The Wenamak Web by Marie Howalt

A mysterious invitation from an old friend brings private investigator Richard, spaceship pilot Eddie, and travel guide writer Alannah to a gorgeous, bustling metropolis on a planet where the dominant species can literally smell fear and lies. Wenamak appears to be the picture perfect place, down to the finest detail, but dangers lurk beneath its pristine surface. When a flippant wendek undercover agent seeks assistance on a delicate job, the Colibri Investigations crew soon find themselves tangled up in a shady game involving a web of illegal trade and exploitation. Luckily, Richard’s military training, Alannah’s intimate knowledge of the local culture, and Eddie’s tough attitude give the team the perfect edge to meet their client’s needs… at least until they run into someone familiar whom none of them expected to see again. There’s no planet too distant, no job too strange, for Colibri Investigations!

The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles

A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell. Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn’t expect it to turn up angry. Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude…and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual. Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn’t the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.

Askefise by Rebecca Schmid

SPFBO9

Tales of Redemeré: Book I ASKEFISE n. One who blows on ashes to bring them to flame. In a time before the Great War has ravaged the land, two sisters stumble across a lone traveler who calls himself Tyron. They tell him that they’re just passersby. He tells them that he’s nobody. They’re all lying. When the sisters begrudgingly agree to take Tyron with them to safety, they have no idea what they set in motion. One thing’s for certain: The world of Eatris will never be the same. For once Tyron has started, there’s no turning back. Note: While this is a prequel following an antagonist from the series, A Daughter's Ransom, it can be read as a standalone. Although A Daughter's Ransom is appropriate for readers 13+, Tales of Redemeré is recommended for audiences 16+.

The Redstone Rescue by Ben Moxon

“They say the crown lies heavy on the head of the king, but in Sataminva our crown lies on a perfectly counterbalanced plate in a display case in the Hall of Voices.” Khatin Amatar grew up in the free realm of Sataminva after the last king died in a failed war of conquest. Now she works as assistant and bodyguard to the famous detective Farid Rassamouli, helping out where community justice cannot reach. After successfully wrapping up a high-profile case they are sent from the familiar streets of the capital to a small border town where a colleague seems to be the latest in a string of disappearances. As their investigation begins, every answer just raises more questions and the shadows around the town of Redstone grow ever darker. Before their adventures are over Khatin will need her wits, her convictions, and all the skills she learnt growing up around the family fighting arena.

Magic on the Cards by Marina Finlayson

SPFBO10 Gryphons And Grimoires

Never trust a werewolf. I’m the weakest cartomancer who ever lived, but I can use Tarot cards to work magic. Most days. That makes me the natural prey of the Soldiers of the Light, the jumped-up werewolves who police the magic community. They’ve hunted cartomancers for centuries because of some stupid ancient feud. Never speak to a werewolf. I’m helping the local vampires track a rogue that’s menacing our little town when I knock a handsome stranger off his motorbike. He’s badly hurt but refuses medical help. So I take Mr Tall, Dark and Suspicious home—and find out he’s a Soldier. Because that’s just the kind of day I’m having. Never, under any circumstances, fall in love with a werewolf. He’s my sworn enemy, but sparks fly between us. Now I have a monster to catch and a town to save, all while guarding my secret—and my heart—from a man who would kill me without a second thought if he knew the truth.

Mountain Man's Winter Beauty: A Steamy Instalove Romance (Wildwood Valley Firehouse #1) by Lilah Hart

Trapped by winter. Claimed by a mountain firefighter. I noticed Mason the moment he walked into the roadhouse. Hard not to. He was built like the mountains surrounding Wildwood Valley—broad shoulders, powerful arms, hands that looked like they could either break you in half or hold you like you mattered. One of the new firefighters in town. The kind of man every woman noticed. Except he didn’t notice me. Or so I thought. For weeks, Mason came in with his crew. He talked to everyone—the bartender, the cook, the manager. Everyone except me. When I refilled his sweet tea, he couldn’t meet my eyes. When I asked for his order, he answered in single words, like speaking to me was harder than running into a burning building. I told myself it didn’t matter. I was just the server. The small-town girl nobody really saw. Then the snowstorm hit. The roads closed. My car couldn’t make it up the mountain. And suddenly I was stranded in a ditch—in the cab of Mason’s truck—with nowhere to go and no way out. That’s when everything changed. That’s when the quiet firefighter finally told me the truth. He hadn’t been avoiding me because he wasn’t interested. He’d been avoiding me because he was terrified of how much he wanted me. We had one hour before his crew reached us. One hour to decide if this was real—or just the storm talking. One hour that could change everything. Sometimes the best things happen when you’re trapped in the cold… with the one man who can keep you warm. Tropes: 🔥 Firefighter Romance 🏔️ Mountain Man Alpha Hero ❄️ Snowstorm Forced Proximity 🛻 Stranded Together 💪 Protective Age-Gap Hero 😳 Shy Alpha, Hidden Desire 🌸 Virgin Heroine / First Time ⚡ Fast-Burn Instalove ❤️ Small-Town Romance 🌡️ High-Heat OTT Novella Mountain Man's Winter Beauty is an OTT age-gap romance featuring an alpha hero and V-card heroine. It's a forced proximity firefighter romance with lots of steam that's designed to be read in only 1 hour. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Wildwood Valley Firehouse series!

Of Stars and Lightning by Melanie Mar

“Destiny wasn’t meant to be tested. Then again, neither was she.” Sol Yarrow didn't ask for much. A nice day for hunting. A peaceful shift at her gods-awful job. A steaming bowl of her Aunt's famous stew. Easy. Simple. But after twenty-five years of simplicity, everything she thought to be true was rewritten when four strangers came to her town of Yavenharrow to take her back to a shielded land known to be inhabited by ruthless Elemental Magic Wielders, a land only known by rumors and bedtime stories. A kingdom where her Mother had been the Queen. A kingdom that, by order of succession, now belonged to her. But what would a human with no magic and a short temper have to offer the Wielders? Sol didn't think much. Her Court thought otherwise.

The Trouble with Prophecies by Jake Joy

The heroes of old are gone and the world of Feydern has fallen into darkness. With the prophesised Chosen One missing, Feydern’s only hope lies with Derrick, the Last Wizard, but he doesn’t want to help. In his opinion, tracking down the missing Chosen One is an idiotic idea that will get them all killed. But prophecies must come true and despite his best efforts, he’s dragged along on the quest. Bandits, goblins, and warring grannies stand in the way of his freedom, but he finds his greatest obstacle is destiny itself. That’s the trouble with prophecies... They don’t really give you a choice.

Kit & Basie by Tess Carletta

Immortality is a dangerous affair when it isn’t done right. Basie Yeats knows he’s doing immortality all wrong, spending endless days in the same place, but he doesn’t see a reason to leave the home he loves in Long Lily, Pennsylvania. Once the impossible death of his mother leaves him the only immortal person he knows, Basie decides that the only thing he wants to do is get out of Long Lily and start doing immortality the right way—alone. Kit Elliot has wandered the world looking for the right place to call home, so when a church-turned-cottage suddenly goes up for sale in a quaint Pennsylvania town, it feels like it was meant to be. It takes only a few days at Wellhead Cottage for Kit to decide that the man who sold it to him is frustrating, awkward, and terribly handsome. He offers to help Basie find a new home away from Long Lily—but as days turn to months, Kit finds himself wishing he could make Basie stay.

ILLBORN by Daniel T. Jackson

SPFBO7

BOOK ONE OF THE ILLBORN SAGA Long ago, The Lord Aiduel emerged from the deserts of the Holy Land, possessed with divine powers. He used these to forcibly unite the peoples of Angall, before His ascension to heaven. Over eight hundred years later, in a medieval world which is threatened by war and religious persecution, four young men and women begin to develop supernatural abilities. These forbidden and secret powers will shatter the lives that they have known, and will force each of them to confront the mystery of the ethereal Gate which haunts their dreams. What does the dream mean, and how is it connected to their burgeoning abilities? As they experience conflict, love, lust and betrayal, in lands which are being overtaken by war, they must try to stay ahead of and to survive the sinister forces which are now pursuing them. For they are being hunted… Illborn is Daniel T. Jackson’s powerful and gritty debut novel, and is the thrilling opening chapter in the epic fantasy story of The Illborn Saga.

Isoldesse by Kimberly Gruenbacher

SPSFC

Friendships are tested, new alliances are made, and the truth of one woman's actions from over a millennia ago are revealed. Kenna and Meegan are college students dealing with upcoming finals, needy parents, boy drama, and what to do with their lives after they graduate in a few weeks. What they weren't expecting was for Kenna to receive a powerful stone necklace that ultimately changes their plans for a relaxing summer. Strange things begin to happen to Kenna, like being the only one who can see and talk to the mysterious old woman with a golden aura. Or how in her dreams, a man with vibrant orange eyes keeps appearing who may or may not be real. Though, not all of Kenna's mysterious encounters are pleasant as she's haunted by massive beings carrying long swords and wearing armor covered in black scales. Besides solving the mystery of where the stone necklace came from, Kenna, Meegan, and their friends are taken to another world for a routine evolutionary assessment. The assessment gets sabotaged and causes more chaos for Kenna and her friends, especially for Meegan who is forced to open up and reveal her true identity and the magic she hides. There's one name that Kenna, Meegan, the Sendarians, and the monsters who've been hunting Meegan and her family for over a century all have in common-Isoldesse.