Romance Books

Clio Ardalides loves being in the limelight. As the Muse of History and Virtue, it’s her job to share all the laudable traits and accomplishments of the gods, and she’s turned her work into a national television show. For Clio, the perception of events and highlighting the positive is sometimes a little more important than authenticity. Who wants reality when there’s glamour and beauty in the world?

Kit Kalloway wants the truth. And not the shiny, polished version people are getting from the news or shows like Clio’s. As the headline reporter for Truth Spotter, she uncovers the things not getting done and the people being left behind. To Kit, Clio has sold out. No matter how sexy and vivacious she is, she’s just another self-obsessed influencer only interested in being admired.

When disaster strikes and they must depend on one another, desire and passion are ready and waiting. But will it be enough for them to find a shared vision?

Cherry Davis is turning her part-time influencer gig into a full-time venture. As Cherry on Top, she’s the happy, loved, lesbian lifestyle guide with an enviable relationship, friends, and wardrobe. Reputation is crucial for her business, and if she uses some smoke and mirrors to spice it up? She doesn’t hurt anybody. Everyone else does it too. Trolls might try to tell her she isn’t being authentic, but she’s tougher than they are. Her childhood gave her a thick skin.

Ellis Conrad dreams of becoming a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. You know what she doesn’t dream of? Debunking politicians, local celebrities, and online influencers for the less-than-reputable site, 11th Commandment. But the truth is important, especially to Ellis, and besides, she really needs the money.

A chance meeting leaves Cherry and Ellis reeling from the unexpected intensity, and they both start to long for a different life, perhaps even one that includes each other. But when Ellis’s search for truth crashes into Cherry’s insta-filter world, do they have any hope at all of a happily ever after?

Ornithologist Dr. Jaime Martin doesn’t have time for romance. She’s spent her life living up to her biologist-turned-conservative-senator father’s idea of who she should be. When she discovers that a bird thought to be extinct has been sighted in Alaska, Jaime seizes the opportunity to finally step out of her father’s shadow and make her career her own.

As a park ranger in Alaska’s largest national wilderness, all Rowan Fleming wants is to escape the stress of her failed marriage in the lower forty-eight. She needs solitude to heal her broken heart, so being ordered to act as a guide for an entitled senator’s daughter isn’t exactly a walk in the park. 

Jaime and Rowan couldn’t be more different, but as the landscape grows treacherous and remote, they’re forced to work together to find the elusive bird. Three arguments, two whispered confessions, and one rogue bear later, they’re beginning to suspect love isn’t extinct, after all.

To appease her mother and against her better judgment, Bindi leaves England to visit her relatives in India. They’re not thrilled she’s given up her legal career to pursue her dreams in music, but all her troubles take a back seat when Bindi discovers things are not as they seem between her cousin Dhona and his long-suffering wife, Rimli.

Publicly, Dhona and Rimli are the image of a wealthy, enviable couple with a perfect marriage. When Dhona’s drunken womanizing gets too much for Rimli, she seeks comfort in Bindi, and they engage in a passionate love affair. Bindi has never felt so much for a woman before, and soon she’s falling head over heels for Rimli.

In the months that follow, Bindi’s music career takes off, Rimli has an opportunity to study in England, and their journey of self-discovery is only just beginning. But their relationship is put to the test by the homophobia of their family, community, and culture, and Bindi and Rimli will need to fight for a chance at love.

Content advisory: This book contains instances of infidelity.

A beautiful Cupid, a runaway arrow, and a love that defies the stars…

Hannah is the number one Cupid on Archer Island six years running. She is beautiful, confident, and she never misses her mark. Ever. But on one fateful day, with her magical arrows drawn on two would-be office lovers, the unthinkable happens. Hannah misses her second mark, and she only has seventy-two hours to fix the mishap.

Payson Martin’s life is as unfulfilling as her job at a Las Vegas TV station. When a temp is suddenly assigned to her, she’s not sure what to make of Hannah, the striking woman who seems more interested in pushing her toward her co-worker than doing her job.

But the more time Hannah and Payson spend together, the more they begin to fall in love. Cupids are simply not allowed to fall for anyone, let alone someone meant for another. Loving Payson will mean giving up her duties and homeland, but is missing her mark the best mistake Hannah has ever made?

Poppy King wants to save the world, but if she can’t do that, then she’ll save her own little corner of it. The realities of a career in the fashion industry leave her disillusioned and, after years working with UNICEF to improve the working conditions of families exploited by the unethical garment industry, Poppy returns home to start her business degree and create her own ethical clothing brand.

Undercover reporter Casey James has spent her career exposing the worst vices of humanity. After witnessing so much corruption, greed, and death, she’s losing sight of who she truly is. When Casey is tasked with a royal exposé on the court of Denbourg, she only has one way in, the Crown Consort’s sister, Poppy. 

Poppy meets Casey during her night classes and is instantly annoyed, distracted, and intrigued. When they’re grouped together for a class assignment, Poppy’s enthusiasm for life and love may just save Casey’s soul. But will she ever forgive Casey for using her to expose royal secrets?

Firefighter Grayson Reeves barely survived a harrowing California wildfire, and the experience has shaken everything she believes about herself. Returning to her hometown of Sky Valley, NC, to heal and regroup seems like a good idea, but past mistakes and a small town that never forgets are painful reminders of why she left.

Faith Owen didn’t grow up in Sky Valley, but when an opportunity arises to relocate to one of her favorite childhood haunts, she jumps at the chance. A new environment is just what she needs to refocus on her art and regain her confidence after her last ill-fated relationship left her with loads of self-doubt.

When Faith meets Gray, she sees a suffering soul in need of saving. Gray can only see a woman for whom she could never be enough. Despite their misgivings, their mutual attraction ignites passions neither can fight.

Tula Crane has spent twenty years hiding in plain sight. No one knows she used to be one of the most talented artists of her generation, and she wants to keep it that way. Except the very talent that made her a child prodigy won’t let her free, and it’s taken a deadly turn. She’s painting the faces of murdered women.

Casey Wilson earned her place as the first woman detective in the Moses Lake Police Department and carved out a solid reputation for getting cases solved. The last thing she needs is a crazy artist sticking her nose into a murder investigation that’s quickly turning into the biggest case in Central Washington. She’ll solve the murders without the help of a psychic painter, thank you very much. But as the body count rises, Casey and Tula are drawn together in a web of passion, intrigue, and art that might just hold the key to stopping a killer.

In the quiet seaside town of Inverley, nothing exciting ever happens to gently bred spinsters like Miss Arabella Seton. Content with her watercolor paintings and her cats, she is confident that no one suspects her forbidden and unrequited passion for her best friend, Caroline. 

The eldest in a family of six children, Miss Caroline Reeve has the unenviable task of shepherding her siblings into adulthood with little coin and even less patience. The only benefit to being an eternal chaperone is that no one ever expects her to marry.

When the Reeve family inherits an unexpected fortune, Caroline must take her rightful place in high society. Fortune hunters abound, and it is up to Arabella to save her from their snares and convince her that love has been in front of her all along. 

Can the heiress and the spinster discover an unconventional love outside of the Marriage Mart?

Can falling in love melt the hearts of the iciest ice queens? 

Going back to college is never easy, but Caroline Stevens is prepared to work hard and change her life for the better. What she’s not prepared for is Dr. Atlanta Morris, her new professor whose tough demeanor is no match for Caroline’s burgeoning confidence.

Closed-Door Policy was previously published in Hot Ice: Romance Novellas (Bold Strokes Books, 2019).

After leaving Earth’s orbit behind, the spaceship Velocity and its crew hurtle through the galaxy toward their alien ancestor’s homeworld, Dwynna Major. 

Trouble arises when Chief Engineer Claire Gordon’s neural interface device malfunctions, and she secretly struggles to retain the knowledge desperately needed to keep the Velocity running. Adding to her fear of failing, Claire’s falling in love with the only crew member that’s untouchable—Captain Holly Crowe.

Holly’s only priority is to keep the crew safe as they face the unknowns of interstellar space. Maintaining the strict rules and regulations of her captaincy is the only way she can lead, even if it distances her from the rest of the crew. When Claire’s failing interface puts them all in danger, however, Holly’s rigid approach to command is called into question.

Will Holly and Claire continue their mission to Dwynna Major even if it puts their lives and their hearts at risk?

Alexandria Trenton is tired of living alone, but keeping secrets comes with a steep price. After growing up in witness protection, Alex is now a US deputy marshal specializing in protecting those awaiting trial. It’s a life that she simply can’t share, especially not when omitting the truth feels so wrong.

Alex’s world is turned upside down when her mentor passes away and his granddaughter, Elina Hawkins, shows up at the ranch the marshals are using to hide witnesses. Will the ranch be able to continue the sanctioned work? Or will she get a new assignment and be pulled away from the only place that feels like home? If she stays, can she resist the attraction she feels for Elina?

Even love has to wait when danger threatens everyone at the ranch. It’s the fight of Alex’s life to defend the secret sanctuary, and most importantly, protect Elina.

Fate intervenes on behalf of love when characters are unexpectedly stuck together. With too much time and an irresistible attraction anything could happen.

In EF5 by Kris Bryant, wedding photographer Alyssa Bates is running late to a job she desperately needs when officer Katy Emerson pulls her over for speeding. She gets a warning from the sexy woman in uniform and the sirens alerting them to an approaching tornado. Their only option is to shelter in an abandoned diner where they must resist temptation and fight for their lives. 

In Trapped Tycoon by Amanda Radley, trainee investor Clara Foster spends her weekend at the office catching up on paperwork when the ice queen owner Francesca Burford arrives. Francesca doesn’t know who the shy employee is, and she doesn’t much care, until they attempt to leave the office at the same time and get trapped in an elevator.

In Wings Over Boston by Emily Smith, flight paramedic Ryland Matthews and pilot Tess Goodwin have an uncomplicated past that included a no-strings tryst before they went their separate ways and never looked back. That is, until a medical emergency and an unlikely coincidence leaves them grounded together in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do but relive history and ignite the passion neither can forget.

When your parents name you and your three siblings after flowers, the world is stacked against you. At least, that’s how Aster Lavender feels. The youngest daughter, Aster always keeps her head down and lets her siblings stand in the spotlight. She sells her gourmet doughnuts from Hole in One, the small drive-through stand in sleepy Homer’s Bluff, Kansas, and daydreams about seeing the big beautiful world. Love is never going to happen, especially when the only other lesbians in town are already married to each other.

Beautiful Brynn Garrett arrives to fill in for Homer Bluff’s only veterinarian, and suddenly every pet in town is sick. Brynn’s older, smarter, and way out of Aster’s league. Plus, she’s only in town temporarily and definitely running from something. Aster didn’t plan for a connection so strong it knocks the wind right out of her, but Brynn makes her feel like anything but a wallflower.

A chance meeting and a no-strings rendezvous in Las Vegas has chemistry flaring between Blair Haskell and Rachel Taylor. But long-distance relationships rarely work, and Blair’s still kind of hung up on the woman back home who broke her heart. When Blair’s friend Morgan hears about her wild night in Vegas, she doesn’t let the opportunity for a wager slide. Morgan proposes a bet: which of them can get Rachel into bed again?

Blair doesn’t buy in—after all, Morgan is the player, not her. But then Blair and Rachel unexpectedly meet again and share a passionate weekend affair. Blair is sure Rachel isn’t interested in anything more, but as her attraction spirals out of control, she’s in danger of falling.

Can a one-night stand turn into forever despite the odds? Or will the bet Blair never intended to make ruin their chances for a happily ever after?

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Harriet Browning has thrived as the heiress to a lumber fortune, living lavishly among New York’s elite. Her father’s death reveals unexpected financial woes, and Harriet is left to face a sudden, harsh reality.

Ava Clark threw herself into the war effort when her brothers enlisted. Suddenly, the war is over, and she’s without a cause and a job. An ad for a personal secretary from Harriet—the woman she loved more than a decade before—surprises Ava and proves impossible to resist. 

Harriet only wanted an assistant for a few months—someone to help sort out the mess her parents left. She never bargained for the woman who got away to show up at her front door.

Starred review from Publishers Weekly: "The romance burns tantalizingly slowly as Ledel takes the time to thoroughly explore the ways her well-shaded heroines both complement and clash with each other. This remarkable emotional maturity does not come at the expense of heat, however; when the love scenes come, they steam up the pages. It’s subtle, lovely, and stirring."

Politics in the Kavillian Senate is a dangerous, high-stakes game, and the odds aren’t on Cassie’s side.

As imperial envoy, she’s tasked with adding a new region to the empire. Normally, this is a simple matter for the legions, but rivals want Cassie to fail. Without military support, success will require all her guile and cunning, plus a good dose of luck.

Persuading the local inhabitants won’t be easy, especially in the case of Arian, the king’s sister. Arian is ardent about her people’s independence and traditions. The land is theirs, given by the gods and paid for in blood. She despises both the empire and its envoy, and doesn’t hesitate to say so.

Despite her hostility, Arian is troublingly attractive. Yet Cassie is determined to stay on track and ignore any thoughts of seduction. Things are difficult enough without extra complications—and that’s before the murders start.