Tag: romance

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Book Spotlight Thursday: All the Sacrifice of Shadows by Hillary Raymer

The cover has a dragon on it, so of course, I am spotlighting this book. All the Sacrifice of Shadows is the exciting next installment in the Starstorm series, coming November 13th.

All the Sacrifice of Shadows (Starstorm Series Book 2)

Expected Publication Date: November 13, 2024

Genre: Romantic Fantasy/ Dragons

Features

Arranged Marriage
Grumpy x Sunshine
Shadow Daddy 
Morally Grey
Very Spicy
Dragons
His Dragon Like Her Better

Synopsis

She was a storm of violent sunbeams and catastrophic rainbows.
Marrying for love was never in the stars for Creslyn, as evidenced by her future husband. Drake is calculating, cruel, and wields a blade of death. By all rights, he should be terrifying. But something about him draws her in, his shadows call to the darkness she keeps locked away inside of her. She isn’t foolish enough to expect love from a marriage contract, but when they bind their vows in blood, Creslyn does the unthinkable—she claims Drake as her mate.

He was a monster of shadow and night, of death and destruction.
Cursed since his first breath, Drake has only known power and a realm of shadows. But now he’s bound to a faerie whose heart bleeds for him, and his obsession with her only grows with each passing day. Unfortunately, his world of violence puts her life at stake. Not only is he still the Shadowblade Assassin, but unrest is brewing in Aeramere, and an attack on House Celestine confirms an ill-fated prophecy. War is coming.
As Creslyn longs to find a way to break Drake’s curse and struggles to embrace her own darkness, Drake will be faced with a terrible choice—one that will only end in sacrifice.
Secrets will be unearthed and their bond will be put to the test, because love might be enough for a hero, but it will never save a villain.
Don’t forget Book 1

Pre-Order Here

Content Warning: The book contains the following triggers.

⦁ Voyeurism
⦁ Foul language
⦁ Explicit sexual content
⦁ Attempted murder
⦁ Death
⦁ Blood
⦁ Brief on pages attempted SA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hillary Raymer is a fantasy romance author. She’s a wanderer, a storyteller, and believes in happily ever afters.

Hillary has always been a dreamer, and lucky for her, she turned those dreams into stories. She has an unfinished Bachelor’s Degree in English, because she ran off and married a Marine halfway through college. She has an affinity toward plants, loves flowers, and enjoys scoping out metaphysical markets for crystals. Wanderlust comes naturally to her, and she’s doing her best to instill the same wild and free values in her daughters. When not writing, Hillary can be found attempting to do yoga, buying more makeup she doesn’t need, or discovering small businesses on Etsy.

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Book Spotlight Thursday: Violence in the Void by Alice Stanco

I am back! This Thursday, we are shedding some love on Alice Stanco’s Violence in the Void. The cover lulls you in, so let’s go deeper into the void.

Violence in the Void

Publication Date: November 2023

Genre: Dark Romantic Fantasy

Featuring
⦁	Multiple dialects
⦁	Mental health rep
⦁	Life & love after trauma
⦁	Hidden realm
⦁	Elemental magic
⦁	Phantom hands daddy
⦁	Tall, dark, & brazen MMC
⦁	Feisty, resilient, & powerful FMC
⦁	Morally grey everyone
⦁	“Mine”
⦁	“You’re safe with me”
⦁	Forced proximity
⦁	He cooks for her
⦁	Quest-centered plot

The Void is encroaching, threatening to take over…
Will his Violence set me free, or push me further into Its grasp?

That day at the Armantrea market was the same as any other, until a tall, beautiful stranger appeared and snapped his fingers.

In an instant, my world disappeared, replaced by his strange land. I’m suddenly surrounded by foreign accents, mysterious, magic-wielding Astrales like Xander, and powers I never knew existed.

Except, in Xander’s eyes, I belong here. Fate’s unfathomable hand guided mine to unknowingly create a replica of an ancient Astrale relic—one with the power to upend society as we know it. Months later, I am responsible for tracking down this lost replica through an unfamiliar world, with Xander as my guide.

But the Astrales are playing with powers far beyond my comprehension, and have political agendas I can’t begin to understand.

Despite his barbaric and controlling demeanor, I find myself drawn to Xander, and something shifts as I begin to rely on him for my safety. When threats from this new world circle in, truths from my past begin to surface, and I am forced to question everything I know.

Xander does what he can to protect me, but I soon realize that even he can’t stop the Void that threatens to swallow me whole…

Available Now on Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alice Stanco is a full-time writer who has spent most of her life between the pages of fantasy books. When not obsessing over fictional characters, she can usually be found celebrating Christmas at any given time or frolicking in proper ADHD fashion.

While a born-and-raised American, Alice is also half English. This can be seen in her writing, as it explores the many cultural differences in a fictional sense.

Mental health representation is also a strong focus in Alice’s work, and is a passion that will ring true indefinitely.

Dive headfirst into her enchanted fantasy world, explore the thrill of love and darkness intertwined, and you may find yourself not wanting to return…

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Book Spotlight Thursday: Selfish Desires by Michelle Hall

I am tagging along this Thursday with R&R Book Tours, spotlighting Selfish Desires by Michelle Hall. Dive in below!

Selfish Desires

Publication Date: August 23, 2024

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Features
❤️Second Chance
🧊Morally Gray MMC
❤️Spice in Ch2
🧊Light BDSM
❤️Destroy her to protect her
🧊Groveling
❤️40 Somethings
🧊“Good girl/sl*t/wh*re”
❤️Third act oopsie baby

The love of my life, the person I trusted most, abandoned me in the worst way possible. There was no warning, not a single clue—just pure, devastating abandonment. I was left to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart.

To survive, I fled. I left behind everything and everyone I knew and loved, all in the desperate hope of forgetting him.

But then Vincent came back, and all the healing I thought I had achieved crumbled in an instant. He begged for my forgiveness, claiming he had no choice in what he did. Yet, I knew he always had a choice—and he chose wrong.

He said everything he did was to keep me safe. But safe from what?
Emotions I thought I had buried resurfaced, and while my mind screamed no, my heart whispered otherwise.

How could I give a second chance to the man who ruined me? How could I even consider it?

Trigger warning

Accidental Pregnancy
Kidnapping
Attempted Murder
Drugging
Abandonment
Sexual Degradation

Available August 23rd on Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle Hall, a native Long Islander from New York, continues to raise her family here, which includes two dogs and two children. When she’s not writing, she goes to her day job, enjoys the country’s biggest comeback sport Pickle Ball, finds ways to entertain her kids, and reads when everyone goes to sleep. Michelle has always written fiction short stories as a hobby, but only recently took the plunge and decided to pen full-length literary fiction novels. Creating a world of characters for herself and others to connect to, makes writing one of her greatest joys in life.

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Book Spotlight Thursday: Love’s Redemption by ShaRhonda L. Sharp

Today, I am spotlighting another romantic read by author ShaRhonda L. Sharp, Love’s Redemption that is guaranteed to make you sizzle.

Love's Redemption

Published: Febuary 29th, 2004

Genre: Romance/ African American Romance/ Fiction

Synopsis

Noelle Morgan is a young woman who, after divorcing her high school sweetheart,
rebranded herself as a fierce entrepreneur in the face of opposition and uncertainty. Having been
betrayed and blindsided by infidelity, she was determined to regain control of her life by returning to her roots in Houston and starting over from scratch. Now with a thriving career in the beauty
industry, and glowing in self-rediscovery, she’s fully open to the possibility of giving romance anotherchance...and one sexy firefighter is more than happy to stoke all her flames of desire…

Jackson Howard chose to become a firefighter because he always had a strong desire to help people in need…to save them. Little did he know that the day he walked into a particular hair salon, he’d find the one person who was meant to save him. Jackson had never been so instantly drawn to someone before, but the very second he laid eyes on Noelle Morgan, his soul would not rest. It burned for her…

After leaving these two hopeful romantics beaten, battered and betrayed in the worst ways, is it
possible for Love to redeem itself? Only time will tell…

CONTENT WARNING: This story features depictions of or references to the following: Divorce, Infidelity, Profanity, Feuding Families, Strong Sexual Content

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ShaRhonda is originally from Maywood, IL, and currently resides in Metro Atlanta, GA. She is a self-proclaimed “Unhinged Creative,” as well as owner and operator of S.L.S. Publishing, LLC. She has been published multiple times across various indie publications, including three self-published collections of poetry and a host of other projects. ShaRhonda holds a Master’s Degree from National Louis University in Chicago and currently works a “cushy 9-5” as a means to fund the dream of being a best-selling author someday. In between her many passion projects, she moonlights as a freelancer, content creator, copywriter, and editor, and avid reader of fiction and poetry.

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Book Spotlight Thursday: ‘Twas Two Weeks Til… (A Holiday Romance) by ShaRhonda Sharp

Keeping in the spotlight, I am shining the light once again on author ShaRhonda Sharp. She just had a recent release in July with the release of Twas Two Weeks Til… (A Holiday Romance) that is sure to tickle your tinsel.

Twas Two Weeks Til...: A Holiday Romance

Published: July 1, 2024

Genre: Holiday romance

Leticia “Tecie” Nadal has struggled for a long time with developing and
embracing strong self-confidence, but since crossing the threshold into her thirties,
she’s made it a point to “Boss Up” in every way. Like becoming her very own plus size
fashionista, and entrepreneur running a highly sought after event planning business.
Leticia loves where she is in life and the only season better than the “Growth” one
she’s in, is the Holiday Season. It’s the busiest time of year for her, but she loves every
minute of it…when everything is going exactly how she planned, that is. When Leticia
gets blindsided by one of her Contractors quitting without any notice and just two
weeks before the biggest event of her career, she’s certain this is as bad as it can
get…until the “Replacement” shows up…

Dominic “Domino” Ballantyne has a reputation he’s been striving to outgrow since
graduating high school and realizing his desired happiness required him to change a
lot. The process of growing up from a problematic teenager into a responsible
business man has not been easy, and the constant run-ins with people from his past
reminding him of who and how he used to be, do not help. But, when he lays eyes on
Leticia Nadal again after more than a decade, he gladly welcomes the reminder of how
he’s always felt about her, “his Tecie Baby.” Dominic has never been more grateful for
inheriting someone else’s messy workload than he was when he realized she was the
client he’s working for. 

Now with two weeks to work in such close contact with Leticia,
Dominic has some plans of his own to add to her checklists…
It’s been over ten years since they’ve last seen each other…Can they handle just two weeks of
working together?
Purchase on Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Book Spotlight Thursday: If Only For One Night by ShaRhonda Sharp

For only one day, I am spotlighting If Only For One Night by ShaRhonda Sharp. Let’s dive in!

If For Only One Night

Published: January 25, 2024

Genre: African American Romance; African American women's fiction

Synopsis
Denai Powell is a woman who knows exactly what she wants, even if she doesn’t always know how she’ll get it. So, when her boyfriend of three years reneged on his promise to support her as she pursued her dream of becoming a chef, Denai abruptly ended their relationship. Now newly single, unemployed and living out of her mother’s guest room with no real “Plan B” for the future, and officially sick of drowning her sorrows in booze and bubble baths, Dena teams up with her best friend, Treena, for one epic night on the town to forget about her problems for a while. She had only planned to enjoy free drinks and dance all night until her feet hurt, but then she saw Him…

Dell Hewitt breezed into town on Friday night for a quick one-day trip to celebrate his favorite cousin, Emmanuel’s “Dirty Thirty,” and then hop on a red eye back home. Just bottle service, a few rounds of shots and celebrating the life of someone who’s like a brother to him. Simple and straightforward with no surprises. As a brilliant attorney, Dell did nothing without pinpointing every single detail and knowing every potential outcome. However, all his planning and forward thinking could not have prepared him for this night. Especially not once he saw Her…

When the fiery passion between two perfect strangers, and fellow control freaks, leads to a mind-blowing one-night stand, neither Denai nor Dell ever expect to see each other again. 
Seems fate had other plans…

Available Now in Paperback & Ebook

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ShaRhonda is originally from Maywood, IL, and currently resides in Metro Atlanta, GA. She is a self-proclaimed “Unhinged Creative,” as well as owner and operator of S.L.S. Publishing, LLC. She has been published multiple times across various indie publications, including three self-published collections of poetry and a host of other projects. ShaRhonda holds a Master’s Degree from National Louis University in Chicago, and currently works a “cushy 9-5” as a means to fund the dream of being a best-selling author some day. In between her many passion projects, she moonlights as a freelancer, content creator, copy writer and editor, and avid reader of fiction and poetry.

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Book Spotlight Thursday: Valkyrie’s Prey by Wendy L. Anderson

She is known for her epically beautiful book covers and drool-over stories. Caught in the spotlight today is the romantic fantasy Valkyrie’s Prey by Wendy L. Anderson! Merging with R&R Book Tours once again to help celebrate this long-awaited release. 

Valkyrie's Prey: A Viking Romance

Publication Date: July 19, 2024

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Amidst the chaos of war, a Valkyrie defies the gods to save a fearless warrior, forging a forbidden bond between them and challenging destiny itself.
A lone warrior stands fearless, and resolute among his brothers fighting for their lives. The unmistakable fire in his eyes shows a spirit that refuses to be extinguished. As he heads into battle, his every move exudes strength and courage that captivates the Valkyrie who watches through storming skies.

Something within the Valkyrie’s heart answered the warrior’s spirit and that was the fateful moment when she knew she could not bear to let him fall. As one of Odin’s Valkyrie, her duty was clear—to choose the bravest from the fallen warriors and guide them to majestic Valhalla. Yet, this warrior, with his unfailing bravery and unyielding spirit, awakened something within her.
No Valkyrie had ever thought of doing what she considered now. The importance of her duty, the balance that must be maintained between the realms of the living and the dead, was at stake. Love knows no boundaries but was she willing to defy the gods themselves to have this man in her arms?

As the brave warrior fought his final battle, the Valkyrie waited and watched, battling within herself over what she should not do and what she wanted to do. Saving him would form a forbidden bond between them, unbreakable and fierce. Would she dare betray Odin and her duty to Valhalla and at what cost?

Available July 19th on Amazon

About The Author

Wendy L. Anderson is a writer of passionately charged fantasy. Breaking the barriers of typical fantasy themes, she created the Kingdom of Jior epic fantasy series, a lusty and poetic five-book series that will have you wanting more in her Legends of Everclearing spinoff series. Inspired by authors such as Robert E. Howard and Morgan Llywelyn, Wendy went on to write three other stand-alone works; A Cut Twice as Deep, Ulrik, and Rapunzel’s Tower. These fantasy works break free from the usual boundaries of fantasy genres.

A Colorado native and mother of two, she has decided it is time to write down the fantasies in her mind. Writing about everything from fantastical worlds to the stuff of her dreams, she takes her stories along interesting paths while portraying characters and worlds she sees in her mind’s eye. Her goal is to deviate from common themes, write in original directions, and transport her reader to the worlds of her creation.

Wendy L. Anderson’s fantasy has action, adventure, and suspense with just the right amount of romance! Find out more at wendylanderson.com

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Book Spotlight Thursday: Sushi & Sea Lions by Rachel Corsini

Happy 4th of July, America! In this spotlight, I am lighting some firecrackers under the attention-gaining contemporary romance Sushi & Sea Lions by Rachel Corsini. Let’s read on!

SUSHI & SEA LIONS

Published: May 16th 2023

Genre: Romance/Contemporary Romance

Features

  Boken FMC

Spicy romance

Broken MMC Love interest

Self-healing/ Loving one’s self

And more!

Synopsis

When a career-ending injury and a messy breakup send prima ballerina Daniela Verdi back to Queens, New York, she fills her days with countless distractions: meaningless sex, pinot grigio, and video games. It takes a chance meeting with her brother’s best friend, Vincent LaBate, for her to remember who she was before the stage lights and distractions of the Upper West Side. She’s convinced that Vincent could never love a girl like her: broken, insecure, and stumbling her way through life. What Daniela didn’t count on is that Vincent is as scarred as she is after divorcing his cheating wife and going through an equally messy child custody fight. Soon enough, old vulnerabilities rear their ugly heads, opening a crack in Daniela’s perfectly imperfect romance.

As Daniela and Vincent’s relationship develops, will Daniela learn to accept that a dream life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

AVAILABLE NOW

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After declaring herself a pretty pink princess during her first ballet class, Rachel dreamt of sugarplums and began pirouetting her way through life. While studying to become a ballerina, she compulsively read books under her covers by flashlight and scribbled in spiral-bound notebooks. The urge to tell stories culminated in her graduation from Columbia College Chicago with a B.F.A. in fiction writing.

Never one to keep her feet on the ground, she traveled the world from Prague to Cape Town. Once settled back in Queens, she dabbled in journalism before working as an Editorial Assistant for a medical publisher. Seeking a more fulfilling career, she earned her MAT from Queens College and currently works as an English teacher in an alternative program in NYC.

Learn more about Rachel and her book at rachelcorsini.com

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Book Spotlight Thursday II: Descended by Ingrid J. Adams

Nominated for Victorian Premier’s Literary Award 2024, Aurealis Award 2023, and State Library of Queensland Literary Award 2023. Caught in our Triple Book Spotlight this week ponder whether love can endure, life after life in Descended by Ingrid J. Adams.

Descended
Publication Date: March 15, 2024 (Second Edition)
Genre: Coming-Of-Age Fantasy Romance/ Takes Place in the 90s

1990s SYDNEY.
A LOVE THAT SPANS LIFETIMES.
FOR SOME, THE VEIL BETWEEN REALMS IS STRETCHED THIN...

An imaginative tour-de-force debut about the big and small decisions we make every day and the ripple effect they have on the rest of time – even if they’re celestially pre-determined.

Indigo Wolfe, the mysterious high school heart throb everyone wants to be or be with, is barely holding on by a thread. Because he isn't what he seems. He has secrets – secrets that consume him. Pain. Emptiness. The unending noise of all that he sees, and feels and hears that no one else can.

Why is he cursed by abilities others are not?

When he meets the ethereal Cordelia Carlisle, he's hit with a sense of recognition that traverses lifetimes. Only she can make his world silent. He’s welcomed into her family, and as they grow closer he lets her see the parts of him he keeps hidden.

The only thing he can't show her is that she's everything to him.

When they're torn apart, Indigo descends into darkness and is left standing on the precipice. He must search the depths of his soul – and his powers – and choose, whether to give up, or to fight: for himself, for answers, and for Cordelia, the one he seems destined to love and to lose over and over, life after life after life…

Descended is the award-nominated debut in the first gripping four-book series that melds paranormal romance with magical realism.

Buy Now

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

To learn more, visit ingridjadams.com

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Book Feature Friday: Long Live by V.B. Lacey

Blog touring this week with RR Book Tours, I had to sneak in this gem. I think I have a thing with sword book cover art. Long Live is the first book in the Elementals of Iona duology, an epic fantasy romance that follows the journey of a young woman overcoming loss and anxiety and four immortal beings learning how to forgive and love again after their dark past. This enemies-to-lovers series is full of morally grey characters, witty banter, unique elemental magic, romantic tension, and twists you won’t see coming. Long Live is perfect for lovers of epic quests and character-driven stories, especially fans of Carissa Broadbent, Elise Kova, and Sarah J Maas.

Long Live: An Elemental Magic Fantasy Romance (The Elementals of Iona #1)

Publication Date: June 2023

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

✨Forced Proximity
✨Witty Banter
✨One Cave
✨Multiple POVs
✨Anxiety
✨No Spice Romance
✨Morally Grey Characters
✨Elemental Magic
✨Plot Twists

Isla Belthare lives an ordinary life in her small village of Lockhurt. Since losing both her mother and the man she loved two years ago, all she wants is stability and peace. But her world is forever changed when her family is attacked on a journey away from home and she must travel to the Aataran mountain range to find them.
Across the realm, four ancient beings who control the elements of nature are awakening.
After a civil war that tore the humans apart, the elementals entered a thousand year slumber. Now, they are being summoned to prevent a dark force that is greedy for power and threatening to overturn the balance of nature.
When Isla’s path crosses with one of these elementals, she finds her fate is more entangled with theirs than she had ever imagined. As she risks it all to follow the elementals on their journey to defeat the unknown foe, she discovers that not everything may be as it seems. Isla is torn between protecting her loved ones or following her heart down a dangerous path of power and magic, of truth and lies.
What will they sacrifice to stop the coming storm?

Available Now! Get it Here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

V.B. Lacey is an office manager by day and an avid reader-turned-writer by night. She grew up on stories of magic, love, and sarcasm, and equips her writing with all three. She lives in Texas with her supportive husband and two rambunctious dogs. When she’s not writing about morally grey characters and far-off kingdoms, you can find her reading (mostly fantasy and contemporary romance), playing board games, or spending time with friends.

Follow V.B. on Instagram at @vblacey.books