a ship bound for the Americas. Ever since, she has aged very slowly. She might be over two hundred years old, but she looks forty.

When Tristan hires Olivia Bryce as a new intern at her art restoration company, an unexpected attraction ignites which Tristan can’t permit. The truth must never be revealed. Despite Tristan’s resolve, their feelings grow when Tristan brings Olivia to Paris to work on a priceless painting at the Louvre. There, an old friend brings disturbing news: someone is hunting her, and all those who survived the fever, killing them one by one.

As Olivia begins to unravel the truth and the assailants get closer, Tristan and Olivia grow closer, too. Tristan knows there’s no future for them and is ready to sacrifice herself to keep Olivia out of the crossfire. But Olivia refuses to listen to Tristan’s arguments, insisting their love is fated and they must face the endgame together, no matter the consequences.

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The Forever Factor

By Melissa Brayden

Coming Out
Reunion Romance
Sports
California

Is it truly better to have loved and lost? Bethany Cahill says nope. Eleven years ago, her fellow cheerleader Reid Thatcher held her heart in her hand...and crushed it like a bug. Since then, Bethany avoids risk, reward, and anything romantic on TV. Just, no. But when grown-up Reid’s shopping cart bumps into hers, Bethany is catapulted into the past and staring into Reid’s eyes, which are still annoyingly stunning. Forgiveness doesn’t come easy, and Bethany isn’t about to let Reid in. Not after all she took.

Reid never fully understood why Bethany withheld forgiveness all those years ago, but no kiss since has ever been as satisfying as Bethany’s lips on hers. The happenstance run-in was a stroke of luck and ignites Reid’s plan to get to the bottom of Bethany’s silence, a mystery she can’t let drop. But she hadn’t planned on the reckoning in store when she learns the truth.

When Bethany and Reid confront their past, they give new meaning to letting go, forgiveness, and a future worth fighting for.

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The Frenemy Zone

By Yolanda Wallace

Coming Out
Friends & Community
Homecoming
Blue Collar
Financial gap/Class disparity
Rivals
Multicultural 
Children / Families
Small Town Romances
Young Adult
People of Color

Olly Smith-Nakamura had it all until an unexpected financial setback forces her dads to leave their idyllic life in San Francisco behind in search of a fresh start. Relocating to a small West Virginia town where families like hers are considered an anomaly was not how she planned to spend her senior year of high school. Her grandmother tries to sell her on the merits of her new home, but she just sees more reasons to leave than to stay.

No one knows Ariel Hall has a secret. No one except the BFF who broke her heart. Sharing her truth isn’t on her agenda because unless she’s throwing strikes on the softball field, she prefers to fly under the radar. Olly Smith-Nakamura is everything she’s not: out, proud, and in your face. They don’t get along at all. So why does kissing her seem like more fun than butting heads?

 

PRAISE FOR THE FRENEMY ZONE

"A fun, thoughtful small-town tale of teen romance and family connection...A coming-of-age story with a rich cast of interesting characters." —Kirkus Reviews 

"As an openly lesbian wrestler with one Black and one Japanese American father, [Olly] contends with casual racism and homophobia in the mostly white, conservative town. Her goal is to survive until graduation and move on without attachments; that is, until she meets white-cued Ariel Hall, the mayor’s closeted lesbian daughter...Emphatic writing by Wallace capably builds tension; the characters’ intensely felt hopes and fears, and their struggles navigating interpersonal and external obstacles, make for a pensive read." —Publishers Weekly

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Triple Dog Dare

By Georgia Beers

An All I Want for Christmas Novella

Sasha Wolfe has been talking up her new girlfriend to her overbearing mother for months, and when her skeptical sister dares her to invite this new squeeze over for family Christmas, Sasha accepts the challenge. After all, how hard can it be to bring your nonexistent girlfriend home for the holidays?

Triple Dog Dare was previously published in All I Want for Christmas: Romance Novellas (Bold Strokes Books, 2020).

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A Cutting Deceit

By Cathy Dunnell

Gangsters
Police / Cops

Valeria married Sirvan, a crime boss, to escape a life of poverty and find security. Now she lives life by his rules. Forced to suppress her true self and play her part well, Valeria finds solace running her hair salon, the only place she can escape and truly be herself.

Everything changes when Athena, an undercover cop, takes a job at the salon to gather evidence to prove Sirvan’s guilt. What starts as a tentative friendship quickly turns into a dangerous affair. Valeria begins to question the choices and compromises she’s made as her feelings for Athena grow. But when Athena reveals her true motives, the shocking deceit cuts Valeria to the quick.

Danger creeps closer as Valeria and Athena, wounded by betrayal, play a perilous game of truth, lies, and love.

 

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As Seen on TV!

By CF Frizzell

Celebrity
Food
Actors/Artists
Ghosts
Enemies to Lovers Romance

Who in her right mind inserts a popular laid-back chef into the top paranormal show on television? What a ridiculous idea. Granted, TV crossover shows boost ratings, but the respective stars have no interest in the other’s genre and spatter like water in hot oil. The only thing that home-spun chef Ronnie Smart and tenacious paranormal investigator Peyton Stanford agree on is the idiocy of their network’s demand. They have practically nothing in common, and it shows.

But the show goes on amidst their innuendo, snickering banter, and bumbling interference and, surprisingly, viewers clamor for more. Inevitably, the begrudging “odd couple” find mutual respect and even the occasional tease. Are they flirting? Ratings skyrocket. In their expanded finale—an investigation that airs live on a stormy Halloween night—Ronnie and Peyton come face-to-face with a paranormal spirit and a chance at forever neither can deny.

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Blood Memory

By Sandra Barret

The Jade Murphy Diaries | Book 2
Big City
Blue Collar
Transgender
Vampires
Firefighters
People of Color

Vampires have it easy—stay out of the limelight (and the sunlight), earn a living (preferably legal), and for Jade Murphy, avoid human blood directly from the vein.

When Jade’s vampire friend gets some unwanted attention from a human stalker, Jade is forced to break more than one of those rules. Can she protect her friend, scare off the stalker, and keep her dates with Beth without revealing her secrets?

Best two out of three, Jade?

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Foolproof

By Leigh Hays

Military
Food
Friends & Community
Friends to Lovers Romance

Martine Roberts and Elliot Tillman’s childhood friendship was intense. When they bump into each other again thirty years later, sneaking out of an apartment after one-night stands with a pair of roommates, all their feelings come rushing back. 

Elliot needs a place to stay, and Martine needs a roommate. It should be simple, but it’s not friendship simmering between them. 

Growing up in Key West, rum distiller Martine has friends and family to spare, but her deepest heart she keeps to herself. 

With her career in the Coast Guard, Elliot’s never had a permanent address and didn’t mind, until moving in with Martine gives her a home. Now she wants to chart a different course with a woman who likes her relationships short and seasonal? Perfect.

Sometimes friends with benefits isn’t a foolproof way to hide from the truth at the heart of an affair.

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Glass and Stone

By Renee Roman

Blue Collar
Actors/Artists
Enemies to Lovers Romance

Jordan Spade doesn’t get involved. The last thing she wants is to be responsible for someone. When her father needed her the most she wasn’t there, and she never got a chance to express her regret. She’s channeled her guilt into building her business as a general contractor, to at least have a sense of purpose even if she isn’t exactly happy.

Callie Burke is well on her way to making a name for herself as a stained-glass artist. Her next job puts her on a job site with Jordan, where some of the crew harass her. Callie knows how to handle it. She doesn’t need Jordan’s assistance, but she can’t help but notice Jordan doesn’t intervene. 

Jordan later feels compelled to make it up to Callie, and an unlikely friendship fans their simmering attraction. But to get close to Callie, Jordan must open her heart and accept she can’t control every outcome, and that means forgiving herself for a mistake she can never undo.

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Hard Pressed

By Aurora Rey

Food
Enemies to Lovers Romance
Small Town Romances
Workplace Romance

For Mira Lavigne, cider is about tradition, elegance, and class. She has little respect and even less patience for self-anointed mavericks who think their ticket to fame and fortune is throwing the rulebook out the window. Dylan Miller is one of those people. The only thing she loves more than pushing the envelope is finding ways to make cider, perry, and a few things she hasn’t even named yet more delicious and more accessible to everyone.

When Mira and Dylan are tapped to co-chair Finger Lakes Cider Week, neither can pass up the publicity and prestige of the role. But professional compromises raise personal stakes, and Dylan and Mira are hard-pressed to keep their businesses—and their hearts—out of harm’s way.

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The Laws of Magic

By M. Ullrich

Bodyguard/Protection Romances
Military
Friends & Community
Magic

Isla Hoffman has finally made it. No longer the recklessly trusting teenage witch who nearly killed her family, Isla owns a successful business and is a healer to the residents of Bender, Massachusetts—human and nonhuman alike. How’d she do it? By hiding her identity and never, ever falling in love. Easy, until the ultimate temptation starts patrolling her parking lot. 

Lu Cadman should have an ex- before her name. Ex-military. Ex-New Yorker. Ex-wife. Starting over means a new job as security for a sleepy strip mall, but she isn’t complaining, not when sunshiny Isla brings her tea almost every morning. She’s not planning to get involved, but there’s more to Isla than meets the eye and Lu can’t stop her attraction. 

Isla and the nonhumans in their community aren’t as hidden as they think, and when a powerful force comes after them, they must work together to protect everyone. But Lu isn’t being completely honest, and when Isla discovers the truth, will she be able to trust enough to let herself fall in love?

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The Lonely Hearts Rescue

By Morgan Lee Miller and Others

Homecoming
Veterinarians
Animals 
Friends to Lovers Romance

When a hurricane hits the Gulf Coast, the animals at the Lonely Hearts Rescue Shelter need love, and so do the humans who adopt them.

Something About You by Morgan Lee Miller. After rescuing a cat stranded in the hurricane, animal control officer Reese Shepard is adamant about finding shy, timid Apollo the best forever home. When she discovers Apollo giving cheek rubs to Hannah Marsh, Reese’s high school crush, she’s captivated by her all over again.

Force of Nature by Missouri Vaun. Rebekah Hawks has stepped in to help with hurricane disaster relief. Challenges are no match for Rebekah. At least until she agreed to foster an impossible dog. Rebekah has no choice but to seek the aid of handsome local dog trainer Rory Maclaren. But who is training whom?

Test of Faith by Nell Stark. Rescuing a dog is a dream come true for Faith Kincaid—and a chance to prove to herself that she really can, in the words of her therapist, “commit to commitment.” When Faith takes her new best friend, Pinoe, to the vet, she can’t stop staring at Dr. Delphine Wu. Del is completely out of Faith’s league. Or is she?

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The Mage and the Monster

By Barbara Ann Wright

Virgins/First Love
The Sisters of Sarras | Book 3
Enemies to Lovers Romance
Disability
Magic
Other Worlds

Gisele del Amanecer’s days look the same from the outside: work, home, and the occasional one-night stand that she hides from her nosy older sisters. But Gisele is a mage, and that means pain invisible to outside eyes. Each act of magic can be agony, but she loves the power, the bond with the unseen, and how only her will keeps the magic from consuming her. She can master any task, including saving her family and homeland from Firellian invaders—until she’s ordered to hunt another mage, one who may be her equal in power and commitment. One she might risk everything for.

Vale has been subjugated her entire life—to the point where she thinks she deserves it, but she is determined to save others from that fate. Magic has been her one bright spot, but now she’s forced to use that power to kill in the name of the Firellian Empire. Escape or rebellion is out of the question unless she can guarantee the safety of her fellow captives, but how can everyone make it out alive while surrounded by enemies? Perhaps with the help of another mage, someone who bonds with magic like Vale does, someone who might want her for herself instead of for her power. But war always demands a sacrifice.

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Truly Wanted

By J.J. Hale

Friends & Community
Close Quarters
Bisexual
Disability
Friends to Lovers Romance
Children / Families
Truly Series
Small Town Romances

After a chaotic childhood in a long line of foster homes, Sam McKenna found her version of serenity in her friendship with Brooke Fields. When tragedy forces Brooke to become a single mother, Sam is there for her. Sam ignores the crush she’s had on Brooke since college. Their relationship is too precious to risk.

After the loss of her husband, Brooke finally dips her toes back into the dating world only to have each encounter end in disaster. If it wasn’t for Sam by her side picking her back up, she might give up on ever finding love again.

After a night of unexpected passion when Brooke and Sam cross the line of friendship, Brooke can’t help but yearn for more with Sam. A chance encounter leads Brooke and Sam on a journey to Sam’s birth family, uncovering the ghosts of Sam’s past and revealing wounds that threaten the friendship both once believed to be indestructible, and any chance for something more.

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