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Romance Reads Blog

October 2023 releases

9/29/2023

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The Trouble with Tinsel by Juliet and Keith Giglio

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What could be more magical than a Hollywood Christmas?
A few years after they broke up professionally and personally, the ex-screenwriting team of Kerri Williams and Jon Romano find their lives turned upside down when an old script is green-lit and they have to write together again. Now, for the month of December, Kerri must leave behind her life as a teacher in Brooklyn to return to sunny Hollywood and work with the man she used to love.
Jon and Kerri just want to finish the film and get this awkward reunion over with. But Amari Rivers, the star of their movie, thinks they're engaged and wants them on set for moral support and love advice. Wanting to keep the star happy, Kerri and Jon pretend to love each other, bringing back all the old feelings they've been trying so hard to forget. Could this be the Christmas they finally get their own happy ending?
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The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird

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While You Were Sleeping meets The Wedding Date with a fun Puerto Rican holiday twist in NYT and USA Today bestselling author Ginny Baird's latest romance, in which a diner waitress agrees to be her patron's fake date...only for him to land in a coma and her to be stuck playing his sweetheart with his family all week long.
Lonely-hearted waitress Katie Smith has nowhere to go for Christmas, and a huge crush on her gorgeous diner patron Juan Martinez. So when Juan asks Katie to pose as his girlfriend for holiday festivities at his family's winery, Katie leaps at the chance…that is, until an accident lands Juan in a coma right after giving his folks the "news." Katie knows she should tell the Martinezes the truth, but when they immediately embrace her, Katie is reluctant to let her fantasy of a family holiday go. And then there's Juan's brother, Mateo, whose smile tugs at her heartstrings just right—and who tells her perfect Juan might not be everything he seems.
Second son Mateo Martinez loves his brother, but Juan's plan to "rebrand and expand" Los Cielos Cellars has cost their family too much and put its entire tradition in jeopardy. Katie seems to understand, but she's still committed to Juan…even when Mateo starts to wish her gentle heart and beautiful smile were committed to him instead. With the winery at stake, secrets on all sides, and Juan due to wake up any day, can Katie and Mateo follow their hearts to a Christmas miracle, or will this mix-up ruin their chances?
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A Cowboy Country Christmas by Jennie Marts

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There's no better time than Christmas to open your heart 
Holt Callahan used to love the holidays, but getting dumped on Christmas Eve would turn anyone into a Grinch. Now he hates Christmas and all the holly jolly shenanigans that go with it. When he moves back to his cousin's ranch in Creedence, Colorado, the last thing he expects is to come face to face with the one who got away and all of her holiday cheer.
Lainey McBride is all about Christmas, and despite running her family's ranch festivities while her grandfather is in rehab, she hasn't lost her holiday spirit, no matter how many things don't go according to plan. But the holidays have their own way of healing, and a Christmas in Creedence just might be the merry magic that brings these two broken hearts back together again.
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Paradise for Christmas by Carolyn Brown

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Southern sass and spirit make every Christmas bright!
The oldest of seven sisters, Ursula Simmons has followed in her mother's footsteps as a novelist. With a bad case of writer's block, she brings her notebooks and computer home to the old brothel called Paradise where they all grew up, in the hope that being home for the holidays will inspire her—and since it's Christmas, all her sisters will be there too.
The sisters take the holidays very seriously, and as soon as they've celebrated Thanksgiving, it's on to decorating for Christmas. As all pitch in to make the spirits bright, younger sister Endora is dismayed to find some of the handsome men who've come to help doing more flirting than anything else. She's determined to show her sisters that no relationship is worth the heartbreak. But it might be Ursula who reminds the family that Christmas is a magical time, and finding new love is always a gift.
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Her Wolf for the Holidays by Terry Spear

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Thrilling adventure and sexy holiday fun in the Scottish Highlands. 
When a new she-wolf moves in next door, only one alpha wolf can give her everything she wants for Christmas and more.
Edeen Campbell has heard many wild stories about the MacQuarrie clan living in the castle next door to her new home. She is determined that not even Lachlan MacQuarrie, the pack leader's brother, can ruin her holidays, no matter how hard he may try or how intrigued she is by him. But as Lachlan proves to her over and over that he is a wolf to be trusted, Edeen begins to change her mind about the pack and the very handsome wolf dedicated to making her first Highland Christmas a special one.
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10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall

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FAKE AMNESIA. REAL FEELINGS? REAL PROBLEMS.
Sam Becker loves—or, okay, likes—his job. Sure, managing a bed and bath retailer isn't exactly glamorous, but it's good work and he gets on well with the band of misfits who keep the store running. He could see himself being content here for the long haul. Too bad, then, that the owner is an infuriating git.
Jonathan Forest should never have hired Sam. It was a sentimental decision, and Jonathan didn't get where he is by following his heart. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult talk…only for a panicking Sam to trip, bump his head, and maybe accidentally imply he doesn't remember anything?
Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea when Sam was afraid he was getting sacked, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan's guilt—as well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him. There's an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impression…but as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?
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September 2023 Releases

8/31/2023

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Witches Get Stuff Done by Molly Harper

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​Juggling newfound witchy powers, a house full of ghosts, and verbal battles with the handsome local librarian is almost too much for a new witch to manage. But falling in love with said librarian wasn't on her to-do list...
From the moment Riley Everett set foot in Starfall Point, magic bubbled inside of her. But with only her late aunt's journals and a cantankerous live-in ghost butler to instruct her on all things witchy―including her newly inherited Victorian haunted house―Riley seeks out a coven for sisterhood and support. The last person she expects to be drawn to is the town's frustrating, yet ridiculously attractive head librarian.
Edison Held knows almost everything there is to know about Starfall Point, but Shaddow House was always off-limits, thanks to its elusive owner. If he can convince the new owner, Riley, to let him take a peek inside, there's so much he could learn. But as he gets closer to Riley, he's fascinated by her dazzling wit and fiery spirit. Edison will do whatever he can to help Riley keep her family legacy alive, especially if it means spending more time with the captivating new witch in town.
Bestselling author Molly Harper wields a magical pen in this hilarious, delightful witchy romcom perfect for fans of Erin Sterling and Lana Harper.
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Duke's Best Friend by Jane Ashford 

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What's a lady to do when the man standing in her way might also be the man of her dreams?
Henry Deeping and Kate Meacham seem to clash every time they meet. Kate is frustrated by the change in her status following the death of her grandfather, a legendary figure in diplomatic circles. As a lone single woman, she is now effectively nobody, even though she knows everyone and has made important contributions to diplomacy in the past. Henry, just joining the Foreign Office, is wondering how to make his mark.
They agree to an exchange―Henry will serve as Kate's escort to important events to which she is no longer invited, and Kate will introduce him to the important people she knows so well. But when they spot a foreign agent they thought had been apprehended, they decide to investigate on their own, enlisting a motley group of friends and relying on each other to uncover the truth…
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Wild As a Wolf by Paige Tyler

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Nothing is more powerful than a werewolf—excerpt perhaps a mighty warrior.
Nothing surprises SWAT alpha Hale Delaney—he's seen almost everything since he became a werewolf. But when he goes head-to-head with Dallas's newest supernatural villain and is saved by the woman he loved and lost a decade ago, his world is turned upside down. Karissa Bonifay has always been fierce and capable, but now she's a sword-wielding warrior in her own right.
The more time Hale and Karissa spend together hunting the dangerous supernaturals terrorizing the city, the closer they come to the truth about what really came between them all those years ago...
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Second Chance Garden by A.J. Pine

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A small town is the perfect place to find love―but first there's work to do…
When a tornado tears through her hometown of Summertown, Illinois, wreaking havoc on the people she loves, social media manager Emma Woods has no choice but to head back home from her life in the big city to help rebuild. She's determined to use her social media savvy to put Summertown back on the map in time for the annual Garden Fest with rival town Middlebrook. Summertown really needs that prize money now. And if she can only avoid Matteo Rourke―the reason she left Summertown in the first place―all the better.
Matteo can't help what happened that broke up his and Emma's relationship years ago. All he can do now that she's back in town is avoid her, but of course everywhere he goes, Emma is there…
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The Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles

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Bridgerton goes Gothic in this sweeping Regency romance by celebrated author KJ Charles.
Major Rufus d'Aumesty has unexpectedly become the Earl of Oxney, master of a remote Norman manor on the edge of the infamous Romney Marsh. There he's beset on all sides, his position contested both by his greedy uncle and by Luke Doomsday, son of a notorious smuggling clan.
The earl and the smuggler should be natural enemies, but cocksure, enragingly competent Luke is a trained secretary and expert schemer―exactly the sort of man Rufus needs by his side. Before long, Luke becomes an unexpected ally...and the lover Rufus had never hoped to find.
But Luke came to Stone Manor with an ulterior motive, one he's desperate to keep hidden even from the lord he can't resist. As the lies accumulate and family secrets threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, master and man find themselves forced to decide whose side they're really on…and what they're willing to do for love.
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Along Came Holly by Codi Hall 

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Holly Winters is not about to let her grumpy neighbor Declan steal her holiday joy…even if he does look rather handsome under the mistletoe.
Holly Winters owns the jolliest holiday shop on Main Street and this season is shaping up to be the best yet. The only pit in her figgy pudding? Declan Gallagher, the owner of the hardware store next door. He's the scroogiest man in all of Mistletoe, Idaho. Then Holly's revenge prank escalates into an all-out war with her Grinchy neighbor, and the situation turns sticky when she realizes she needs his help.
Declan can't believe the nerve of his oh-so-cheerful neighbor hiring him to set up her holiday lights display, but the money is too good to pass up. Despite his utter loathing of excessive decorations, he throws himself into getting the job done, only to encounter sabotage at every turn. To his astonishment, Declan finds himself championing the very woman who used to get under his skin. Then one rooftop kiss has him thinking maybe the season's traditions aren't as heinous as he believed. Declan's heart has grown three sizes since Holly came along, but how can he admit he's falling for the one woman he shouldn't want?
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Bookstore Romance Day 2023

8/16/2023

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Bookstore Romance day is August 19th this year! Here's where you can find our authors: 

In-Person Events

The Strand Bookstore, NYC
Romance Panel: Featuring Claire Legrand, Kennedy Ryan, Scarlett St. Clair, Nicholas Didomizio, and Jennifer Hartman
Wednesday, August 16th 7pm ET
Register here.

Scrawl Books
Bookstore Romance Day at Scrawl Books: Featuring Timothy Janovsky
Saturday, August 19th, 2pm ET
Register here.

The Silver Unicorn
Bookstore Romance Day at The Silver Unicorn: Featuring Juliet & Keith Giglio
Saturday, August 19th 3pm ET
Register here.

Anderson’s Book Store
Anderson’s After Dark Event: Featuring Jennifer Hartman
Saturday, August 19th 7pm CT
Register here.

Virutal Events

A Touch of Magic (Romantasy panel): Featuring Claire LeGrand!
Saturday, August 19, 10 am ET
Register here.

Hello, Young Lovers (YA panel): Featuring Suzanne Park!
Saturday, August 19, 12pm ET
Register here.

Just the Two of Us (Child-free panel): Featuring Ann Aguirre!
Saturday, August 19, 2 pm ET
Register here.

Dangerous Curves Ahead (Plus-Sized Protagonists panel): Featuring Laura Moher!
Sunday, August 20, 4 pm ET
Register here.

Disability in Romance panel: Featuring Roni Loren!
Sunday, August 20, 2 pm ET
Register here.

Love is Queer panel: Featuring Nicolas Didomizio & Scarlett St. Clair!
Sunday, August 20, 6 pm ET
Register here.
Libro.fm playlist (audiobooks).

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August 2023 Releases

7/31/2023

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Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert

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He was my enemy. My lover. My husband. And the one man I swore by all Olympus I would destroy.
*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Aphrodite and Hephaestus (and Pandora and Adonis).*
Aphrodite has never flinched at getting her perfectly manicured hands dirty, and she's not about to start now—even if that means marrying Olympus's enemy number one, the new Hephaestus. She has a wicked plan to keep her deadly new husband off-balance, seducing the one person he seems to care about most in this world: Pandora, a woman as beautiful as she is sweet.
Two can play the seduction game, however, and Hephaestus is all too happy to put his new wife in her place. Her ex, Adonis, seems like he'll do the trick. It doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous in the way of fallen angels, either.
The only problem with using seduction as a weapon? Hearts are all too quick to get involved. With Hephaestus and Aphrodite trading venomous strikes that feel a whole lot like foreplay, lines become blurred and emotions entangled. But a broken heart may be the least of their worries. With unrest in Olympus reaching new heights, these bedroom games may have deadly consequences for themselves, their city, and everyone they've come to love.
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Tall, Duke, and Scandalous by Amy Rose Bennett

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This bluestocking would do almost anything to save her reputation and her grandfather's legacy…even marry a scandalous duke.
No-nonsense Jane Delaney divides her time between her grandfather's beloved bookstore and writing newspaper columns, determined to overcome a past that's left her with scars on her face and in her heart. But when the store ends up in unexpected financial jeopardy and Jane's secrets are threatened by a mysterious blackmailer, she finds herself in desperate need of money. All seems lost until a temptation like no other presents itself...
Christopher Marsden is the new rakish Duke of Roxby…and someone wants him dead. The problem is, he has no idea who or why. Following a vicious attack, he's acquired a rare affliction where he can no longer recognize faces. But when he catches Miss Delaney attempting to steal a priceless book from his library, Christopher can tell her apart from the rest. Her scarred beauty stands out like a beacon, and he doesn't want to let her go. So he offers her an outrageous proposal: the money she needs in exchange for a marriage of convenience and her help in catching his would-be killer.
As passion flares between the two unlikely newlyweds, dangerous truths are exposed and hidden enemies poise to strike. Can these two damaged souls survive long enough to find love?
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Right Where We Belong by Jackie Ashenden 

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Sexy new small-town romance set in the rugged, beautiful landscape of New Zealand.
Levi King has never met a woman he couldn't charm—until he meets Indigo Jameson. One of Brightwater Valley's newest residents, the prickly woman gets under his skin like no one else ever has.
Indigo Jameson doesn't trust people—especially handsome men—and Levi is the handsomest man she's ever seen. Much to her chagrin, the gorgeous adventure guide seems intent on befriending her, and he's a surprisingly good friend.
But beneath Levi's carefree, flirtatious exterior is a man badly damaged by his own past. Can Indigo break down the walls around Levi's heart as he's done for her?
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Reckless in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell

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Rough and tumble, cocky and charming, bullfighter Joe Cassidy is one of the best in the business… And he's way out of Violet's league.
Violet Jacobs is fearless. At least, that's what the men she snatches from under the hooves of bucking horses think. Outside the ring, she's got plenty of worries keeping her up at night: her young son, her mess of a love life, and lately, her family's struggling business. When she takes matters into her own hands and hires on a hotshot new bullfighter, she expects to start a ruckus.
She never expected stubborn, showboating, secret heart-of-gold Joe Cassidy.
Joe came to Texas to escape a life spiraling out of control. He never planned on sticking around, and he certainly never expected to call this dry and dusty backwater home. But Violet is everything he never knew he was missing, and the deeper he's pulled into her beautiful mess of a family, the more he realizes this fierce, fiery woman may be offering him the one thing he never could find on his own.
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New Adult by Timothy Janovsky

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Nolan Baker longs to be "thirty, flirty and thriving" in this charmingly quirky LGBTQIA+ romance that's one part 13 Going on 30 and one part One Last Stop.
WHY CAN'T WE SKIP TO THE GOOD PART?
Twenty-three-year-old Nolan Baker wants it all by the time he's thirty. Too bad he's single, barely able to cover his own expenses, and still paying his dues at a prominent NYC comedy club. When faced with his perfect sister's wedding, Nolan takes it as a wakeup call. It's time to quit comedy and make good on his practical dreams—most importantly, asking Drew Techler, his best friend, to be his date.
But right as Nolan is about to give it all up, he's asked to fill a last-minute spot for a famous comedian. Score! He crushes his set, but stands Drew up, misses his sister's big day, and disappoints his entire family. After major blowouts with everyone he loves, Nolan desperately wishes on a set of gift "magical healing crystals" to skip to the good part of life. When he wakes the next morning, it's seven years later, he's a successful comedian, and he has everything he always thought he wanted. Everything, that is, except his friends and family, none of whom are taking his future self's calls.
With nowhere else to turn, Nolan sets out to find the only person he trusts to help. Except Drew is all grown up now, too. He's hot, successful…and hates Nolan's guts. As Nolan works to get back to his younger self—and the life he so carelessly threw away—he'll have to prove he's not the man everyone thinks they know in order to regain Drew's trust, friendship, and maybe, ultimately, his heart.
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Curves for Days by Laura Moher

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Readers of Olivia Dade and Lucy Score will love this sexy Southern curvy girl romance.
How is Rose Barnes supposed to build the home (and life) of her dreams when her big, burly contractor keeps scowling at her?
Rose Barnes has got curves for days—and to Angus Drummond, the big, bearded contractor working on her new house, she's the perfect thorn in his side. Little does she know Angus is perturbed on a daily basis by his attraction to this cheery, smart-ass woman with her sunshiny enthusiasm, her kindness, and her beautiful body.
Angus feels he has a debt to pay to the world and doesn't deserve love until he pays it. Best to keep his mind on his work and his hands to himself. But the more Rose sees of Angus's gruff, honorable thoughtfulness, and the more rusty laughter she surprises from him, the more she wants him too.
As their unlikely friendship becomes love, antagonism turns to partnership, and Rose's house becomes a home. But Rose is keeping a secret that could blow up everything with Angus, and sure enough, it comes to light at the worst possible time...
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All That We Never Were by Alice Kellen

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International bestselling author Alice Kellen will flood you in emotion, following two star-crossed lovers whose destiny is inexorably intertwined.
He'll do anything to bring the light back into her eyes.
Leah Jones used to love her life. Now, she can barely get out of bed in the morning. Still shaken by the sudden loss of her parents, her older brother is the only person she has left to keep her from falling into an emotional abyss. But as he prepares to move across the country for work, soon he'll be gone too, and Leah will have no one. 
Axel Nguyen is her brother's best friend, and the natural person to turn to. Seeing Leah so despondent is a punch to Axel's gut. At her brother's request, Axel drops everything to move Leah in with him, to meet her every need. He's determined to push her to her limits, to break down the walls she's built to protect her fragile heart. Little does he know, she has loved him forever, and now his love for her expands to so much more. As Leah and Axel's undeniable bond grows stronger, Axel must break Leah's heart in order to guarantee her the life he knows she deserves…
Fans of Colleen Hoover, Anna Todd, and B. Celeste will immerse in this thrill of a heartbreaking emotional rollercoaster.
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July 2023 Releases

6/30/2023

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The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis

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DISCOVER THE EPIC NEW ROMANTIC FANTASY EVERYONE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT!
As an elite spy and the Queen's Third-in-Command, Aya has dedicated herself to a life of discipline and duty, using her gods-given abilities to keep dark magic from ever returning to the realm. Her oath ensures she will always act to protect those she fights alongside—including Will, the Queen's Enforcer and Aya's bitter rival.
Forced by circumstance to work together, Aya and Will struggle to come to an uneasy truce. But when tragedy strikes, Aya instinctively reacts, unleashing a power that hasn't been seen in over 500 years. Shaken, she's confronted with an impossible truth: one that threatens the precious grip she keeps on her control. One that forces her to work with Will to discover who—or what—she really is. And one that could turn her into a weapon in a war she doesn't know how to win.
With Will at her side and untold power at her fingertips, Aya will have to decide: Has she been sent to save the realm she loves…or destroy it?
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The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre

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From New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre comes the magical town of St. Claire, where anything is possible…
Iris Collins is the messy one in her family. The "chaos bunny." Her sisters are all wildly successful, while she can't balance her budget for a single month. It's no wonder she's in debt to her roommates. When she unexpectedly inherits a house from her great aunt, her plan to turn it into a B&B fails—as most of her plans do. She winds up renting rooms like a Victorian spinster, collecting other lost souls...and not all of them are "human." 
Eli Reese grew up as the nerdy outcast in school, but he got rich designing apps. Now he's successful by any standards. But he's never had the same luck in finding a real community or people who understand him. Over the years, he's never forgotten his first crush, so when he spots her at a café, he takes it as a sign. Except then he gets sucked into the Iris-verse and somehow ends up renting one of her B&B rooms. As the days pass, Eli grows enchanted by the misfit boarders staying in the house…and even more so by Iris. Could Eli have finally found a person and a place to call "home"? 
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It Happened One Fight by Maureen Lee Lenker

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From Entertainment Weekly writer Maureen Lee Lenker comes a swoony romantic comedy set in the world of 1930s film.
Joan Davis is a movie star, and a damned good actor, too. Unfortunately, Hollywood only seems to care when she stars alongside Dash Howard, Tinseltown's favorite leading man and a perpetual thorn in Joan's side. She's sick of his hotshot attitude, his never-ending attempts to get a rise out of her—especially after the night he sold her out to the press on a studio-arranged date. She'll turn her career around without him. She's engaged to Hollywood's next rising star, after all, and preparing to make the film that could finally get her taken seriously. Then, a bombshell drops: thanks to one of his on-set pranks gone wrong, Dash and Joan are legally married.
Reputation on the line, Joan agrees to star alongside Dash one last time and move production to Reno, where divorce is legal after a six-week residency. But between on-set shenanigans, fishing competitions at Lake Tahoe, and intimate moments leaked to the press, Joan begins to see another side to the man she thought she had all figured out, and it becomes harder and harder to convince the public—and herself—that her marriage to Dash is the joke it started out as.
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Last Rites by Sharon Sala

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There's nothing a community won't do to protect its own…
Shirley Wallace and her four sons return to her childhood home on Pope Mountain in Jubilee, Kentucky, with a lifetime of hardship behind them, hoping to find peace and begin their lives anew. Eldest brother Aaron Pope returns to his life as a police officer, and is settling in just fine. Then Aaron's investigation into an attempted murder leads him right to Dani Owens. She may hold the key to a long-lost part of the Pope family's past, and more importantly, she may hold the key to Aaron's heart.
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In the Eyes of the Earl by Kristin Vayden

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Kristin Vayden takes you straight to the heart of Regency England in this sparking tale of an earl determined to clear his name and the lady who shows him exactly who he is…
Collin Morgan, Earl of Penderdale, has a problem. Someone is committing crimes in his name, leaving him suspended from his work in the War office.
Elizabeth Essex has a secret. She's the daughter of a well-respected professor at Cambridge University—and a professor herself. If anyone other than the few women she teaches found out, it could ruin her family's good name.
Morgan's travels to track his impersonator lead him to Cambridge, and to an old friend—Elizabeth's father. Forced into close proximity with each other, Morgan and Elizabeth's first impressions are less than friendly. But when Elizabeth's secret comes to light and Morgan's confrontation with his adversaries reaches a fever pitch, they must work together. Along the way, they might learn that what they needed most was each other.
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The Wedding Gift by Carolyn Brown

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A bride with cold feet might just make the mistake of a lifetime... Includes two bonus novellas to help you celebrate the seasons!
A week before your wedding is one heckuva time for your ex to ride back into town, stirring up trouble. But that's exactly the predicament Darla McAdams finds herself in. Darla's on the verge of breaking up with her fiancé, Will Jackson—only a week before the wedding. Her parents would disown her, but Darla's sure that her Granny Roxie will understand when Darla tells her that her first love, Andy, has come back to town. Thank goodness for a wise granny's reminiscences of her own sassy wedding at just the right moment…
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JUNE 2023 Releases

5/26/2023

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Shadows of the Lost by Maxym M. Martineau

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Once I was a Charmer, and the magical beasts of this world loved me. Now I'm something else. Something darker.

As a member of the Charmers Council, Gaige is able to form lasting bonds with the magical beasts of his world. At least, he used to be a Charmer...until he died and was brought back as one of the immortal assassins of Cruor. Now he's far more dangerous.

…and something beyond the shadows lies in wait, hungry to claim him for its own.

As leader of the assassins, all Kost can do is watch as Gaige struggles with his new life day by day. He wants nothing more than to ease Gaige's suffering—yet how can he when they both know he's the one responsible? There is nothing left but bitter memories and hopeless longing between them. Yet when Gaige is lost to the shadow realm, Kost is the only one with any chance of bringing him back: if they can learn to trust (and perhaps love) each other again.

Intense, compelling, and impossible to put down, Shadows of the Lost is perfect for readers looking for:
  • epic New Adult fantasy series with a bit of spice
  • a unique premise, delicious angst, and a plot to die for
  • high fantasy with paranormal and romance elements
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Wolf on the Wild Side by Terry Spear

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Two wolves is better than one, but a pack of wolves beats trouble any day…

Ski Lodge owner and gray wolf Kayla Wolff hasn't had the best romantic history, so dating Private Investigator and fellow pack mate Nate Grayson feels like she's hit the jackpot. When she thinks about the way her last relationship ended, Kayla worries that she'll screw up again and lose Nate too. 

When Nate's latest investigation puts Kayla in the crosshairs, the pack comes together to help while Nate stays by her side day and night to protect the wolf he loves. There's no doubt in his mind that Kayla is the mate for him, but does she feel the same way?
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The Captive Duke by Grace Burrowes

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A breathtaking tale of a tortured hero and the woman who helps him to heal.

Captured and tortured by the French, Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, lost his wife, his son, and his will to live. He struggles to find a way back to the world he once knew until Gillian, Countess of Windmere, pointedly reminds him that he has a daughter who still needs him.

As Christian and Gillian spend more and more time together trying to help Margaret, who was traumatized by her mother's death, their attraction slowly begins to grow. 
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A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand 

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New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn, Claire Legrand, makes her stunning adult debut with A Crown of Ivy and Glass, a lush, sweeping fantasy-romance series starter that’s perfect for fans of Bridgerton and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Lady Gemma Ashbourne seemingly has it all. She’s young, gorgeous, and rich. Her family was Anointed by the gods, blessed with incredible abilities. But underneath her glittering façade, Gemma is deeply sad. Years ago, her sister Mara was taken to the Middlemist to guard against treacherous magic. Her mother abandoned the family. Her father and eldest sister, Farrin—embroiled in a deadly blood feud with the mysterious Bask family—often forget Gemma exists.

Worst of all, Gemma is the only Ashbourne to possess no magic. Instead, her body fights it like poison. Constantly ill, aching with loneliness, Gemma craves love and yearns to belong.
Then she meets the devastatingly handsome Talan d’Astier. His family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon, and Talan, the only survivor, is determined to redeem their honor. Intrigued and enchanted, Gemma proposes a bargain: She’ll help Talan navigate high society if he helps her destroy the Basks. According to popular legend, a demon called The Man With the Three-Eyed Crown is behind the families’ blood feud—slay the demon, end the feud.

But attacks on the Middlemist are increasing. The plot against the Basks quickly spirals out of control. And something immense and terrifying is awakening in Gemma, drawing her inexorably toward Talan and an all-consuming passion that could destroy her—or show her the true strength of her power at last.
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Eyes on Me by Sara Cate

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He's a voyeur—it means he likes to watch.
In Garrett Porter's line of work, that's a gift. As one of the owners of the Salacious Players' Club, he's comfortable on the sidelines and has always felt that he works best alone.

Until he stumbles on a cam girl app and finds himself watching the one person he should stay far away from: his step-sister, Mia Harris.

There are three big problems with this.
  • One, Mia and Garrett can't stand each other.
  • Two, she has no idea he's the man on the other end of the video.
  • And three, he's hooked—on the app, and on her.
Now Mia has awakened something in Garrett. She has him wanting and doing things he said he'd never do again, like opening up and getting attached. He's falling for her, but she's falling for the man he's only pretending to be.

If he's going to make this right, he has to do more than just watch.
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May 2023 releases

4/28/2023

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Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice by Annika Sharma

May 2, 2023
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Payal is a girl on the verge--of living a life she's always dreamt of, becoming a rising star in fashion, and...of marriage?!

When her parents insist she marry fellow Londoner and serial dater Ayaan Malhotra in order to save their company, Payal has a choice: stick it to her dysfunctional family but put her hard-earned fashion success on hold...or get engaged to save her family's fortune and rescue her own dream-come-true life.

Ayaan has always been seen as the reckless spare to his brother, the golden child heir to their parents' company. A little wild, a little broken, and desperate to prove himself, Ayaan agrees to get engaged to Payal -- on the condition that he gets 50 percent stake in his parents' company. 

Neither Payal nor Ayaan anticipate the challenges of keeping their respective agendas behind the engagement to themselves: a meddlesome grandmother, a spurned ex-girlfriend, two families with stakes of their own, a fashion brand on the line, and, unexpectedly, actually liking each other. But as the two race toward an impending engagement ceremony date, they realize that maybe they aren't just in this for business…and perhaps, love is in the cards after all.
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How to Kiss a Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy

May 9, 2023
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Nothing matters more than love, loyalty, and family.

Between rodeo wins and endorsement deals, Saddle Bronc Champion Brady Caine is living a charmed life. But when he causes an accident that could end a promising barrel racer's career, he's done with his wild ride. All he wants to do is erase his mistake by getting Suze Carlyle back in the saddle.

Focused and athletic, barrel racer Suze Carlyle has always been a loner more at ease with horses than people. Devastated at the thought of abandoning her championship dreams, she retreats to her isolated homestead to conquer her injuries and rebuild her life. The last person Suze wants to see on her doorstep is the man who ended her rodeo career, but there's something about this cowboy she just can't resist…
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Loving the Wolf by Paige Tyler

May 9, 2023
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When you find The One, don't let go, no matter what…

The problem with Jenna Malone is that she's SWAT werewolf Trevor McCall's best buddy's sister. Trevor suspects she's his fated mate, but how the heck can he make a move? When Jenna invites Trevor to visit her in Los Angeles, he figures he can withstand the temptation.

But what's hiding in LA is much more dangerous and complicated than any of the SWAT team could have guessed, and Jenna's right in the middle of it…
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The Comeback by Lily Chu

May 9, 2023
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From rising star Lily Chu comes a hilarious and thoughtful story of fame, family, and love for fans of The People We Meet on Vacation and everything BTS.

Ariadne Hui thrives on routine. So what if everything in her life is planned down to the minute: that's the way she likes it. If she's going to make partner in Toronto's most prestigious law firm, she needs to stay focused at all times.

But when she comes home after yet another soul-sucking day to find an unfamiliar, gorgeous man camped out in her living room, focus is the last thing on her mind. Especially when her roommate explains this is Choi Jihoon, her cousin freshly arrived from Seoul to mend a broken heart. He just needs a few weeks to rest and heal; Ari will barely even know he's there. (Yeah, right.)

Jihoon is kindness and chaos personified, and it isn't long before she's falling, hard. But when one wrong step leads to a shocking truth, Ari finds herself thrust onto the world stage: not as the competent, steely lawyer she's fought so hard to become, but as the mystery woman on the arm of a man the entire world claims to know. Now with her heart, her future, and her sense of self on the line, Ari will have to cut through all the pretty lies to find the truth of her relationship…and discover the Ariadne Hui she's finally ready to be.
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You're My Home by Debbie Burns

May 9, 2023
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Coming home will always give you a second chance…

When Riley Leighton and Levi Duncan finally meet again, the chemistry between them is as hot as ever. But as much as Levi has missed Riley all these years, he still remembers the heartbreak when she left him the first time…

Riley has spent a lifetime running from love. Now that she's home again, starting her dream job at the local pet rescue, she also has another chance to get it right with Levi. Everything Riley's wanted but thought she couldn't have is almost within reach.
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Book Proposal by KJ Micciche

May 16, 2023
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DESPERATELY SEEKING FICTIONAL HERO FOR HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Broke up with, broke, and with a vicious case of writer's block, romance writer Gracie Landing is a hot mess. She can hardly be blamed for drinking one (or a few) too many cocktails when out with her besties in an attempt to cheer herself up. Sometime in the foggy wee hours, she recklessly emails her unrequited high-school crush, Colin Yarmouth, who is now a successful attorney harboring regrets of his own. When she receives an intriguingly friendly (not to say flirty) response, her acute embarrassment is overcome only by her fervent curiosity—what would a hottie like Colin be like as a grown up? The two forge an unlikely friendship that's unmistakably headed for more. Colin's tales of his own woeful break-up become fodder for Gracie's fertile imagination and her current work-in-progress takes off. With the deadline looming and her checking account dwindling, Gracie has no idea that borrowing Colin's story could wreak havoc on her life, her career, and her own chance at happily-ever-after…
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The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio

May 30, 2023
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He's always been the token gay best friend. Now, stuck between a warring bride and groom hurtling toward their one perfect day, he's finally ready to focus on something new: himself.

Domenic Marino has become an expert at code-switching between the hypermasculine and ultrafeminine worlds of his two soon-to-be-wed best friends. But this summer—reeling from his own failed engagement and tasked with attending their bachelor and bachelorette parties—he's anxious over having to play both sides.

The pressure is on. The bride wants Dom to keep things clean. The groom wants Dom to "let loose" with the guys. And Dom just wants to get out of this whole mess with his friendships intact.

But once the rowdy groomsmen show up at the beach house—including a surprise visit from the groom's old frat brother, handsome and charming PGA star Bucky Graham—chaos (and unexpected romance) quickly ensues. By the time Dom returns for the bachelorette party, he's accumulated a laundry list of secrets that threaten to destroy everything—from the wedding, to Bucky's career, to the one thing Dom hasn't been paying nearly enough attention to lately: his own life.
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Wolf on the Wild Side Excerpt

4/28/2023

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The Gay Best Friend Excerpt

4/25/2023

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“So anyway,” he continues. “I took a gander at the itinerary you emailed us.” His voice almost flips into a laugh at the word itinerary. Probably not a great sign. “Methinks we may need to make a few adjustments.”

“What do you mean?” I do my best to match Patrick’s jokey tone. “I covered all the bases. Golf, beer, gambling…”

“You sure did.” He takes a swig from his bottle. “But come on, man. You have us watching all four days of the Travelers Championship. It’d be nice to actually play some golf one day.”

“I figured you’d want to watch Bucky on TV—since he can’t be here in person and all.”

“Bro,” Patrick deadpans. “Don’t tell me you still have your stupid thing against Bucky.”

“I don’t have a thing against Bucky,” I insist. “I just think it’s interesting that he’s the only groomsman who declined my invitation.”

Patrick rolls his eyes. “I know you’re not that into sports, but Bucky is an elite golfer right now. He was in the top half of the leaderboard at the Masters! He can’t be missing tournaments just to party with us. That’d be, like, forfeiting potentially millions of dollars. Plus he’ll lose his PGA Tour card if he doesn’t play in enough events.”

Here he goes again. Acting like Bucky is some kind of god just because he swings a golf club around on TV every weekend. Meanwhile, I was promoted to senior counsel two months ago—but did he gush to his other friends about that? No. (The fact that I hate my job notwithstanding…it was technically still an accomplishment.)

“Yeah, no. It’s fine.” I dig my feet further into the sand. “We can book a tee time. I don’t know if I’ll play, but you and Wilson and Greeny can—”

“We’ll figure it out,” Patrick says. “That’s not what I was talking about anyway. I couldn’t help but notice that your schedule has one, uh, glaring omission.”

“What do you mean?” I ask—desperate for him to answer with something like “you forgot movie night” or “we should do a wine tasting” or “the Sunday brunch menu is all breakfast and no lunch.” (But I mean, really. What kind of cretin actually cares about the “unch” in brunch?)

“I’ll give you a hint.” His mouth stretches into a smirk. “It rhymes with…knits.”

“Um.” I rub my eyes in an effort to unsee the giant fake breasts that have just bounced into my mind like a pair of self-dribbling basketballs. “I don’t follow.”

“Cut the shit.” Patrick laughs, revealing some new crow’s feet around his eyes. They’re handsome on him, even if they do slightly remind me of Ted. “Listen, I don’t really want strippers myself—the entire concept is weird. Who wants to pop a woody surrounded by their closest friends?” He laughs again. “But with the crew that’s coming here this weekend, we have to accept that it’s inevitable. I can’t stop Wilson from doing what Wilson is gonna do.”

“But Kate!” I protest. “You promised her we’d keep it clean.”

“I was worried this would happen.” Patrick stands up and squeezes my shoulders from behind my chair. “Okay. So remember in high school, before you were gay?”

“I was gay in high school,” I tell him. “I just wasn’t out.”

“You know what I mean.” He tightens his grip. “I’m just trying to remind you of a time when you were better at adhering to Bro Code—one of the most important rules of which is don’t tell wives and girlfriends incriminating shit. Bros before hoes.”

“That is such a juvenile and sexist little idiom.” I try to sound assertive, but it’s no use. Patrick’s display of dominance makes me feel twelve years old again. Like we’re playing Truth or Dare by flashlight in the lighthouse shed. “Kate would be crushed if she knew there were women here this weekend.” I consider going into detail about how she literally threatened to cancel their wedding over this, but think better of it. “And she’s gonna ask—”

“That’s exactly why you need to do me a solid here. She trusts you. If you tell her nothing happened, she’ll believe it.” Patrick’s fingers are basically melded into my clavicle at this point. “I love Kate—obviously. I would never do anything to hurt her. But this is just one of those situations where what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

Perhaps that’s true, but what about my karma? While I understand what Patrick is saying about Bro Code, lying to Kate would be betraying a totally different code to which I’m also bound. The fact that I’m gay and friends with his fiancée should exempt me from Patrick’s antiquated gender expectations altogether.

“Come on,” I attempt. “Kate’s my…”

“I’ve always had your back.”

“But—”

He somehow manages to squeeze even harder. “Dom.”

And that settles it.

I’ll just have to suck it up. Regardless of our differences, Patrick’s right. He has always been there for me. He’s gotten into fist fights for me—the AIM bully incident was just the first of several in which he had to step in after I talked shit I couldn’t back up with my own knuckles. (Listen, I was an angsty teen.) I owe him.

Plus his death grip is telling me I don’t have a choice in the matter, anyway.

“Alright, man.” I wriggle free and stand up to face him. “Fine.”

“You have to say it,” he demands.

I’m an inch taller than him, but somehow he towers over me.

“Say what?” I ask.

“That you won’t tell Kate anything about this weekend.” All jokiness has vanished from his voice. He’s not messing around. “What happens in Mystic…”

“Stays in Mystic.” I swallow the boulder of dread that’s been forming in my throat and take a breath. I knew something bad was going to happen this weekend. And it’s only Wednesday. “Got it.”
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Shadows of the Lost Excerpt

4/18/2023

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“I’m not here to discuss what you lost, Gaige. I’m here to help you forge a new path forward, even if you didn’t want it to begin with.” I stepped around him, nearing the window and gazing at the silhouettes of training assassins in the faded, heather-purple light of dusk. Swallowing thickly, I tugged at the hem of my vest. “I can train you privately, if you’d prefer.”

Gaige blinked, and for a moment, there was a sliver of the man I used to know. A surprised curl to his lips. A mischievous glint to his eyes. He seemed to recognize his inadvertent reaction, though, and he squashed it immediately.

“There was a time I would have taken you up on that offer. For something else, of course,” he said. My ears burned with his insinuation—so at odds with the suffocating weight of despair in my chest. Slowly, he re-gloved his hand. I doubted I’d ever feel the gentle touch of his fingers again. “But not anymore.”

“Someone else then.” I hated the way my voice came out shaky and weak. “I don’t care who trains you, just get it done. That’s an order from your guild master.”

He chuckled, a dark, nasty sound. “And just how are you going to enforce that? You’re my guild master in name only. I won’t be doing your bidding.”

“I only have so much patience, Gaige. If you continue to bait me…”

“Oh, come on.” Gaige pushed past me as a whirlwind of shadows encircled him. “Don’t you have better things to do? Go run the guild. I promise I’ll, I don’t know, not destroy a book next time.” He toed the shredded pile of parchment and binding for effect, and then let the swirling tendrils swallow him whole. So dark and all-consuming were his shadows that I couldn’t even track his movements. One moment he was there and the next he was gone, whisked away to gods only knew where.

I stormed down one of the aisles until I found a shelf heavy with tomes against the back wall. With far more force than necessary, I tugged a muted-yellow book by the binding, and the hidden door leading to the guild master’s private study swung open. I stepped through and slammed it shut behind me. The telltale, muffled thud of books falling followed, but I didn’t bother to reopen the passage and clean up the mess I’d made.

With the books or Gaige?

Exhaling tightly, I pushed that thought away and sank into the ornate, stuffed chair behind the desk. I grazed a few pieces of parchment. Bounties. A dull ache simmered behind my eyes, and I rubbed my temples. Becoming Cruor’s new guild master was an expected development. Noc couldn’t possibly be both king and guild master, and as his second-in-command, it was only logical for me to take over.

Yet, both Noc and Leena—Crown of the Charmer’s Council, Queen of Lendria, and a sister to me despite our initial rocky beginning—had been somewhat resistant to the idea. They wanted me to remain in Wilheim with them as their advisor. While the idea of dissecting political agendas and helping to strategize the wellbeing of an entire nation had its appeal, there were things here that needed a close eye. One thing—person—in particular, but he wasn’t exactly easy to watch. For the time being, the work that came with being guild master was a wonderful distraction. But even with ample jobs and responsibilities before me, I still couldn’t find the will to focus on my duties.

A whisper of shadows swirled in the corner, and I stilled. Tendrils pulled from every hidden crevice in the office, and they interwove in indistinct patterns until knitting together in the shape of a man. Noc. He craned his neck from side to side before tucking his hands in the pockets of his fitted trousers. He didn’t wear a crown, but the royal insignia, a griffin, was embroidered on the chest of his tunic. It should have been a bold silver, but the shadows washed out all color. Even the crystalline-blue shade of his eyes.

“Your majesty,” I said, burying my frustrations with Gaige in a smile. It was genuine, at least. Seeing my friend would always bring me joy. Shadow walking meant we could visit each other whenever we desired, despite the distance between Cruor and Wilheim. It was a small boon in an otherwise unfortunate predicament. I’d never expected the guild to feel so empty without him.

He scoffed, and the shadows about his jaw fluttered in response. “Not you, too. Calem already says it every chance he can.”

“He does it precisely because it elicits a rise out of you.” I leaned back in the chair, allowing my muscles to mold into the worn fabric. It’d only been a week since Noc and Leena’s wedding and subsequent crowning ceremony. And Calem, who was undoubtedly causing a ruckus somewhere within the guild, made it a point to refer to Noc as “king” whenever the opportunity arose.

“Yeah, well,” he glanced about the room, as if taking in the familiar surroundings of his former office, “I’ll have to come up with something equally irritating to call him.”

“Good luck with that.” I braced my elbows on the desk. “How’s everything going?”

“We’re making progress. Trade has officially reopened with Rhyne, so we should see and increased shipment in goods in the coming weeks.”

“That’s good. Is Rhyne in need of any assistance with their borders? I’m sure we can afford to send a few members if necessary.” I shuffled the parchment before me, eyeing requests and the details of the bounties.

“Not necessary.” Noc ghosted his hand along the bookshelves lining the wall as he moved toward the desk. Shadows dissipated and appeared with every subtle shift as he toyed with the bindings. “If anything, we need the help in Hireath.”

A nagging sensation trickled down my spine, and I pursed my lips. “Gaige hasn’t been back yet.”

“I know.” Noc came to a halt across from me, eyes cast downward. “Kaori and Raven have been asking about him. They’re handling the rebuilding effort just fine, but they worry. We all do.” Of course the members of the Charmer’s Council were asking about Gaige. He’d been a residing member for decades. Kaori and Raven were his closest friends. Yet, he’d cut off contact with them and ignored discussing his home altogether.

“He won’t train. Not with me, not with Ozias, not with anyone.” I stood and began to pace as the study walls closed in around me. Ozias was an expert at teaching members of Cruor to control the shadows. Even so, he couldn’t coax Gaige to learn.

And that was a dangerous thing.

“I don’t know what to do,” I said.

“How close is he?” Noc’s question was barely audible, but it rang through my mind with the force of a gong.

“Too close.”  I stopped and removed my glasses, pinching the bridge of my nose. Then, I extracted a small, mulberry cloth from my breast pocket and polished the lenses. “I don’t think he has much time left.”

Noc strode toward me and placed his hands on my shoulders. The lack of true contact was apparent, but the icy familiarity of those dark tendrils soothed my frayed nerves. “He’ll come around. He has to.”

Or he won’t, and we’ll lose him to the shadows. The unspoken truth of Gaige’s future hung heavy in the air, and I clenched my jaw.

Noc let his hands fall to his sides. “Leena and I leave tomorrow for Rhyne. When we return, we’ll stop through Cruor on our way to Hireath. If he hasn’t figured it out by then, she’ll knock some sense into him.”
With a quiet sigh, I replaced my glasses. “I hope she’s successful.”

“She will be.” Noc tipped his chin ever so slightly, peering at me for a long moment before frowning. “I hate to leave to abruptly but…”

“Go.” I waved him off as I returned to the desk. I slid into the chair and grabbed the nearest quill and inkwell. “I need to evaluate these contracts and determine who would be best suited for the jobs.”

“Maybe Gaige needs an assignment. Purpose will help.” Shadows gathered around him, temporarily darkening the room. He hesitated for a breath, half his body already lost to the shadow realm and other still firmly planted in my study.

“We won’t lose him, Kost.”

But as I nodded in answer and Noc disappeared, I couldn’t help but feel like we’d lost Gaige already. The man we knew before had died. This new person was shrouded in a sinister darkness I couldn’t control. No matter how much I wanted to try and pierce that veil, I wasn’t sure he’d let me.
​
One way or another, the shadows would come calling. And the only person who could stop them was Gaige.
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