I’ve been wanting to do an updated books to read during fall post. Maybe I’ll focus on dark romances that are perfect for spooky season…I’m just so excited for sweater weather.
Jump to: Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi | LGBTQ+
Fantasy
Oct. 1st, 2024: The Crescent Moon Tearoom: A Novel by Stacy Sivinski
Ever since the untimely death of their parents, Anne, Beatrix, and Violet Quigley have made a business of threading together the stories that rest in the swirls of ginger, cloves, and cardamon that lie at the bottom of their customers’ cups. Their days at the teashop are filled with talk of butterflies and good fortune intertwined with the sound of cinnamon shortbread being snapped by laced fingers.
That is, until the Council of Witches comes calling with news that the city Diviner has lost her powers, and the sisters suddenly find themselves being pulled in different directions. As Anne’s magic begins to develop beyond that of her sisters’, Beatrix’s writing attracts the attention of a publisher, and Violet is enchanted by the song of the circus—and perhaps a mischievous trapeze artist threatening to sweep her off her feet—it seems a family curse that threatens to separate the sisters is taking effect.
With dwindling time to rewrite their future and help three other witches challenge their own destinies, the Quigleys set out to bargain with Fate. But in focusing so closely on saving each other, will they lose sight of themselves?
Oct. 1st, 2024: Tomb of the Sun King (Raiders of the Arcana Book 2) by Jacquelyn Benson
Respectable lady scholars shouldn’t be dodging evildoers, escaping lost tombs, and chasing down magical artifacts.
Archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory always dreamed of putting her scholarly skills to work in the ancient sands of Egypt. She never imagined she would be doing so in order to save an object of legendary power from a batch of ruthless villains.
Racing baddies to an arcanum of Biblical proportions is only one of Ellie’s problems. Her hopelessly academic and perpetually mortified step-brother, Dr. Neil Fairfax, is about to learn that she’s been gallivanting around the globe with his danger-magnet best friend, Adam Bates—the roguish surveyor for whom Ellie harbors increasingly complicated feelings. Add the petite and terrifyingly fearless Constance Tyrrell to the mix, and Ellie either has a crack team of artifact-saving experts to hand… or a recipe for disaster.
Together, they’ll need to follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues from the necropolis of Saqqara to the temples of Luxor and beyond, where the ruined capital of a heretic pharaoh hides a secret with the potential to upend history.
To keep an earth-shattering magic from falling into the wrong hands, Ellie will need to pull out all the stops—even if that means resorting to fisticuffs, ignoring proper archaeological processes… and solving one of Egypt’s greatest mysteries.
Dive into Tomb of the Sun King now to experience the next action-packed historical fantasy adventure in the Raiders of the Arcana series!
Oct. 15th, 2024: House of Frank by Kay Synclaire
warm and hopeful story of a lonely witch consumed by grief who discovers a whimsical cast of characters in a magical arboretum—and the healing power of found family.
Powerless witch Saika is ready to enact her sister’s final request: to plant her remains at the famed Ash Gardens. When Saika arrives at the always-stormy sanctuary, she is welcomed by its owner, an enormous knit-cardiganed mythical beast named Frank, who offers her a role as one of the estate’s caretakers.
Overcome with grief, Saika accepts, desperate to put off her final farewell to her sister. But the work requires a witch with intrinsic power, and Saika’s been disconnected from her magic since her sister’s death two years prior. Saika gets by at the sanctuary using a fragment of a fallen star to cast enchantments—while hiding the embarrassing truth about herself.
As Saika works harder in avoidance of her pain, she learns more about Frank, the decaying house at Ash Gardens, and the lives of the motley staff, including bickering twin cherubs, a mute ghost, a cantankerous elf, and an irritating half witch, among others. Over time, she rediscovers what it means to love and be wholly loved and how to allow her joy and grief to coexist. Warm and inventive, House of Frank is a stirring portrait of the ache of loss and the healing embrace of love.
Oct. 15th, 2024: The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she’ll be the one to bring him to his knees.
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom of Ithicana enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara’s homeland. So when she’s sent there as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses—and the defenses of its king.
Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. As her feelings for her husband transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save . . . and which she’ll destroy.
Includes two bonus chapters, “The Wedding” from Ahnna’s point of view and “The Capture” from Jor’s point of view
I reccommended this book in my 15 Enemies-To-Lovers books to add to your TBR post, & just look at that cover for the rerelease….😍
Oct. 19th, 2024: The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree by Ben Spencer
Game of Thrones meets The Name of the Wind in this exuberant, character-driven epic fantasy.
Every year, prophecy leaves fall from the Yubriy Tree. And every year, the Dayborn king sends his most trusted servants to collect the leaves and return them to the capital.
Only this year, one of the leaves drifted into the forest unseen.
Three lives will be forever changed by the undetected prophecy leaf.
The strong-willed daughter of a powerful family. The mysterious and reviled half brother of the king. And a talented but unlucky musician, desperate to write the song that will bring him good fortune.
Looming in the background are reports of the first dragon to appear in Ragar Or in over sixty-five years. And, as anyone familiar with Ragar Or’s history knows, when dragons appear, royalty dies.
Oct. 30th, 2024: The Civilization by K.M Mckenzie
At 17, Kadsa is weary of traveling with her grandpa in search of their lost mystical home world. She yearns for a normal life—a chance to go to college, have friends, and a stable home. However, a web of lies about her identity leads her to a startling discovery and a quest to save her kidnapped grandfather. In a realm of dark forces and ancient deities, Kadsa must find the courage to prevent the world’s annihilation. This adventure is a transformative odyssey, offering insights into resilience, truth-seeking, and the power of youth.
Romance
Oct. 1st, 2024: Fang Fiction: A Novel by Kate Stayman-London
Tess Rosenbloom is no stranger to the dark. An assault survivor and grad school dropout, Tess spends her nights managing a chic Brooklyn hotel and her days reading her favorite vampire novels, Blood Feud. She even dabbles in online conspiracies claiming Blood Feud is real—it’s fun to hunt for clues! But deep down, Tess doesn’t believe vampires actually exist . . . until one walks through her door.
It turns out the sexy villain of Blood Feud is trapped, and only Tess can rescue him. Eager to escape her life, Tess agrees to help, and soon she’s on a secret island where the sun never shines, surrounded by deadly vampires—and most terrifying of all, she’s falling in love with one of them. (Meanwhile, back in New York, Tess’s estranged best friend is having a sapphic paranormal affair of her own.)
Visiting the world of your favorite story is any fan’s dream, but can Tess outrun the demons of her past (and vampires of her present) before it becomes a nightmare? In this darkly glamorous rom-com, Tess will find out if it’s worth risking her neck—and her heart—for a chance to reclaim her future.
Oct. 1st, 2024: Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire
In Oak Haven, this witch is about to brew up more trouble than she bargained for…
When Scarlett Melrose receives a call from her estranged sisters, she immediately knows something is wrong. The magic at their mother’s inn – and in fact, the whole of Oak Haven – has gone awry, and they need her help to save it.
As the conflicted middle-child, returning home has given Scarlett the heebie jeebies. And to make matters worse, she’s just come face-to-face with charming old flame and handyman, Nate.
When her spell to fix the magic goes horribly wrong, all Scarlett wants to do is flee back to the peace and quiet of her San Francisco flat. But she can’t keep running away forever, and she’ll need all the help she can to solve this magical mess.
With time slipping away, Scarlett must learn that sometimes the greatest spells really do come with the greatest responsibility – especially when love is involved…
Oct. 15th, 2024: If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
An enemies to lovers romance with a spooky twist where two feuding writers end up on a writers retreat together at a haunted castle in Scotland
It’s been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. But he was so infuriating, with his sparkling green eyes and his bestselling horror novels that claimed to break Native stereotypes. And now she’s a publishing pariah and hasn’t been able to write a word since. So when her friend invites her on a too-good-to-be-true writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, she seizes the opportunity. Of course, some things really are too good to be true.
Neil wants nothing less than to be trapped in a castle with the frustratingly adorable woman who threw a book at him. She drew blood! Worse still, she unleashed a serious case of self-doubt! Neil is terrified to write another bestselling “book without a soul,” as Pen called it. All Neil wants is to find inspiration, while completely avoiding her.
But as the retreat begins, Pen and Neil are stunned to find themselves trapped in a real-life ghost story. Even more horrifying, they’re stuck together and a truly shocking (extremely hot) almost-kiss has left them rethinking their feelings, and… maybe they shouldn’t have been enemies at all? But if they can’t stop the ghosts pursuing them, they may never have the chance to find out.
Oct. 28th, 2024: All Folked Up: A Small Town Romantic Comedy (Good Folk Book 4) by Penny Reid
Isaac has never been what he seems.
Rumor has it that gruff, brooding, and solitary man-of-mystery Isaac Sylvester is back in town, and the only thing folks in Green Valley know for certain is that this prodigal son’s motives are as elusive as he is. He’s been spotted loitering near the old Townsen farm, hanging around the Hill’s homestead, and glaring menacingly from the edges of The Donner Lodge’s parking lot. What this hometown-hero-turned-criminal wants, no one knows. Nor can they stop talking about it.
Hannah’s last night as an exotic dancer might just be her most memorable.
Hannah Townsen has often been a subject of local gossip. Folks shook their heads when Hannah’s daddy ran out on her momma; folks blessed her heart after Hannah’s momma had that tragic accident; and folks really talked up a tizzy when Hannah became an exotic dancer in order to pay off her parents’ debt and put food on the table. But now, ten years after being dubbed as a hometown-stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold, Hannah has seemingly—and finally—fallen off the gossip mill’s radar.
That is, until the enigmatic Isaac Sylvester shows up at Hannah’s retirement party wanting so much more than a private dance. . .
Sci-Fi
Oct. 15th, 2024: Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley
Embark on a journey through the stars with Pride and Prejudice in Space, a vibrant and exquisitely illustrated reimagining of a classic of literary fiction. This fresh take on a beloved story intertwines the elegance of the Jane Austen novel with the adventurous spirit of sci-fi books, creating a unique reading experience for fans of both genres—and perfect for readers of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Elizabeth Bennet lives on a small moon in the Londinium lunar system with her parents and four sisters. While she dreams of piloting a starship rather than settling down with an eligible man, her world turns upside down when the handsome Mr. Bingley docks the Netherfield StarCruiser on the neighboring estate. The arrival thrusts the Bennet sisters into the bustling asteroid field of the system’s wider society, and Elizabeth’s aspirations are suddenly in flux. Drawn into the orbit of Mr. Bingley’s friend, the proud Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeth is determined to dislike him despite his ten thousand aurum per year.
Can the Bennet sisters navigate the perils of love and space? Will Elizabeth avoid the collision course she’s on with the formidable Mr. Darcy? This tale of scifi romance for women explores timeless themes of love, pride, and prejudice, set against the backdrop of the infinite cosmos.Pride and Prejudice in Space features stunning, colorful chapter headers and an array of interior art. With over 60 full-color illustrations and designs, readers will be captivated by this new world—from maps and brochures to digital message logs and pages pulled from the Bennet sisters’ journals and sketchbooks.
Oct. 15th, 2024: Shadow of the Endless by Stephen Gaskell
While her starfaring people are being hunted by an implacable enemy, a young caver discovers a traitor in their ranks and must undertake a transformative journey across the galaxy to save everything she has ever known.
Persecuted for their worship of the Endless—an ancient, galactic-spanning race of god-like power, who disappeared eons past—the Pilgrims escaped the world of Raia almost a century ago, fleeing the despotic rule of the United Empire in a dozen space-faring fleets.
Young Pilgrim Sewa Eze wants nothing more than to become a caver and head into the depths of deserted moons, asteroids, and worlds to secure whatever the fleet needs: precious resources, Endless relics, even Dust. However, when she discovers a strange device deep in the ice of the comet they shelter on, it becomes clear dark forces are afoot. Selected for a leadership role at the Ceremony of Duties, she must reassess her life, beginning with finding the traitor in their ranks who threatens her entire fleet’s existence.
The course of Sewa’s life changes forever as she is forced to confront treachery, discover the secrets of the ancient past and travel to the very heart of the tyrannical United Empire.
Oct. 29th, 2024: Usurpation (Semiosis Book 3) by Sue Burke
Stevland, the dominant sentient lifeform of Pax, has clandestinely sent some of its progeny to Earth. To explore, to spread, to report back.
Since their germination, Earth has been a powder keg. Human rebellion, robot uprisings, and global pandemics have created chaos, distrust, and deaths.
As more and more conflicts break out across Earth, Stevland’s children work in the background, in an attempt to control human behavior and perhaps, bring peace to the planet. Stevland took control of Pax. Earth shouldn’t be too difficult…
LGBTQ+
Oct. 1st, 2024: A Pirate’s Life for Tea (Tomes & Tea, 2) by Rebecca Thorne
This trade paperback release features vivid orange sprayed edges, a beautiful color illustration, and a never-before-seen bonus short story!
Kianthe and Reyna are on the hunt for dragon eggs to save their hometown―but it requires making a deal with Diarn Arlon, lord of the legendary Nacean River. Simply capture the river pirate Serina, who’s been plaguing Arlon’s supply chains, and bring her in for justice. Easy peasy.
Begrudgingly, the couple joins forces with Bobbie, one of Arlon’s constables determined to capture the pirate. Except Bobbie and Serina have a more complicated history than anyone realized, and it might jeopardize everything.
While Kianthe and Reyna watch this relation-shipwreck from afar, it quickly becomes apparent that these disaster lesbians need all the help they can get. Luckily, matchmaking is Reyna’s favorite pastime.
The dragon eggs may have to wait.
Oct. 1st, 2024: Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
It’s been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she’s doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado—it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet’s upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane’s sister Adele also brought a friend home—and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton.
All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas—and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, she’s stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers—which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele’s mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. Charlotte and Brighton are soon entrenched in horseback riding and cookie decorating, but Charlotte still won’t talk to her. Brighton can hardly blame her after what she did.
Oct. 8th, 2024: The Nightmare Before Kissmas: A Royals and Romance Novel by Sara Raasch
Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky rom-com where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.
Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.
But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.
Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.
It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.
Oct. 22nd, 2024: Love Immortal by Kit Vincent
Perfect for fans of vampires, romantasy, and dark academia!
Jonathan Evergreen is a talented sophomore at a prestigious, isolated college in Vermont, who dreams of a career in book conservation. But Jonathan’s life isn’t as rosy as it may appear. Disowned by his family after they caught him with another boy, he struggles to overcome heartbreak and support himself through his studies. To make matters worse, his advisor and the only ally in the institution run by old money and family connections mysteriously vanishes, and a new enigmatic professor, Dacian Bathory, takes his place.
Even though Jonathan is instantly drawn to Dacian, feeling a deep, intense connection between them, Dacian’s hot and cold behavior leaves him puzzled. But things change when Dacian unexpectedly helps him secure a job at the college’s Rare Books library from which an antique book recently went missing-a book that Dacian seems to have a deep interest in.
As their attraction grows, sinister events start to unfold around campus: people disappearing in the dead of night, a group of legacies showing signs of increasingly disturbing behavior, and a dead body washing up nearby, completely drained of blood. Plagued by unsettling dreams that feel too close to reality, Jonathan suspects that some of these events might be connected to Dacian.
Oct. 22nd, 2024: The Hollow and the Haunted by Camilla Raines
In this darkly magical fantasy debut set in Washington State, a closeted teenage psychic foresees the death of his sworn enemy, and is forced to work with him to save his life. Sparks fly, but some ghosts don’t want to stay buried…
Miles Warren hails from a long line of psychics. Resigned to a life in the family business, Miles is perfectly happy, thank you very much. Apart from the fact he hasn’t told anyone he’s gay, and that he’s constantly exhausted from long nights spent wrangling angry ghosts in creepy cemeteries. Perfectly happy.
But Miles’s comfortable routine is interrupted when he starts having visions of an unfamiliar boy. He soon learns the stranger is Gabriel Hawthorne, whose family have a mysterious, decades-long feud with Miles’s own—and that the visions are a premonition of his murder. Gabriel is everything Miles expects from a Hawthorne: rude, haughty, irritatingly good-looking. But that doesn’t mean Miles is just going to stand by and let someone kill him.
The two form an uneasy alliance, trying to solve Gabriel’s murder before it happens. As they begin to unravel the web of secrets between their families, and with dark magic swirling around them, Miles is horrified to realize that he doesn’t hate Gabrielquiteas much as he’s supposed to. He might even like him.
Too bad Gabriel is probably going to die.
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