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30 Unmissable New Romance Books That Will Leave You Breathless

“I’ve been yours since the second we met.”

Hello fellow book lovers! Welcome to Cozy Book Cafe. Thank you for visiting our website. Here you will discover the most anticipated books of 2026. Dive into captivating new stories, discover new authors, and let your imagination soar. 🖤

Dive into a delightful selection of thrilling new romance books that appeal to all kinds of tastes and preferences, showcasing everything from fiery love tales to comical romantic escapades.

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⭐ BOOK CLUB TOP PICK ⭐

Tortured Souls by Melissa K. Roehrich

Tortured Souls by Melissa K. Roehrich

The King

The safety of his kingdom has been the highest priority for Cethin since the moment he was born, but he’s been on the throne less than a year when new threats find their way to his lands. Past sacrifices mean nothing if he can’t figure out what is hunting his people. Desperate to protect his kingdom but also free Avonleya from the curse that keeps them locked away from the rest of realm, he’ll do anything to ensure his people know peace. Even if that means being a villain in one story to be a savior in another.

The Queen

When Kailia steps in to save the Avonleyan king from certain death, she never expected to be punished for it. Then again, maybe she’s being punished for accidentally stabbing him a few weeks later. Whatever the reason, she suddenly finds herself forced into a marriage and onto a throne. But she’s not from here. She’s from across the sea where the Avonleyan king is only whispered about. Wicked. Cursed. Cruel. That’s fine. She can be all those things too, and she’ll have to be to get what she came to the kingdom for. She lives for the hunt, and she’s never the prey.

 

The Dragon

Avonleya is the only real home he’s ever known, but Razik Greybane is loyal to the kingdom that loves the night, not the arrogant king who sits on the throne. Content with his books and solitude, he only cares for two people: his uncle and the female Fae who can sustain his magic. When his uncle assigns him to be the new queen’s personal guard, Razik agrees. Sure, it’s mainly to figure out the new queen’s ulterior motives, but if he can use the opportunity to undermine Cethin, he’ll take that too. It’s only fair when he’s the reason Razik was abandoned to this realm and cursed to forever fight a destiny he doesn’t want, until he realizes the Fates just might be more involved than they ever realized.

Whisper Sweet Nothings by Laura Pavlov

Whisper Sweet Nothings by Laura Pavlov

Winnie Smith is the perfect nanny. She’s reliable, warm, and my daughter adores her. She cooks like a pro, styles pigtails like a fairy godmother, and knows her way around a car engine better than most mechanics.


She’s made life easier. The house feels full again. And maybe… so do I.


But living under the same roof has its challenges. Like catching her in the kitchen after midnight… barefoot, in tiny sleep shorts, eating ice cream straight from the tub. Don’t even get me started on the way that her lips wrapped around that spoon.


I digress. It shouldn’t mean anything. She’s a decade younger. I’m her boss. She’s off-limits.


And yet, it’s all I can think about.


I was just looking for a nanny—not nightly cold showers and definitely not feelings. But the more we blur the lines, the harder it is to keep pretending. We say it’s temporary. No strings. Just one harmless arrangement.


But what if she’s not just what my daughter needs… What if she’s exactly what I’ve been missing too?

On the Brink of Bliss by A.L. Jackson

On the Brink of Bliss by A.L. Jackson

The last thing I expected when I found the trespasser bathing in my river was for it to be her…

Daisy Adair has always been my dream girl. From when we were best friends in high school to finding her now. A gorgeous mother who shows up on my property with three kids in tow. 


But I became a recluse for a reason. The life I chose is full of wickedness and peril. The last thing I need is the object of my every fantasy invading my space and risking her life because of me.


Only when she tells me she’s on the run from her ex, I promise to do anything to keep them safe, even marry her to protect her kids.


That single kiss at the altar rips through every barrier, our passion unleashed. Now, living under the same roof blurs the lines I’ve drawn. Each glance of her down the hall and I am splintering. Each brush of her hand and I am brought to my knees. 


Our future—bright, hopeful, and almost within reach—hovers on the edge of becoming real… Until we discover the threat surrounding her is grimmer than either of us imagined.


Now I’m fighting to save her and her children before our second chance at forever is burned to the ground…

Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward

Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward

When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older. 


Tate was also vacationing alone. He’d come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life. I’d come to get over my high school sweetheart who’d dumped me. I’d spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone’s hot dad.


But then we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity. The problem was? At nineteen—almost twenty—I’d lied and said I was twenty-nine. 

 

Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age. But we continued to run into each other. And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.


While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I’d really fallen for Tate. I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away. 


Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip? Well, four years later, Taylor got married. He’d been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they’d reconnected.


What I didn’t know was that the man I’d had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.


My dream man Tate? Was Taylor’s father.

And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

After a mortifying—and very public—humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn’t seen in almost twenty years?

But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he’s a gridiron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods…and out of his sight.

Except Dancy’s not good at staying invisible. Her efforts to rebuild her career clash with Clint’s desperation to regain his focus, all made more challenging by a rescue dog, a local woman in trouble, a meddling mother, an ex with an agenda…and the sizzle of rekindled emotions. 

As Dancy attempts to get her life on track and Clint tries to get his groove back, can these two one-time lovers navigate their rocky pasts and complicated present to find themselves…and each other? 

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster.

 

While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field.

 

When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.

Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal: If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side.

 

With unexplored chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.

But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains stay in the mountains?

Free Falling by Jill Shalvis

Free Falling by Jill Shalvis

Retired hockey player Caleb Colburn needs this construction project to prove himself in the family business, but he also needs to recover from the injury that ended his pro career.

 

Too bad Emma Sumner, architect liaison and Caleb's college nemesis, is back in town and assigned to the project. They're going to have to see each other almost every day. Which means once again she'll make his life a living hell.

As for Emma, her job is on the line with this big project, made all the more challenging by the project manager.

 

Caleb was the one who had snagged the scholarship she'd desperately needed to stay in college. She's been living hand to mouth ever since and has no intention of ever forgiving the man.

But the beautiful historic building they're renovating is exactly the kind of project that they both love best.

 

Their surprising common ground and a burning mutual attraction start bringing them closer and closer to a potentially explosive mistake.

 

And that's even before the secrets come out…

Safe Haven by Kristen Proby

Safe Haven by Kristen Proby

Fifteen years ago, my best friend found salvation at the Triple Creek Ranch, transforming from an angry foster kid into a hockey legend.

 

Now, with his adoptive father’s death forcing him home, Ryker’s trading his hockey stick for ranch life—and I’m not sure my heart can handle having him this close again.

I’ve spent the past decade raising my troubled nephew alone while building my career as an audiobook narrator.

 

When my boy needs a fresh start, Ryker offers us sanctuary at the ranch. But living under the same roof with the man who’s always owned my heart ignites feelings I’ve tried hard to bury.

Between helping manage a struggling ranch, watching my nephew find his way, and dealing with the shadows of Ryker’s fame, we discover our connection is stronger than ever.

 

But when threats from his past surface, we’ll have to decide if our second chance is worth fighting for.

Compulsion by Cynthia Eden

Compulsion by Cynthia Eden

Lily Gallo knows killers. She should, after all, because serial killers are her specialty. She’s the daughter of a notorious serial killer, and she’s made it her life’s work to study the brutal predators. And, recently, she’s been researching the offspring of serials. She’s looking for others who are just like she is. Her research has brought her into the life of reclusive billionaire Atlas Bennett. He’d refused her repeated requests for a meeting. She’d suspected he might be following in his father’s brutal footsteps. But now...

Atlas can’t believe it when he wakes up handcuffed to the beautiful and infuriating Lily. The woman thinks he’s as savage as his twisted father, but she has no clue what dark secrets he really holds. For the moment, though, escape is their priority. But once they get out of that hell, Lily will be his. He’d warned her to stay away. Now, it’s too late. Her fate is sealed.

Atlas knows that his reaction to Lily isn’t normal. The lust he feels is too strong, too consuming, but she calls to the primitive darkness within Atlas that he’s tried to hide from the rest of the world. He’s going to need that darkness because a killer is hunting him…and Lily. A predator who is intent on taking out the children of serial killers. Innocence and guilt doesn’t matter. Only survival does. The killer has uncovered Lily’s research, and he’s using it to track his prey. As each day passes, he’s also growing increasingly obsessed with Lily.

Lily’s mother is the most infamous female serial killer of modern times, and her mother passed on more than a few of her dangerous traits to Lily. Lily has no intention of being some helpless victim, but she will trap the killer who is on her trail. She’ll also stick close to Atlas because she knows he holds plenty of secrets. Fair enough. She’s got secrets, too. Atlas stirs a part of her that she has tried to fight her entire life. Wild and dangerous, he is a man she can’t resist. He may just be the perfect partner for her…unless, of course, she turns out to be dead wrong about him.

Because some people carry darkness, some people carry sins…and there are some monsters that you never see coming, not until it’s far too late.

A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann

A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann

The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players . . .

The performers of the Playhouse are as worshipped as they are feared, their enchanting shows bending hearts, minds, and even reality itself. Vicious, godlike, lethal. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the dangers better than anyone, after her own encounter with a Player resulted in a curse that is slowly killing her.

When the Playhouse announces the spectacle of a lifetime – a chance for one mortal to steal a Player’s immortality – Riven sees her last chance to live. Desperate for answers, she infiltrates the competition. There, she finds Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant, merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as dangerous as his Craft, and strikes a deadly bargain to save her life.

But with time running out and the Playhouse’s secrets unraveling into a disturbing picture, Riven faces a grim possibility: she might not be the hero of her story after all. In fact, she may be the villain.

Because the Playhouse doesn’t just tell stories. It rewrites them.

And Riven’s might end in blood.

Behind Closed Doors by Shain Rose

Behind Closed Doors by Shain Rose

He's the forbidden enigma I wanted to ignore . . . but instead I'll be forced to share a home with him.

Jameson Knight arrives at precisely the same time every day to pick up. It's the only time I see him smile. I don't ask questions because it's not my place. I'm just his daughter's favorite teacher, nothing more. . . . Until the first bullet flies by us at recess.

Suddenly, I'm risking my life to protect her. And then Jameson drags me back to his estate, claiming it's a matter of life-or-death.

Now I'm in the most beautiful home I've ever seen, faced with an offer from a man who's just as gorgeous: Be the temporary live-in nanny until he can ensure my safety and find a more permanent solution. It'll be easy, he promises.

Yet, the arrangement is anything but simple. Not when Jameson's hungry stare is all consuming and his touch pulse racing. And definitely not when I find that nothing in this neighborhood is as it seems, including Jameson.

He may be powerful, possessive, and protective. But he's also dangerous, demanding, and calculating. As more of his secrets come out, I should run but . . .

How do I escape the enigma of Jameson Knight if he's already captured my heart?

Take My Kiss by Brooke Montgomery

Take My Kiss by Brooke Montgomery

I met him at a wedding and his Southern charm quickly swept me off my feet—and into his bed.


The following morning, I bailed before he woke up and never planned to see him again. As a single mom of two, my priorities are my kids, work, and school. Dating isn't even on my radar.


But when a man comes after my son and follows us home, we’re forced into hiding.


Staying at the house of my one-night stand I ghosted over a year ago is the last thing I expect when the door opens, so I do the only rational thing I can think of and pretend I don't remember him.


And I definitely don't anticipate him taking care of me when I get sick, watching my kids, or cooking for us—but he does without hesitation.


It’s impossible not to fall for him, especially when he helps me confront my past.


I'm not the only one at risk for getting attached to him, his family, or small mountain town. My kids adore him and want us to stay, but my life is complicated enough as it is—and it'd never work out.

Wicked Onyx by Debbie Cassidy

Wicked Onyx by Debbie Cassidy

Born into a sorcerer bloodline, cursed, and cut off from my power, I was accustomed to being an outcast. For generations, my bloodline carried the weight of a crime committed by our ancestor. But my mother’s death changed everything. She left a clue that could prove our innocence: an ancient text hidden deep beneath Nightsbridge Academy.

The Academy is a fortress of power, housing the most dangerous incantors and sorcerers, conscripted to keep Horrors and Echoes at bay. And as the last surviving Onyx, I’m owed admission. My plan is simple—find the book and expose the Imperium as the liars they are.

But I didn’t plan for the whispers that haunt my dreams. Or the complication of feelings I shouldn’t be capable of—stirred by two men bound to the very institution I’ve come to destroy. One sees too much yet says too little. The other is steady, protective, and always in my corner.

I can’t have either. Yet when I’m in their presence…my curse begins to crack. If they discover my true purpose, I’m dead. But some truths are worth dying for.

The Imperium cursed my bloodline. Stripped us of our magic. Branded us as traitors. And now they will pay.

Whiskey, Words and Whispers by Sawyer Bennett

Whiskey, Words and Whispers by Sawyer Bennett

Penny Pritchard thought she’d traded in small-town chatter for political banter when she left to build a big career in Washington, D.C. But when her beloved Aunt Muriel needs help running Central Café—the local hotspot for gossip, grits, and good intentions—Penny comes home with a suitcase full of high heels and denial about just how much she’s missed this place.

Enter Sam-Pete Rochelle, the easygoing bartender at Chesty’s with a smile that could make a girl forget her rules and a secret bigger than the town itself. Everyone thinks he’s just the guy pouring whiskey and fixing the jukebox. No one suspects he’s actuallya wildly popular, very rich, and very anonymous author of steamy fantasy romance novels.

When the truth is revealed and it’s time for Sam to stop hiding behind his pen name, Whynot loses its collective mind. The church ladies are clutching their pearls, Floyd’s hosting a “Banned Books & Bourbon” club, and the mayor’s calling an emergency meeting about moral decay. And Penny? Penny is learning firsthand that Sam doesn’t just talk the talk where his books are concerned. Sam excels at walking the walk, if you know what I mean.

Now, Penny is torn between her two worlds. Does she go back to the career that provides a sense of fulfillment and purpose or stay in the small town with the man who writes about epic love stories and might just be her own real-life happily ever after?

Intercepted by Aleatha Romig

Intercepted by Aleatha Romig

At thirty-six, Fin Graham is a legend, a veteran quarterback, dangerously handsome, and built to win. The field. The season. Me.


I never thought I’d see him again, not after he disappeared and shattered me without a word. But now he’s been traded onto my family’s team, the Lexington Coopers—my turf, my legacy, and the one place I swore he’d never touch.


No one knows our past. No one knows how hard I loved him… or how deep the betrayal cut.


And if I have any sway with the team’s owner—my father—Fin’s contract will be the shortest in franchise history.


But the problem with old heartbreaks? They remember how to start beating again. Fin wants a second chance. I want revenge… or maybe I just want him. And the time clock is almost out.


With the future of the Lexington Coopers on the line, we have to decide if we’re working together or against one another.

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

Three years ago, Leena Al-Sayer awoke with a terrible power. She can see the dead.

Since then, she has hidden herself away from the world, knowing that if she ever reveals her curse she will be locked up in an asylum.

When her beloved brother, Rami, falls fatally ill, Leena is faced with a terrible choice: Let him die or buy the expensive medicine that will save his life by bartering the only valuable thing she has—her secret.

The Saint of Silence, a ruthless merchant who trades in confessions and is shrouded in unearthly rumors of cruelty and power, accepts her bargain, for a deadly price. Leena must find the ghost of Percival Avon, the last lord of Weavingshaw—or lose her freedom to the Saint forever.

As Leena’s search takes her and the Saint to Weavingshaw, she finds the estate and the surrounding moors to be living things—hungry for blood and sacrifice. Fighting against Weavingshaw’s might, Leena must also fight her growing pull toward the enigmatic Saint himself, whose connection to Percival Avon remains a mystery.

As the house begins to entomb them, time is running out on their desperate hunt for answers.

For Leena has come to see that here in Weavingshaw, the dead are not hushed—and some secrets are better left buried with them.

The Lies that Summon the Night by Tessonja Odette

The Lies that Summon the Night by Tessonja Odette

The darkest sins taste the sweetest . . .

When art birthed vicious shadow monsters hungering for those who created it, all forms of creative expression were banned.

But the immortal royals destined to be humanity's salvation have their own monstrous affliction: the need to consume human blood.

Inana's illegal storytelling has turned her fugitive. She has evaded capture so far, continuing to weave tales for the most desperate.

Until a Shadowbane catches one of her performances . . .

Dominic is filled with as much bloodlust as the shadow monsters he hunts, and he needs an artist to summon them. He gives Inana an ultimatum: serve him or he'll claim her bounty.

As their tense alliance leads them into the heart of danger, the greatest risk is the desire growing between them. There's something more sinful than lust at play, and it could bring the world to its knees.

The Epicenter of Forever by Mara Williams

The Epicenter of Forever by Mara Williams

Eden Hawthorne spent idyllic childhood summers in Grand Trees, a mountain town perched along a restless earthquake fault in the heart of California’s fire country.

 

But her family and future were shattered there, and she vowed never to return—until news of her estranged mother’s illness forces her back twenty years later.

Still reeling from her recent divorce, Eden has to confront her mom’s found family, including single father Caleb Connell, who blames Eden for the seismic rift that drove her away.

 

But as they move beyond a battle of wills, Eden and Caleb discover shared wounds and intertwined histories—and succumb to an attraction that feels fated.

When her mother’s condition worsens, Eden faces an impossible choice between the man she’s falling for and the mother she’s just beginning to forgive.

 

And with time running out, Eden fears her decision will doom her to relive the aftershocks of past heartbreak.

Still Into You by Erin Connor

Still Into You by Erin Connor

Two exes reunite for a make-or-break interview that will either bring them back together ... or drive them apart forever.

Sloane Donavan dreamed of being a rock journalist ever since she posted her first MySpace blog. Now, one journalism degree, a failed internship, and dozens of backstage passes later, she’s struggling to land a full-time staff position.

 

So when punk rock’s most notorious and elusive frontman offers her his first interview in eight years, Sloane should be jumping at the opportunity—but taking it would mean reconnecting with the only guy she’s ever loved (and lost), Dax Nakamura.

Unable to pass up a shot at making her name—and helping Dax clear the reputation that’s plagued his—Sloane agrees. It’s only a conflict of interest if anyone finds out. But the article Dax wants and the salacious tell-all Sloane’s editor is expecting are two completely different stories.

 

And as old feelings resurface, Sloane’s journalistic integrity hangs in the balance. This is the career-making piece she’s been waiting for, but it comes with a price: the chance to rewrite the ending with her first and only love.

Half City by Kate Golden

Half City by Kate Golden

Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn't even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother's approval.

She just also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father's death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

Books.jpgOf Ink and Alchemy by Sloane St. James

Of Ink and Alchemy by Sloane St. James

Even before her father’s death, Kelly Everhart always knew Logan Teller was someone she could rely on. Now he’s taken over the Black Rabbit tattoo shop and brought her along with him.

 

And while Kelly still finds her former crush and current mentor hot as hell, they’re firmly in the friendzone. Or so she thinks . . .

Logan’s been biding his time, but he’s no longer leaving anything to chance―not since Kelly started getting serious with her boring boyfriend. And as Logan manipulates the situation and sabotages the couple every chance he gets, Kelly starts to notice all the ways her Jason doesn’t quite measure up to the man who’s always been such a huge part of her life.

When her relationship with Logan suddenly goes from playful and platonic to strictly sinful, Kelly can’t stop herself from falling head over heels.

 

But just as things are heating up between them, she starts receiving anonymous messages with information only a few―including Logan―could possibly know about her.

 

Can she trust him after all?

Just for the Cameras by Meghan Quinn

Just for the Cameras by Meghan Quinn

They're faking it for the cameras. But what if the sparks are real?

Graydon St. John doesn't do drama―or public appearances. The brooding defensive end for football team the San Francisco Foghorns prefers silence, solitude, and avoiding headlines. But when a league-wide PR scandal forces him into a media stunt at the city zoo, he's suddenly face-to-face with squawking birds, nosy fans, and the zookeeper who seems to hate his guts on sight.

Maple Baker loves her flamingos. Loud, pink, messy? Sure. But they're hers. And the last thing she needs is a grumpy football player stomping into her sanctuary with a bad attitude and a bigger ego. Unfortunately, they've been paired for the zoo's new public outreach program, and the cameras are already rolling.

The banter is sharp. The tension is electric. And the more they pretend to play nice for the press, the more their fake flirtation starts to feel like something dangerously real.

But when family secrets, viral fame, and a PR romance gone off-script threaten everything Maple's worked for, Graydon must decide if he's willing to fight for love―or let it slip away to protect her.

Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward

Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward

An outcast burdened with a curse. A mercenary out for himself. A kingdom that must be saved.


The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night. No one is safe.

Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she's spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive...and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans.

Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed.

She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen's crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction.

Well aware she's no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession.

The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage.

But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn.

Quiet Ones by Penelope Douglas

Quiet Ones by Penelope Douglas

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐧
I’ve always had too many men in my life. My overbearing father. My domineering older brothers. My invasive nephews. The Trents and Caruthers run this town, and although I’ve never given them a reason to worry, they treat me like I’m made of glass. They’re wrong, though. At twenty-one, I finished college in record time, I own my own business, I pay taxes, I don’t party, and I’ve never broken a law. But I have one secret: I raced to grow up in case he ever came back home. Lucas Morrow grew up with my brothers and my family, but he left when I was thirteen. I’ve waited to see him again, making sure everything is perfect. But I’ve realized I’m waiting my life away. It’s time to move on. Maybe get my own place. And I think I’m going to make some new friends, too. It’s summer. Cookouts, Fourth of July, the Night Ride… I want freedom. I mean, I am my brothers’ sister. Did they really think the apple fell that far?

𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐬
She thinks her family are the only men watching her. So innocent. And I want to keep her that way. Even though I’m twelve years older, we were always the odd ones out around her family. She gravitated to me, and I always made sure she wasn’t alone. When I left, I told myself she’d be fine without me. They all would. But really, it was just an excuse to escape the guilt. I only meant to come back for a few days, but I never entertained the thought that she’d grown up. Her brothers are distracted, and one bad decision after another is circling her. A motocross racer who can’t stop whispering in her ear. A criminal from across the tracks who can’t stop looking. Old ghosts. And old enemies. She doesn't want a babysitter anymore, and if she ever finds out why I left town, she'll know why I'm not the best role model. But I'm still the older one. And she still needs supervision.

Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto

Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto

Ask no questions. Obey your orders. Respect your masters. But most of all, love no one.

anished from the Palace of Sorrows as a child, Princess Aella was taken in by the Aviary, a secret intelligence network embedded throughout the Empyrieos that trains orphans as professional spies.

 

Now twenty-three years old, she has finally earned her place as a Songbird on the most elite team of assassins, led by none other than her former flame, Raven. Everything about him calls to her—he’s brave, loyal, and lethal—but their relationship is also the greatest threat to her standing as a Songbird.

Before Aella can untangle her feelings, their team is sent on a dangerous mission to the eastern kingdom, a land that ever since the horrific God War has been the enemy of her homeland.

 

Aella’s role is crucial yet troublesome: she must assume her former title of Princess of the Sorrows to compete in a series of bridal trials.

 

But when the trials turn deadly and the mission is threatened, Aella must decide whether to follow orders or defy them.

The Marriage Bet by Olivia Hayle

The Marriage Bet by Olivia Hayle

Rafe Montclair is the ruthless billionaire about to destroy my company. The only way to stop it? Become his wife and pretend to love the man I hate.

He’s tall, charming, and speaks three languages. But where I value craftsmanship, he shuts down century-old workshops for profit. I can’t let him do the same to my fashion house.

So I’ll wear his giant ring and spend the summer in his Lake Como villa, but I plan to drive him insane. I drink too much champagne, swim in his fountain, and steal shirts from his closet.

The problem? Rafe never backs down. He ups the stakes instead. Soon, we’re sharing a bed for appearances and kissing in public.

I tease him in tiny outfits just to see him crack. Until he does… and I learn the only thing more dangerous than Rafe Montclair in control is when he goes after what he wants.

He holds me when I have panic attacks and fights my battles like they’re his own. And when he wakes up from nightmares, he won’t explain… I realize he’s waging a war of his own.

Rafe bet he could control this marriage. But I’m the one thing he never planned on wanting this badly.

Cruel Savior by Lilith Vincent

Cruel Savior by Lilith Vincent

I’ve lived my whole life in a golden cage, the captive daughter of a powerful mafia don. When my father arranges my marriage to Vincenzo Vici, a cold-blooded assassin from a rival family, it’s a death sentence. For both of us. Because my father uses our engagement to slaughter the Vicis and take their territory.

But he makes a grave error. He doesn’t kill the most dangerous Vici of all: Vincenzo himself.

I’ve never met my intended fiancé, so when I stumble upon a handsome, bloodied stranger being tortured in a laundromat in the middle of the night, I follow my instincts and save his life.

Big mistake. The man I saved is Vincenzo Vici, and when he discovers I’m the woman who led his family to slaughter, I realize there are circles of hell my father never showed me.

Vincenzo should kill me. He wants to kill me. Instead, he decides to make me pay in a different way—by holding me to our arranged marriage and exacting his revenge on me.

But Vincenzo isn’t the monster I expected. His ruthless kisses light up my soul. His darkness is a dangerous addiction. And when my father hands me poison and orders me to finish what he started, I’m caught between two impossible choices: loyalty to my own blood, or devotion to the darkness that sets me free.

The Hotshot by Piper Rayne

The Hotshot by Piper Rayne

Raising my cousin’s three kids wasn’t in my five-year plan. Actually, it wasn’t in any plan.

One minute I’m a single labor and delivery nurse living a quiet life and the next, I’m navigating guardianship hearings, meltdowns, and homework I’m pretty sure requires a math degree.

Enter Hayes Carlisle. My best friend’s older brother. Chicago Colts newest catcher. And the man I once kissed and immediately pretended I didn’t.

So, when the custody battle I’ve been dreading becomes a reality, I shouldn’t be surprised that Hayes swoops in with a wild idea—a fake relationship. According to him, pretending we’re together will polish his image and prove to the court I’m not taking on an instant family alone.

But pretending to be Hayes’ girlfriend is a terrible idea. Because he remembers how to make me laugh. Because he looks at me like our kiss wasn’t a one-time mistake. Because the kids start asking him to read bedtime stories. Because my heart starts wanting things my life doesn’t have room for.

I can manage the chaos. I can fight for these kids. But pretending not to fall for Hayes Carlisle?

That might be the one thing I can’t do.

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the village of Reverie is a small miracle.

 

Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.

Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker's magic, never imagining she'd one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance.

 

With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle and far from everything she's ever known. The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the mountain itself, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle alone.

 

Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share.

 

But a deadly frost approaches and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.

Even After This by Deborah Clack

Even After This by Deborah Clack

When you're ready to live again, love often has a way of finding you.

Four years after tragedy, Meredith Harper is tired of hiding in her corner of Texas and living life like a game of dodgeball. She packs up her grief, awkward social graces, and sizable life insurance in search of a vacation and investment property in Colorado Springs.

 

A botched dinner reservation throws her into the path of a bona fide movie star, and Meredith pushes through her comical celebrity neurosis to discover he is charming but a terrible dancer.

A viral video of a daring rescue makes Harlan Holcombe's celebrity star stronger, with millions of his fans deeming him a real-life Hercules. But a minute of heroism doesn't absolve his past mistakes.

 

As Harlan and Meredith spend more time together, he helps her believe there might be more for her not just in life but in love.

 

And she might be part of the solution to restore the legacy he fears is tarnished. But what happens when the path to redeem his mistakes collides with the path to redeem her loss?

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