BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Starfire’s Heir by Megan Phillips

Debut author Megan Phillips is caught in our spotlight today. Starfire’s Heir is book one in her new The Soul of Serentyn series, where “Destiny called her. He awoke her.”

Starfire's Heir (The Soul of Serentyn Book One)

Release Date: June 23, 2026

Genre: Romantasy

Cover: @mariaspada.design

Featuring

⦁	Slow Burn
⦁	Romantasy
⦁	Found Family
⦁	Fated Mates
⦁	Long Lost Princess
⦁	Hidden Magic
⦁	Prophecies
⦁	One Bed
⦁	Sword Wielding FMC
⦁	Fierce FMC


Lexa Andrever has always believed she was nothing more than a farm girl. But when
a stranger reveals she is the lost heir of a distant realm, Lexa discovers she alone
stands between the kingdom and the deathly darkness pressing at its borders.
Written into an unsettling prophecy, carrying a responsibility she never sought, Lexa
sets off for her homeland with Griff Narvene, the warrior sworn to protect her.

 As she grapples with her new role as prophesied savior, the inscrutable soldier stirs
something deep within...

To keep the shadows at bay, Lexa must harness the powers of her birthright to
protect the people and home that demand her duty. With the fate of the
kingdom-and a fragile new love-at stake, can she survive long enough to save
them both?
_{CW: 18+}

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Megan grew up in Maryland and now calls Virginia home—though her heart sets up camp wherever her characters drag it. With a degree in sociolinguistics and an ear for the way language shapes identity, she has spent years sketching voices, lives, and entire kingdoms in her mind. When she’s not writing, she shares her days with her husband, young son, Newfoundland dog, and horse. Starfire’s Heir is her debut novel.

Follow Megan and her debut novel at @meganphillipsauthor on Instagram.

May 21, 2026May 21, 2026

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: The Girl Who Dreamed in Thorns by Rebecca L. Garcia and Dawn Darling

Releasing today, THE GIRL WHO DREAMED IN THORNS by Rebecca L. Garcia and Dawn Darling is in the spotlight! A lovers-to-enemies Peter-Pan-inspired bully romance, set against the grim, death-filled backdrop of Never, where wickedness lurks beneath every fairy-dusted leaf, innocence demands sacrifice, and a broken heart can kill you.

The Girl Who Dreamed in Thorns: And So She Withers (The Never After Duet Book 1)

Release Date: May 21, 2026

Genre: Dark Romance/ Bully Romance/ Dark Fairytale

Featuring
⦁ Bully Romance
⦁ Dark Fairytale
⦁ Lovers to Enemies
⦁ Peter Pan Reimagining
⦁ Villain gets the Girl
⦁ Unhinged MMC
⦁ Found Family to Enemies


One year ago, Holly returned home with no memories, a bloody scar, and a torrent of nightmares.
On the night of her debut into society, a mysterious stranger offers her the answer to the question that has haunted her since her return: What happened to Wendy Darling?
Desperate to find her sister, she goes with him to the thorny island from her dreams. Except, Never has changed. The forest is rotting. The faeries are dying. And Kit, the handsome, brutal Wyard who she once loved, hasn’t forgotten her betrayal.

Caught between the boy who wants to punish her and the pirate begging to save her, Holly begins to suspect that the most dangerous thing on the island was never the magic or the one who controlled it. It was the moment she allowed him to feel anything at all. Because very few lived long enough to break the heart of a Wyard, and none survived it.

_{CW: This book contains dark themes and is intended for adults 18 and over, including murder, death of a character, kidnapping, bullying, degradation, torture, death of a child (off-page, mentioned), graphic violence, orgasm denial, profanity, breath play via drowning, and sexual content.}

Follow on Instagram: @dawndarlingauthor @rebeccagarciabooks

May 14, 2026May 12, 2026

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Vitalia by Eliza Benner

The circus welcomes you, but will you survive?

VITALIA by Eliza Benner is the first book in The Circus of Souls series!

Vitalia (Circus of Souls Book 1)

Release Date: February 2026

Genre: Spicy Fae & Dragon-Shifter Romantasy

Spice Level: 3 Peppers

Features
⦁ Competent FMC
⦁ Morally Grey MMC
⦁ Dragon-shifters
⦁ Fae
⦁ Slow Burn
⦁ Enemies-to-Lovers
⦁ Forced Proximity
⦁ Touch Her and Die
⦁ “Who did this to you?”

Synopsis
The King’s Circus doesn’t come to villages like hers. Or, at least, it didn’t until now. Naevyn just wishes she’d stayed the hell inside. When the performers lock the crowd in place and shift into dragons, ripping souls from bodies to feed an immortal king, Naevyn should be dead alongside everyone else. Instead, she’s dragged into a centuries-old rebellion because her blood does something it shouldn’t—it kills.

She’s supposed to be human. A girl from Xardon who just wants to keep her family safe. But in the fae realm, nothing about her makes sense, and the prophecy everyone whispers about marks her as their salvation. Then there’s Cairos—a dragon-shifter with centuries of blood on his hands and a smirk that makes her want to strangle him. Cursed to collect souls for the very king he used to serve, Cairos is powerful, lethal, and, unfortunately, the only one who can help Naevyn survive. She should hate him for the atrocities he’s committed.

She should definitely fear him. So why does he feel like the one thing she can’t stop wanting? To save her family and shatter the cycle of death, Naevyn will have to trust a monster, face what she really is, and get close enough to a king to destroy him. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes that everything she thought she knew about herself was a lie.
Love has a price. Prophecies have power. And this one demands blood.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eliza Benner writes dark-ish romantic fantasy filled with dangerous curses, morally gray heroes, and heroines who refuse to stay powerless. Her stories blend high-stakes adventure with slow-burn tension, fierce loyalty, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

She is the author of the Circus of Souls series, a spicy romantasy featuring fae, dragon-shifters, rebellion, and a heroine who discovers she may be far more than human. She has also authored a young adult urban fantasy series titled Wings of Shade and Starlight featuring angels, demons, and epic adventure. Her books explore power, identity, and what happens when love collides with destiny.

Eliza lives in Minnesota with her husband and their five children, where she spends most of her time writing, reading, and dreaming up new worlds filled with dangerous magic and complicated love stories.

Learn more about Eliza and her books, follow her on Instagram @elizabennerwrites

April 16, 2026April 12, 2026

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Bride of Ash & Dust by Meredith Hart

Thrusting into the spotlight this week is the newly released BRIDE OF ASH & DUST by Meredith Hart! Featuring tension so thick you can cut it with a knife, let’s read on!

Bride of Ash & Dust
Book one in the Snake & Crown series

Published: April 10th, 2026

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Features
*Arranged marriage
*Forced proximity
*Political intrigue
*He falls first… and harder
*Morally gray MMC
*They meet on their wedding day
*Sleeping in the same bed… but not touching
*Emotional support weapons

Princess Lilias has one day to pack her life into trunks before her wedding to a man she's never met. They call him the Snake of Vsenrog: assassin, spy, and the foster son of a ruthless king. Everyone tells her to be terrified. They're right. But not for the reasons they think.

Because Zarek isn't cruel. He's careful. He sleeps with daggers strapped to his body but refuses to touch her when she's drunk. He climbs through windows but asks permission before his fingers brush her thigh. He walks through palaces and slums like he owns them, but avoids their bedchamber. Keeping her safe, he claims, means keeping his distance.
And Lilias learns that the worst torture isn't fear. It's wanting.

But when their honeymoon tour becomes a trap, staying apart is no longer an option. As Vsenrog's armies gather, Lilias and Zarek realize their forced marriage might be the opening move in a war neither of them saw coming. And in a palace where mirrors are windows and lovers are spies, falling in love isn't romantic. It's a weapon.
And someone's waiting to use it against them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raised by wolves in the mountains of Colorado, Meredith Hart traveled the world to seek her fortune, fell in love with a half-elf ranger, and now lives in a cabin deep in the Maine woods where she writes steamy fantasy romance with snarky, reluctant heroes and the warrior women who love them. She also writes Loki-inspired paranormal romance under the pen name Samantha MacLeod.

Learn more about Hart at https://writermeredithhart.com/

And follow her on Instagram and TikTok @writermeredithhart

March 12, 2026March 4, 2026

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Aurora’s Edge by Dane Reavers

Secrets and suspicion define the environment in AURORA’S EDGE by Dane Reavers. Our sci-fi fantasy book spotlight for the day. AURORA’S EDGE releases March 17th!

Aurora's Edge: Space Age Adventure: Sabotage

Publish Date: March 17th 2026

Genre: Sci-fi fantasy/ Adventure

Suiteable For Ages: 13 to 18

In 2425, New Geneva dominates the skyline while the Dredges endure beneath it. After losing her parents in a Dominion explosion, sixteen-year-old Elara stows away on the starship Aurora seeking distance from grief. Instead, she enters a contained society shaped by rigid structure and underlying tension. Captain Mira commands with discipline, though deeper histories influence her decisions. As Elara’s engineering abilities earn her responsibility aboard the vessel, she struggles to reconcile her prejudice toward the Imperial Dominion with the realities she encounters. Pulse, an AI carrying her father’s neural imprint, complicates her sense of memory and identity.

When sabotage disrupts the ship’s core systems, suspicion fractures trust among the crew. With danger escalating and alliances uncertain, Elara must decide whether she will allow anger to guide her—or accept the weight of protecting others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dane Reavers is a U.S. Navy veteran and electrical engineer whose career spans military service and industrial system design. He served as an Electronics Technician aboard the USS Vandegrift before returning to the Pacific Northwest to work in high-tech and manufacturing environments. His hands-on technical background brings a grounded, “wrench-in-hand” realism to Aurora’s Edge. He lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest with his family.

Learn more about Dane follow him on Instagram: @dane.reavers

March 5, 2026March 2, 2026

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Demons For Breakfast by J. Morgyn White

Releasing on March 13th, Demons For Breakfast by J. Morgyn White gets featured this week. Let’s dive into this upcoming witchy urban fantasy.

Demons For Breakfast (Nightshade Hearts)

Expected Release Date: March 13, 2026

Genre: Witchy Urban Fantasy

Features
👇
*Urban Fantasy
*Reluctant Partnership
*Cursed Hero
*She Saves Him
*Witch Romance
*Slow burn
*Herb Based Magic

San Francisco is cracked open by demon portals, but Sorrel Redwood has always known the dead don’t stay quiet. A commune-raised herb witch with a silver mane and lavender-tinted shades, Sorrel makes her living banishing spirits and brewing intention oils. What she really wants, though, is revenge—the kind that only comes when she finds the demons who tore her mother from the world.

But when a botched banishment binds her to Ranth, a centuries-old wizard with more scars than secrets, Sorrel’s witch-for-hire gig turns into a war. Demon hounds are hunting. An ancient cult is watching. And thanks to the curse laced through Ranth’s golden bracelet—now mirrored on Sorrel’s own wrist—if he dies, she dies.

With her Scooby-gang of experts, a grumpy cat named Antimony, and every herb in her belt, Sorrel will have to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice. Because in San Francisco, even the city of fog can’t hide the truth: not all demons wear horns, and not all hearts stay human.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. Morgyn White writes dark, romantic, otherworldly fiction fueled by midnight obsessions and magic-touched mayhem. White is the award-winning founder of SCRYE Magazine and former editor of Fork & Bottle.

A lifelong lover of haunted castles, cursed rings, and supernatural entanglements, she brings her background in publishing, pop culture, and paranormal academia to every page she writes.

She lives in Northern California wine country with her game-designing husband, their son, and two mischievous Bengal cats.

Follow J. Morgyn on IG: @jmorgynwhite & TIKTOK: @jmorgynwhite

February 26, 2026February 22, 2026

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Only the Small Bones by C.P. Harris

I deal with a lot of books, and sometimes books get caught in my book web by surprise, which leads us to this Thursday’s Book Spotlight, “ONLY THE SMALL BONES” by C.P. Harris. Only the Small Bones is an MM romance, and book 1 in the standalone series Slow Burns & Tragic Beginnings. This is a deeply dark slow-burn romance story featuring a non-verbal MC with touch aversion and mental health representation.

Only the Small Bones (Slow Burns & Tragic Beginings #1)

Release Date: February 24, 2026

Genre: Dark MM Romance

Author: @authorcharris

Publisher: @pageandvinebooks

Features
⬇
Non-verbal MC
MC With Touch Aversion
Human Trafficking Survivor
Broken Boys
Mental Health Rep
Interracial Couple
Slow Burn
Delicious Tension
Text Exchanges
Hurt/Comfort
Cameos from Infidelity cast members

“What makes him so special?”
“He reminds me of someone I once knew…”

As the founder of Freedom Fighters, famed music composer, William Mayes, is often the first port of call when the FBI needs assistance with human trafficking victims.
After receiving such a call one night, William abandons everything to catch the next flight home. Arriving at Manhattan Memorial, he finds a beautiful young man restrained to a gurney. His eyes are wild with fear, and blood stains his skin. No one has been successful in getting him to speak.

When even he can’t get the young man to cooperate, William does something he may later come to regret—he extends an invite to his home. The young man is non-verbal, angry, and at times openly hateful. All of which gives him control over William’s emotions.
William slowly begins to spiral from his own struggles with his tormented past. His nightmares return, sleep becomes a lost cause, and the dark voices in his head are out for blood.

Amid their co-dependent isolation, William’s feelings evolve. Lines are blurred and then crossed altogether as they start down a path riddled with secrets and lies of omission.
The only thing that can set them both free is the truth. But maybe some things are better left buried. Because if the ugliest parts of William are ever unearthed, no one will be spared.

_{*Content Warning*: This book is recommended for 18+ as it deals with human trafficking of adults and children. Flashbacks involving the abuse they face at the hands of their traffickers (i.e., being drugged, bound, and transported). Discussions involving cutting, sexual assault, physical, and emotional abuse. Depression representation. Off-page death of a parent, grandparents, and trafficking victims. Survivor’s guilt.}

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.P. Harris writes emotionally charged romance with a dark edge. Her stories dive deep into flawed characters, and leaves you with hard-won, happily-ever-afters. When not writing, she’s devouring the same intense, complicated romances she loves to create. If you crave angst, obsession, and endings that hurt before they heal, then C.P. Harris might just be your next favorite author.

February 19, 2026February 18, 2026

Book Spotlight Thursday: OBSIDIAN SKY by Jill Aster

Training academies and dragon riders are caught in my spotlight today in OBSIDIAN SKY!

Obsidian Sky (Riftborn Series Book 1)

Release Date: February 2, 2026

Genre: Romantasy/ Dragons

🔥Enemies to lovers
🔥Trainer to trainee
🔥Morally gray protector
🔥Fated bond
🔥Deadly training academy trials
🔥Hidden lineage 
🔥Dragon-rider fantasy
🔥Forbidden romance
🔥Love and destruction
🔥High-stakes political intrigue
🔥Destiny/prophecy
🔥Elemental magic system
🔥Immersive fantasy world-building

Thaelyn Marren enters the Asgar Training Academy wanting nothing more than to prove herself amongst the other cadets, where she must endure life-threatening trials in the hope of manifesting air, water, fire, or earth magic. Not to mention, a lucky few will pair with dragons who select their riders with ancient instinct, answering only to those whose souls burn bright enough to match their own.

When Thaelyn’s power stirs in ways no instructor can explain, she draws the attention of the crown, particularly Prince Thorne Dareth, a renowned warrior and a dragon rider. Hardened by discipline and haunted by a kingdom he was born to serve, Thorne sees Thaelyn as a danger to the realm and yet is charged with her training. And amidst clashing personalities, an undeniable pull forms between them, potent enough to awaken dark forces that once tore the world apart.

Now rift-born creatures thought to exist only in nightmares are slipping through the cracks of their reality. And as they push the realm toward open war, Thaelyn may be the only one able to stop what’s coming. That is, only if Thorne can choose between loyalty to his crown or the girl whose power could either save their world or bring it to ruin.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jill Aster writes epic fantasy romance. She’s a published curriculum writer and holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Her background in education, which earned the distinction of Master Teacher, has refined her storytelling craft, world-building skills, and character development. Obsidian Sky is her debut fantasy romance and the first book in a planned series titled Riftborn. When she is not teaching literature, writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, baking, photography, and spending time with her husband, two adult children, and their pomsky, Onyx.

Jill has loved fantasy books and been mesmerized by dragons since she was a child. When she decided to write her debut novel, Obsidian Sky, she knew it must contain dragons. Her debut novel, Obsidian Sky is book one in the planned Riftborn Series.

February 12, 2026February 9, 2026

Book Spotlight Thursday: Faeries and Frost by Carly Spade

Taking the stage this week is Carly Spade’s new small-town romance, Faeries and Frost!

Meet Sylive, the faerie baker, and Jack the Winter King in this, the second book in the cozy romantasy small town monster romance series. Filled with mythology, fairy tales, and folklore. The books are intersecting- standalones that can be read out of order. Get your cupcakes ready as we read on!

Faeries and Frost (The Mythical Mates of Arcane Cove Book 2)

Release Date: January 30, 2026

Genre: Small Town Monster Romance/ Cozy Romantasy

Featuring

⦁ Fated Mates
⦁ Claiming
⦁ Fae
⦁ Royalty
⦁ Virgin FMC
⦁ Temperature Play
⦁ Animal Companions
⦁ Self Discovery
⦁ Masquerade Ball
⦁ Jealous MMC
⦁ Touch Her and D!e
⦁ Wing Play

Sylvie, the faerie baker.
When I found Arcane Cove after my own people cast me out, I felt home for the first time. Monsters, witches, and all forms of magical beings welcomed me. And who knew my hidden calling would be magical baked goods? The Cove’s residents came to my bakery Muffin Compares to You for sugar and enchanted support, which I was quick to indulge.
Until the day a mysterious, bearded stranger with pointed ears came into my shop, sending my quaint world into a spiraling blizzard. He was off-putting, arrogant, and knew he was handsome. So, why couldn’t I stop thinking about him? And when he said he was looking for a woman, why did I deflate, knowing it wasn’t me?

Jack, the Winter King.
Every solstice offered the chance to find my mate. A portal opened in the lakes surrounding my kingdom, taking me to a randomly chosen realm. Given this solstice would be the thousandth time I’ve searched, I had little hope left.
When I arrived in Arcane Cove, I never expected such a small town to harbor her. I also never thought she’d work in a stuffy, toasty cloud of sugarplums and vanilla. Surely, it was the universe’s idea of nipping me in the butt. Could she truly be my fated mate? And if she was, would she accept me, powers and all, before time ran out? Or would the ice creature within me frighten her away?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An adult romance writer who has been writing since she could pick up a pencil. After the insanity of obtaining a bachelor’s and master’s degree in cybersecurity, creating worlds to escape to still ate at her very soul. She started writing FanFiction (which can still be found if you scour the internet 😉 ), and soon felt the need to get her original ideas on paper. And so the adventure began.

She lives in Colorado with her husband and two fur babies, and revels in an enemies-to-lovers trope with a slow burn.

www.carlyspade.com

February 5, 2026February 2, 2026

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Fairy Tales from the Underworld Part II by L.C. Moon

Catching my eye with such a detailed title, and the fact that I love dark fairy tale retellings. Fairy Tales for the Underworld Part II (The Buried Tale: Star Crossed Lovers) by L.C. Moon is getting my spotlight treatment this week! Let’s Read on!

Do you know who you are?

Fairy Tales from the Underworld Part II The Buried Tale ( The Star-Crossed Lovers )

Release Date: December 2025

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Erotica

💜fairy tale fantasy
💜Star-crossed Lovers
💜 Revenge Plot
💜 Enemies to Lovers
💜 Morally grey MMC
💜 Hidden pasts & secrets
💜 Emotional Angst


Not all children are born equal. To say otherwise is a lie. So much is decided for us upon birth. Our name. The skin we live in. The family we're born into. A war-torn country… or a Beverly Hills ZIP code. So much of what shapes us lies beyond our control.
What of our choices? Do they not define us? Or is it the inner child we sacrificed to survive who holds the secrets to who we are?

Laura Malkin went through hell and came out crowned in flames. In the shadowed alleys of Montreal's Underworld, they all whisper the same words: "Beware the Purple Witch and her Little Wolves..."

And so, our tale begins again. Not where the last chapter ended, but where the pieces have landed. After all the lines were drawn, and the dust settled.
The Son of Snow… meets the Daughter of Sand.

(_{*Please note, this book contains graphic sexual content and deals with heavy subject matter, suitable for readers 18+.)}

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Canadian author L.C. Moon explores the themes of trauma, identity, and fate in her series Fairy Tales From the Underworld. A fan of Gothic fiction, domestic thrillers, character-driven stories, and epic sagas alike, Moon blends elements from various genres to craft deeply immersive tales featuring complex protagonists.

Her writing has been described as raw, evocative, and thought-provoking.

Learn more at https://www.fairytalesfromtheunderworld.com/