A modern Greek myth retelling and fantasy romance Strifre’s Apple by Shoshana Rain is a full-length, medium-burn, standalone fantasy romance with a guaranteed HEA. It contains steamy scenes and is an opposites attract, enemies to lovers romance. Read on!
Strife's Apple: A Modern Greek Mythology Fantasy Romance (The New Olympus Book 1)
Genre: Fantasy Romance/ Greek Mythology
Features 🏛️Enemies-to-lovers ❤️Grumpy/sunshine (she's grumpy) 🏛️Locked her in Tartarus (isn't sorry) ❤️Hate everyone but you (and maybe you too) 🏛️We Need to f*ck this out ❤️Anti-heroine 🏛️Has to save everyone. Doesn't want to
Apollo: As the God of Prophecy, it’s my duty to keep my fellow gods safe. And to do that, I need Eris. Which means retrieving the Goddess of Discord from the pits of Tartarus—where I left her, seven hundred years ago. The now-freed goddess may think she can beat me, but I intend to tame her wildness before she destroys us all. I’ll do anything to save my family, including seducing her. And I'll love every second of it. I’ll have the little goddess on her back, hands, knees, any and every way I can get her. No matter what, I'll bring her to heel.
Eris: For seven hundred years, they kept me chained in darkness. For seven hundred years, I never saw sunlight, never knew joy, never spoke to another mortal—or god. Until Apollo came, and with the wave of one imperious hand, freed me. I know he needs my help. The gods are fading, and only I can save them. Too bad I have no interest in anything beyond revenge. Especially against him.
A lover of mythology, sexy romances, and heroines who give as good as they get, Shoshana knew she wanted to write fantasy romance since reading Kushiel’s Dart. When she’s not writing, she’s hanging out with her cat and trying to keep her garden alive in the harsh desert summer.
Step into the eerie world of Wednesday Addams with this book filled with unofficial advice and cryptic counsel for navigating the peculiarities of everyday existence.
Written by a Wednesday expert in an appropriately sinister style, What Would Wednesday Do? is your guide through the shadows of life. From relationships gone awry to embracing your inner darkness, the advice in this giftable book provides dark wisdom that will leave you both unsettled and entertained. You will learn the most devious of important life skills, including how to:
• Navigate unconventional relationships and dreadful family
dynamics
• Find the best outfit for greeting local police officers when they come to inform you of your husband’s mysterious demise
• Explore the depths of your inner darkness for personal growth
• Defy societal expectations
• Uncover the most effective way to align yourself with the ghastly ghosts haunting your abode
• Find the most effective way to brood in shadowy corners
• Cultivate a hauntingly fulfilling existence and more!
Thanks to the hit Netflix series Wednesday, the Adams Family is back in the limelight.
Have you ever wondered what Wednesday Addams would be like as an advice columnist? I dreadfully do! Thus Iphigenia Jones channels her inner Wednesday answering pondering questions from those seeking advice in the field of social life, romance, career, and matters of the home and hearth. All by answering them in the Addams Family way.
What unfolds will tickle the darkest of hearts. I loved that Ms. Jones has to be intermediately be reminded by her lawyers that the Addams Way, such as advising to frame your rude aunt for attempted murder( Neglected Niece letter) might be a bit much, but oh my would Wednesday be proud.
Iphigenia Jones delivers a tasty hold until season 2 with What Would Wednesday Do? Jones writes in spot-on macabre, deadpan delight as per Wednesday and her family the Addams would. What Would Wednesday Do is a devilish delight to read that does creator Charles Addams proud.
My rating is 5 finger snaps.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Iphigenia Jones has seen every episode of The Addams Family and has only been accused of witchcraft thrice. She enjoys cats, blackberries, and chatting with ghosts. An enigmatic entity that communicates through the whispers of spiders, she is an expert on all things macabre and knows many intimate secrets of the Addams family, having written two books on the subject. In her free time, Iphigenia enjoys exploring hidden staircases, solving mysteries, and perfecting hexes. In addition to What Would Wednesday Do? she is the author of The Unofficial Wednesday Cookbook (Ulysses Press, 2023) and the forthcoming cocktail book, The Turn of the Screwdriver (Ulysses Press, 2024).
Eye catchingly lured in by this stunning book cover, and caught in my Thursday Book Spotlight is An Incarnation of Shadow and Light by S.A. Christianson. Let’s read on for more details.
An Incarnation of Shadow and Light
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Genre: NA Dark Fantasy/ Gaslamp Fantasy
Featuring
✨Magic ✨LGBTQ+ Rep ✨Morally Grey Characters ✨Betrayals ✨An Exiled Prince ✨Assassins ✨High-Stakes Fantasy ✨Multiple POVs ✨Political intrigue
Four magicians abuse their magic to gain power in a corrupt Victorian inspired world. In the Kingdom of Verchiél only a handful of people known as Incarnate can use magic. Equally feared and respected, they are revered as saints and indulged like gods. But the sudden deaths of Verchiél’s rulers unleashes a power struggle between four Incarnate, each seeking power to fulfil their own desires. Gabriel, a charismatic socialite who takes darker paths to avoid slipping back into powerlessness. Zoe, the daughter of a disgraced merchant, determined to carve a new path for her life. Niklas, an exiled prince trying to escape the ghosts of his past. Silje, an assassin who will stop at nothing until she’s seized the adoration she has always been denied. Infighting and betrayal run rampant as each becomes worse than their problems in order to solve them.
Most London socialites dream of marrying for love or status, but Contessa’s wedding is about justice—and revenge.
Nathanial Woodrow is known on the streets of London as the Beast, leader of the fearsome Lion gang who marks their victims with three slashes on their faces. Since her mother was found dead with the signature slashes years ago, Contessa has wanted nothing more than to see her murderer brought to justice. However, the Beast has been impeccable at maintaining his façade as the high society Mr. Nathanial Woodrow, and nobody has been able to gather enough evidence to convict him. When the Beast unexpectedly asks Contessa’s father, the Chief of the Royal Police, for her hand in marriage, Contessa and her father hatch a plan to bring him down from the inside.
As Contessa enters the lion’s den in search of evidence to convict the Beast, she finds that not everything is as she once thought. Her father’s work, hunting down Talented that use their magic to rule the criminal underworld, is thrown into question with each glimpse of the kind-hearted man beneath the mask of a hardened gang leader. As Contessa navigates her search for justice, she finds herself questioning what side she’s really on, and why she finds herself drawn to a man she’s supposed to hate.
Beauty and the Blade (The Talented Fairy Tales Book 1) Publication Date: January 5, 2024 Genre: Gaslamp Fantasy/ Fairy Tale Fantasy
🌹Enemies-to-Lovers ♟️Slow-Burn 🌹Arranged Marriage ♟️Found Family 🌹Magical Street Gangs ♟️Who Did this to You?
Review
I previously spotlighted this book in my Thursday Book Spotlight. So, when I got offered a chance to review it I was like yay! Yes, please (A big thanks to Mrs. Grayson and RR Book Tours for gifting me a copy)!
Take a dash of Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, tossed in with some Bridgerton meets Peaky Blinders and you haveBeauty and the Blade. Forget the poetics though as upon the first page you dive right in as we meet Contessa about the get married to the “Beast” (Due to his scared face) Nathaniel Woodrow, known on the streets as the leader of the notorious street gang the Lions. Her mission is to get proof and revenge on the man who is said to of murdered her mother. In Contessa’s attempt for evidence, she learns that trust is proven through actions not words as everything Contessa once thought may not be right.
Beauty and the Blade is a cozy read. I love fairy tales and fairy tale retellings all the more. Grayson does a splendid job on my beloved Beauty and the Beast. Set in industrialized London and replaces an enchanted curse with what the town folks call the “Cursed” or “Talented.” Think X-men mutants and you kind of get the idea.
I love how Grayson throws us right into the thick of it on the first page with Contessa’s wedding of doom then sets everything down to a simmer as the rest slowly unfolds. There are plot twists, and some action moments, yet it all runs at a simmering pace. I wanted Grayson to crank up the stove a bit, but then that would make Beauty and the Blade lose the charm and appeal it has.
Grayson writes in a soothing smooth tone that just engrosses you into her world. I don’t know how many times I was like okay I am stopping at this chapter then I come to the end of it and I am like um…one more chapter! A perfect book to curl up with and read on a rainy day, which is what I did.
My overall rating 4 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S.C. Grayson has been reading fantasy novels since she was a little girl stealing books from her older sister’s shelves, and that has developed into a love of writing and storytelling. Her writing is currently focused on fantasy and paranormal romance. When she is not sitting in a local coffee shop writing and consuming an iced americano, Grayson is a nurse working towards a Ph.D. in nursing with a focus on breast cancer genetics. She lives in Pittsburgh with her loving husband and their two
cats, who enjoy contributing to her work by walking across her keyboard at inopportune moments (the cats, not the husband).
BEAUTY AND THE BLADE OUT NOW AND AVAILABLE ON Amazon
Alathea knows she’s the only one who can stand between her vengeful mother, Bex, and all-out war with the magic realms. But to confront her mother, Alathea will have to return home with Lidja, the high sorceress whose disdain for her has only sharpened—and the one person she would prefer to never see again.
Lidja can’t find a peaceful spot far enough from Alathea in her home realm. But when Bex escalates her threats to deadly heights, Lidja knows she’ll have to assess this new enemy herself. For such a delicate mission, she’ll have to work in harmony with Alathea, the mule-headed almost-ruler who refuses to cooperate, no matter how adjacent her sharp axe comes to Alathea’s throat.
To stop the oncoming war, Alathea and Lidja might have to consider the worst option of all: a fake betrothal that proves the magic realms are no threat and creates a magic tie between them. But when magic blurs the line between love and hate, will either be strong enough to resist…or will the fake betrothal make fools of them both?
Bound by Promises & Lies is the second book in the Realms of Magic Young Adult fantasy series with a slow-burn sapphic romance, heart-pounding adventure, and big twists. If you liked Throne of Glass or A Curse So Dark & Lovely, you’ll love this fast-paced story by Sienna Archer.
Publication Date: February 19, 2024 Genre: YA Fantasy Romance/ LGBTQ2+ *Fake fiancé *Slow-burn Sapphic romance *Touch her and die *Plot twists *Family drama *Wish-granting sea faeries *Complex characters *Second in a series *YA Romantasy
Review
Meant to read the first book (Bound by Scars and Secrets) before I read this second installment am reviewing I accidentally picked up Bound by Promises & Lies first and started reading none the wiser. I was a couple of chapters in when I realized this was book 2, not book 1. I winced because I am a stickler for reading in order, but it was too late. I was already invested in Sienna Archer’s world and characters. I had to see Alathea and Lidja journey through till the end!
I must say Lidja has to be my official favorite female character in a book of all time. I have never had one until now either. She resonated with me written perfectly real – strong-ass-willed, yet vulnerable weak, and unapologetically herself. Her conversations with whomever she comes in contact with are entertainingly priceless.
Bound by Promises & Lies is an engrossing read you’ll forget this is a YA fantasy. It also works well as a stand-alone almost since I didn’t read the first book and was not that lost.
Archer writes with a warm welcome tone that instantly draws you in. I felt instantly welcomed into her world and instantly fell in love with her characters (and this is book 2 remind you!) That says something about a writer’s writing prowess.
While sure there were some points in the story that might have made more sense if I read book 1 first it was minuscule. Plus it only acted as an enticement for me to go back and read book 1 to get the whole story. Bound by Promises & Lies ends on a bit of a cliffhanger too so I am excited to see what Archer has next in the realms of magic world.
My overall rating 5 out of 5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
About the Author
Sienna Archer believes romance should be epic, adventures magical, and the best characters are the ones who grow. She writes books featuring diverse characters and strong female leads that make readers laugh, shout, and cry.
Learn more about Sienna and her books at Sienna Archer
Currently, on a book tour with RR Book Tours, this book deserves a spotlight, just by the title alone. Let’s sink our teeth into A House of Fangs and Deceit by Alex Frost.
A House of Fangs & Deceit: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Lunaria Realms Book 1)
Publication Date: January 23, 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance/ Why Choose
The fae are gone and the monsters reign.
Lunaria was always a land full of nightmares. But when the fae vanished without a trace, we had to make sacrifices to survive.
From the ashes, the Moroi Houses rose.
As the Heir to one of the most influential Houses, I’ve always known that an arranged marriage would be part of my future. One where I ruled alongside my husband as we fought to strengthen the crumbling alliances of our people.
When I’m betrayed by my husband and his House, however, I return home to an uncertain future—and to both my childhood crush and my arch-nemesis. Kieran is even more gorgeous and clever-tongued than I remember, while Alaric is frustrating... and hotter than he has any right to be. And then there’s the taciturn librarian and their magical ropes…
Navigating politics has always come easily to me, but I don’t know how to deal with my complicated desires or whom I can trust. Because the blood wards that have kept our realm safe for over a century are failing. The monsters are drawing closer, and someone is aiding them.
A unique take on Vampires, Shifters, Fae, & Other Magical Creatures. This is a spicy fantasy romance with love interests who don’t mind sharing. You can expect different types of relationships ranging from sweet and playful to enemies to lovers; set in a world full of monsters with a dark history.
Alex Frost is… actually Maddox Grey. Dun dun duuuuun! Okay probably not that dramatic of a reveal since it isn’t exactly a closely guarded secret. The pen name Alex Frost was created to publish the spicier fantasy series that fall under the “Why Choose” genre. Why Alex Frost? Because Maddox is a freaking nerd. After being trained by local baristas to respond to the name “Alex” instead of Maddox, it seemed like the perfect pen name. Half of it anyway. Since Maddox already shares their last name with Jean Grey of the X-Men, it seemed fitting to borrow Emma Frost’s last name for their other persona. If you know, you know.
SPOTLIGHT! A sinfully alluring cover The Devil’s Waltz by Jessi Elliot looks AMAZING! Be on the lookout for this beauty coming this February 27th, 2024!
Discover what happens when a young woman from a family of demon hunters falls in love with the prince of hell in this spicy paranormal romance.
The Devil’s Waltz (Love in Hell #1)
Expected Publication Date: February 27, 2024
Genre: Spicy Paranormal Romance
Features:
❤️🔥 Lovers to Enemies…to Lovers?
❤️🔥 Forbidden Romance
❤️🔥 Snarky Banter
❤️🔥 Mental Health Rep
❤️🔥 Angst
❤️🔥 Spiceeeee
It’s been five years since her sister was killed by a demon and Camille Morgan swore off the family business of demon hunting. Now a college sophomore, Cami is determined to get her degree and move far away from Seattle—and all things paranormal.
But when Cami becomes the target of a demon attack she’s convinced is a ploy by her parents to drag her back into training, the wildly charming and attractive Xander Kane comes to her rescue. Except her savior isn’t a hunter. Or even human.
Xander is a demon, the alluring prince of hell, whose magnetic presence leaves Cami both captivated and conflicted, especially when she finds out he plans on using her to destroy the demon hunters once and for all.
Caught between her growing affection for Xander and her loyalty to her family, Cami struggles to make a decision that could shatter her and endanger the lives of those she loves.
Jessi Elliott is a paranormal and fantasy romance author who lives in Ontario, Canada with her adorable calico cat, Phoebe.
When she’s not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with friends and family, get lost in a steamy romance novel, watch Friends, and drink coffee.
You can find Jessi at www.jessielliott.com and on social media @authorjessielliott. Join her newsletter to stay up to date on book news!
In honor of Black History Month, I decided to honor part of my heritage. When the chance to review Deep Inside The Blues came upon me I was, yes this is it! Growing up I was familiar with the Blues. There was no music unturned in my family. I remember Blues Legend B.B. King vividly as he made a guest appearance either on the Muppet Show or Sesame Street when I was a kid. I then had a chance to work with one of his daughters Shirley King so my knowledge of the blues culture grew. I learned it was more than a culture, it is history. So If you think you know the Blues, well, you might not know the blues like you thought.
Deep Inside the Blues collects thirty-four of Margo Cooper’s interviews with blues artists and is illustrated with over 160 of her photographs, many published here for the first time. For thirty years, Cooper has been documenting the lives of blues musicians, their families and homes, neighborhoods, festivals, and gigs. Her photographic work combines iconic late-career images of many legendary figures including Bo Diddley, Honeyboy Edwards, B. B. King, Pinetop Perkins, and Hubert Sumlin with youthful shots of Cedric Burnside, Shemekia Copeland, and Sharde Thomas, themselves now in their thirties and forties. During this time, the Burnside and Turner families and other Mississippi artists such as T-Model Ford, James “Super Chikan” Johnson, and L. C. Ulmer entered the national and international spotlight, ensuring the powerful connection between authentic Delta, Hill Country, and Piney Woods blues musicians and their audience.
Partnering with R&R Book Tours for a cozy paranormal mystery book feature that will be perfect to curl up with on cold rainy/snowy nights. Put on your detective hats as we dive into TheEnglewood Medium: Shaken But Not Stirred by Lana McAra.
The Englewood Medium: Shaken But Not Stirred
Publication Date: January 10, 2024
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
When Haley Meyers opens a new chapter in her life with a move to the charming town of Englewood, Pennsylvania, everything seems perfect: her freshly remodelled apartment, easy access to her therapy practice, and a handsome downstairs neighbour to boot. The very last thing she expects as a housewarming gift is the sudden appearance of her long-deceased father. Her idyllic image of the small town disappears when Haley finds herself the target of an unknown stalker who goes on a campaign of terror and destruction. She puts her newfound psychic talents to good use, but will she be able to discover who is after her before someone gets hurt? When her client is the victim of foul play, Haley can’t help but wonder: Will she be next?
Lana McAra is an award-winning, international best-selling author and ghostwriter of 44 titles through traditional publishing with a million books sold, many under the name Rosey Dow. She has been teaching how to write fiction for 20 years. She currently serves as the president of the Northeast Florida Chapter of Sisters in Crime and is the host of The Fiction Writer’s Podcast.
Writing under the name Rosey Dow, she won The Christy Award, The Book Excellence Award, and The Literary Titan Silver Book Award for her historical novel Reaping the Whirlwind by Rosey Dow, and her mystery series, Colorado, sold more than 250,000 copies. This year she released the paranormal cozy mystery, Shaken but Not Stirred by Lana McAra.
In my spotlight today is the newly released Awoke by K.T. Conte. The cover is beautifully alluring and the story sounds curious. If you like the manga/anime Bleach. Novels like City of Bones, Daughters of Smoke and Bone, or the dark supernatural Angelfall, then Awoke might be your next read.
Awoke (The Unseen War Book 1)
Publication Date: February 1, 2024
Genre: NA Paranormal Fantasy
🖤Grim Reaper Forbidden Romance
🖤Black Bad-A%$ FMC
🖤Black, Scottish MMC
🖤Dystopian World Building
🖤Malcontent Spirits
🖤Anime Vibes
When the Veil between the Living and the Dead Shifts…
Turning eighteen is more than just a rite of passage for Katya Stevens; it’s a chilling awakening. Suddenly thrust into a world she’d believed was a mere figment of childhood nightmares, she finds herself where the dead refuse to rest, and the balance of life teeters perilously.
Her once-hidden ability to see the departed reveals not only the world’s deadly mysteries but also the depths of her soul. Gregor, an enigmatic Grim Reaper, isn’t just a harbinger of death but a symbol of the battling forces at play—especially The Want, spirits distorted by their defiance against the natural transition to the beyond.
But Katya’s destiny is larger than she ever imagined. A beacon in legends, she stands between hope and havoc. As she delves deeper into the ethereal realm of Ager, she confronts not just the malevolent Wanters but the shadows of her own heart and the complexities of early adulthood.
Awoke weaves a tale inspired by the depth and drama of beloved fantasy tales and the intricate storylines of notable anime series, promising a world where every decision echoes with univer-altering consequences.
K.T. Conte, a devotee of the written word and all things wild and fascinating, first discovered her passion for books at the tender age of two. Even then, as an avid reader, her journey to becoming an author was already on the horizon. An African-American author with a flair for breathing life into stories, K.T. holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School.
While she is a licensed and practicing attorney, K.T.’s first love has always remained books. The enchanting dance of words across a page and the powerful narratives they weave continue to captivate and inspire her every day. Over the years, she has shared her Massachusetts home with a delightful blend of characters – the enchanting specters in the closet, her loving husband Everett, a couple of mischievous building fairies, and her beloved daughter, Ella.
Freelance Writer Janny(Jan Marie)C 