And I Darken


Kiersten White - 2016
    And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

The Kiss of Deception


Mary E. Pearson - 2014
    As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love. The Kiss of Deception is the first audiobook in Mary E. Pearson's Remnant Chronicles

Forged in Fire and Stars


Andrea Robertson - 2020
    It was her fate to inherit the title–though she never truly believed it would come to pass since the monarchy’s downfall years before.But when the lost Princess Nimhea and Prince Eamon steal Ara from her quiet life with a mission to retake the throne–and take her place as the Loresmith–her whole world turns upside down. Their journey will take Ara on a dangerous adventure to discover new truths about her family’s legacy, and even to face the gods themselves. And with a mysterious thief as an unexpected companion, Ara must use all her skills to figure out just who she can trust, and forge the right path forward–for herself, her kingdom, and her heart.From internationally bestselling author Andrea Cremer comes a gorgeously written new fantasy series perfect for readers of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse or Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series.

The Last Mermaid


Shana Abe - 2004
    Now the author of The Secret Swan delivers a gift from the sea: three hauntingly beautiful tales connected by a legend, a locket, and a love beyond time. 531 a.d.: The tiny island of Kell is said to be enchanted, inhabited by an extraordinary creature who comforts shipwrecked sailors passing into the next world. Prince Aedan of the Isles believes in no such nonsense until he awakens on Kell itself and meets the sensuous siren who rescued him from the sea. 1721: Ronan MacMhuirich, Earl of Kell, is the target of an unlikely assassin: Leila, a mysterious woman from an exotic land. But his irresistibly beautiful would-be slayer is in just as much danger as Ronan when she falls for this man with a magic of his own. 2004: What do you do when you inherit a Scottish island you never knew existed and find yourself pursued by a handsome stranger who wants to buy it from you? That's what happens to Ruri Kell when she accepts Iain MacInness' invitation to visit her birthright, and listens to a proposition as sinfully tempting as everything else about him. Three seductive love stories, three passionate couples, all linked by one of the most romantic myths of all.

The Traveller’s Daughter


Michelle Vernal - 2015
    The hurt and pain, the guilt over what she'd done, was something she could never face. But now the time has come to share the truth of Kitty's heritage...Her daughter's discovery...Kitty never knew anything about her mother's early life. But after her death, the discovery of Rosa's journal opens Kitty's eyes to a whole new world-a family she's never known and a love she's never dreamed of...The fate of a family...Now Kitty must travel to her mother's homeland, but after fifty years, can the sins of the past be forgiven? Or will history repeat itself? With a decades-old family feud threatening her future, can Kitty put right what once went so wrong?Join Kitty as she follows in her mother's footsteps from the South of France to Ireland, discovering who she is along the way in this beautiful tale of forbidden love and fancy cupcakes!What readers are saying about 'The Traveller's Daughter':'A lovely feel-good read' Katie's Bookends'If you like family sagas and romance, then look no further...at the end you feel like you are leaving behind new friends' Lorraine, Goodreads'A beautiful and thought-provoking book' Artistic Bent Book Blog

Beneath the Haunting Sea


Joanna Ruth Meyer - 2018
    But when an ambitious rival seizes power, she and her mother are banished to a nowhere province on the far edge of the Northern Sea. It is here, in the drafty halls of the Ruen-Dahr, that Talia discovers family secrets, a melancholy boy with a troubling vision of her future, and a relic that holds the power of an ancient Star. On these shores, the eerie melody of the sea is stronger than ever, revealing long-forgotten tales of the Goddess Rahn. The more dark truths that Talia unravels about the gods' history--and her own--the more the waves call to her, and it may be her destiny to answer.

The Crown's Game


Evelyn Skye - 2016
    Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

To Catch a Pirate


Jade Parker - 2007
    When he moves to take her necklace, she begs him not to, as it is all she has left of her mother. He accepts a kiss in exchange for the necklace. “A fair trade, m’lady,” he tells her afterward, before disappearing.A year later, with a forged letter of marque, Annalisa is intent on hunting down the wretched James Sterling and reclaiming her father’s treasure from him. But now she’s in danger of him stealing something far more vulnerable this time: her heart.

The Hand, the Eye and the Heart


Zoë Marriott - 2019
    But when civil war sets the country aflame, Zhilan is the only one who can save their disabled Father from death on the battlefield. By taking his place.Surviving brutal army training as a male recruit – Zhi – is only the first challenge. Soon Zhi’s unique talents draw them into an even more perilous fight, in the glittering court of the Land of Dragons, where love and betrayal are two sides of the same smile. The fate of an Empire rests on Zhi’s shoulders. But to win, they must first decide where their loyalty, and their heart, truly belongs.

Jessamine's Folly


S.G. Rogers - 2013
    When her aunt gives her an ultimatum to leave, Jessamine accepts a position as companion to Lord Kirkendale’s sister—even though she’s been warned her predecessors can’t seem to resist the earl’s exceptional good looks. Can Jessamine manage to hold onto her job without losing her heart?To honor a promise made to his dying father, Lord Kirkendale agrees to an arranged marriage to a woman he cannot love. Although he is resigned to a life without sentiment, the arrival of his sister’s new companion awakens a slumbering passion. Can he find a way to secure his own happiness without sacrificing his family’s honor, or will his broken promise result in the ruination of the person he loves most?

The Decoy Princess


Dawn Cook - 2005
    and shopping. She ought to. She had every reason to believe that she was groomed to rule. But her next lesson is in betrayal...The sudden arrival of her betrothed, a prince from the kingdom of Misdev, has forced Tess's parents to come clean: She's no princess. Their real daughter was raised in a nunnery for fear of assassins. Tess is nothing but a beggar's child bought off the streets as an infant and reared as a decoy.So what's a royal highness to do when she discovers she's a royal target? Ditch the Misdev soldiers occupying the palace, use magical abilities she didn't even know she had, restore the real princess to the throne, and save her own neck. But first, Tess has to deal with the scoundrel who's urging her to run away from it all, and the Misdev captain who's determined to thwart her plans...

Steampunk Darcy


Monica Fairview - 2013
    So much so that he intends to rebuild Pemberley (destroyed during the Uprising) stone by stone, and he wants to employ reconstruction expert Seraphene Grant to help him.Or does he? Seraphene wasn’t born yesterday. She can smell a rat, particularly when it stinks all the way up to her airship. She knows Darcy is hiding something. But with the Authorities after her and her other options dwindling by the moment, the temptation of genuine English tea and a gorgeous Steampunk gentleman are very difficult to resist.But what if Darcy’s mystery job courts nothing but trouble? What if Darcy is harboring a secret to kill for? When kiss comes to shove, will Darcy’s secret destroy Seraphene, or will it be her salvation?Join us on a romantic adventure like no other in this whimsical Pride and Prejudice-inspired tribute, featuring Wickham, Georgiana, dirigibles, funky fish, and swash-buckling pirates.

The Demon's Deadline


Tori Centanni - 2015
    My part-time job? I deliver mysterious envelopes for a demon. I don't even get tips. It seemed like a good deal at the time. I almost died in a car accident, and Azmos saved me... gave me a second chance. At first, it wasn't so bad. I got to live, go to high school, hang out with my boyfriend Cam. He's too cute for his own good, but he's getting tired of all this demon stuff. I hate lying to my best friend Melissa and my dad, who's still not over my mom's death. Neither am I. But now, this gig is getting dangerous, and it's not like I can quit. Even if I could, then what? I've seen things I can't unsee. I just hope I can figure out how to navigate the darkness before I do something I can't undo. It's time I face my own demons.

The Lost Queen


Signe Pike - 2018
    I write because I have seen the darkness that will come. Already there are those who seek to tell a new history...In a land of mountains and mist, tradition and superstition, Languoreth and her brother Lailoken are raised in the Old Way of their ancestors. But in Scotland, a new religion is rising, one that brings disruption, bloodshed, and riot. And even as her family faces the burgeoning forces of Christianity, the Anglo-Saxons, bent on colonization, are encroaching from the east. When conflict brings the hero Emrys Pendragon to her father’s door, Languoreth finds love with one of his warriors. Her deep connection to Maelgwn is forged by enchantment, but she is promised in marriage to Rhydderch, son of a Christian king. As Languoreth is catapulted into a world of violence and political intrigue, she must learn to adapt. Together with her brother—a warrior and druid known to history as Myrddin—Languoreth must assume her duty to fight for the preservation of the Old Way and the survival of her kingdom, or risk the loss of them both forever.Based on new scholarship, this tale of bravery and conflicted love brings a lost queen back to life—rescuing her from obscurity, and reaffirming her place at the center of one of the most enduring legends of all time.

A Duke's Promise


Joyce Alec - 2018
    Miss Sophia Weston is left destitute after her father dies. Her brother and sister-in-law, Lord and Lady Brookridge, refuse to support her, even though it is their duty.When Sophia is forced to seek employment, she accepts a position as a governess for the widowed Duke of Harrogate. The duke’s only daughter, Sarah, brings an immense amount of joy to Sophia. Soon enough, Sophia learns to accept her new situation and loves her daily interactions with her only pupil. However, Sophia also discovers that her feelings are growing for the duke, even though she knows the duke could never marry her. When Lord and Lady Brookridge learn about Sophia’s whereabouts and her newfound happiness, they once again try to ruin her life with a scandal and take her away from everything she has grown to love. When the Duke of Harrogate learns about the plan, he must choose between the governess and his own reputation. If you love clean and wholesome, Regency romances with a strong woman heroine and an inspirational romantic story, you will love A Duke’s Promise. Authors Note: This is a clean, stand-alone romance with no cliffhangers.