Every month, readers get a chance to vote for their favorite new releases featured in the I Heart SapphFic newsletter. Below, you’ll find the winners for each month.
July 2022 Winners
ROMANCE
Guarding Evelyn
by Erin Zak
Available in Kindle Unlimited
After an unfortunate incident and a forced leave of absence from the Secret Service, Arden Ryan is moving back to Chicago where she can get over her failures in the comfort of her childhood home. Her parents, who are lovely, if not a tad overbearing, will provide the support she needs. Healing is hard, though, and when she’s prodded by her best friend to get back out there, Arden reluctantly takes a job guarding one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, Evelyn Glass.
Evelyn Glass disappeared from the silver screen unexpectedly when she decided to have a family. At least that’s what the public thinks. She’s making a comeback, though. After landing a role as the star on a top-rated television show, she feels invincible once again. As her ego starts to grow, so does her fan base, and attention, unwanted and otherwise, comes from every direction.
Evelyn and Arden butt heads at every pass. Evelyn’s desire to prove herself puts her in harm’s way more than once, until a situation occurs that put her children’s lives at risk. Her change of heart regarding not just Arden’s protection, but the attraction simmering between them, will change her entire life.
Can Arden prove her love means more to Evelyn than fame before it’s too late?
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Worth a Fortune
by Sam Ledel
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.
EROTIC ROMANCE
The Stepmother
by Melissa Tereze
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Their connection flares hot in an instant… but is it doomed to fizzle out?
After the death of her estranged father, Hayley McAllister plans to endure cold, wet England just long enough to tie up loose ends. Then she’s heading straight back to Ibiza, where she lives exactly as she pleases—performing her music, soaking up sunshine, and indulging in flings with gorgeous women.
She has no interest in meeting her dad’s new wife. A wife Hayley assumes must be just as bitter as he was. Until she comes face to face with Diane Astell—a walking, talking dream, from her dark hair and eyes and brilliant smile, down to her divine legs.
Diane is intimately acquainted with heartbreak and loneliness, both within and outside of marriage. Now? She just wants to let it all go and have some fun for a change. Despite their age difference, she quickly recognises a kindred spirit in the beautiful, vivacious Hayley.
Their sexual chemistry is hotter than the Ibizan sun, but their undeniable connection comes with an expiration date—and consequences neither expected. Now, both must decide if holding onto lives they thought they wanted is worth losing the love of a lifetime for.
MYSTERY
Stone’s Homefront
Agent Morgan Stone: Book 2
by Adrian J. Smith
A bomb at a factory. A new case. Morgan will do anything to stop her world from spinning out of control.
With Mr. Jimmy’s case still on her plate, Agent Morgan Stone isn’t sure she wants to take on a second. Focusing on Jimmy’s young victims, she has little interest in a bomb that goes off in Chicago. With an end to restricted duty in sight after last winter, Morgan finds herself thrust into a new case she doesn’t want.
She has no option but to liaison with Detective Fiona Wexford and potentially ruin the tentative friendship they’ve been building. With her career, love life, and friendships crumbling around her, Morgan wonders, does she still have what it takes to stop a mad bomber?
Trigger Warnings: Racism and homophobia.
DYSTOPIAN
Betrayal
As We Know It: Book 3
by Rita Potter
Betrayal is the exciting conclusion to the As We Know It series.
The survivors at Whitaker Estate are still reeling from the vicious attack on their community, which left three of their friends dead.
When the mysterious newcomer Alaina Renato reveals there is a traitor in their midst, it threatens to tear the community apart. Is there truly a traitor, or is Alaina playing them all?
Dillon Mitchell and the other Commission members realize their group might not survive another attack, especially if there is someone working against them from the inside. Despite the potential risk, they vote to attend a summit that will bring together other survivors from around the country.
When the groups converge on Las Vegas, the festive atmosphere soon turns somber upon the discovery of an ominous threat. But is the danger coming from within, or is there someone else lurking in the city?
Before it’s too late, they must race against time to determine where the betrayal is coming from.
YOUNG ADULT
Caught Inside
by Lynnette Beers
Maddie Fong is painfully aware of being the outsider at her new Southern California high school. Teased for being different, she does her best to adapt to her new life. Raised by a single mom, Maddie retreats by burying herself in books and dreaming of a different life. But one day she and her mother meet an intriguing man from Hawaii who introduces Maddie to surfing—which ignites in her the sense of new and exciting possibilities.
But can Maddie overcome her intense fear of water to ride the waves? And if she summons up the courage to learn to surf, will it help her win the attention of a sweet girl from school named Ally Flores? Once Maddie adjusts to life in a beachside town and starts college, she learns that love and bravery might not be enough for her to reach her dreams and find happiness. When she encounters unexpected obstacles that could change the course of her life forever, Maddie faces tough decisions as she has to choose what’s most important to her. But she is determined to never give up—no matter what it takes.
AUDIOBOOK
Take Two
by Miranda MacLeod & TB Markinson
narrated by Lori Prince
They were the perfect couple until pride got in the way…
Gina Mitchells has a problem. The assistant professor is in charge of her college’s Pride festival committee, and the celebrity grand marshal they’d painstakingly recruited has just blown up the internet with a major scandal. Messing up the festival could ruin her chance to be approved for tenure. There’s exactly one famous person Gina knows who could save the day as a last-minute replacement.
The problem? The woman is Gina’s ex-girlfriend, and to say the relationship did not end well is an understatement.
Sophia Rossi has starred in so many squeaky-clean holiday romances since moving to Hollywood that everyone calls her the Queen of Christmas. An important new contract has her filming in a quaint New England town, but there’s a catch. It’s Sophia’s hometown, and surviving a month with her meddling, relationship-obsessed mother and sisters might be too much for Sophia’s sanity to bear.
When Gina reappears in Sophia’s life with a proposition, Sophia has one of her own. It’s a match made in heaven, if only they can get over their past heartbreak long enough to convince everyone they’ve rekindled their old spark. But can this fake relationship lead them to a second chance at love?
June 2022 Winners
ROMANCE
Pride Festival
by Nicole Pyland
Available in Kindle Unlimited
When Ruby Simon wanted something, she usually got it and didn’t mind working hard for it. Her small town had never done anything for Pride month, and she was determined to change that. Starting with a parade would be a little much, so Ruby started planning a festival.
Chance Curtis was used to always being pulled into her best friend’s orbit. She was an ally to the community, believing that love was love and that she’d find her person one day, but she never had anyone in her life like that, so it didn’t matter anyway.
Jo Hemsworth never fit in. When Jo’s single mother decided to move to a small town toward the end of Jo’s junior year, Jo planned not to talk to anyone and just hoped to go to college one day. Never feeling like fitting in, and only in part because of being gay, Jo had no idea Chance was helping to plan a festival and would change Jo’s life.
Jaden Hugo had been the girl with two gay dads ever since they adopted her, and she’d been questioning things about herself for a while. When her dads volunteer themselves and her to work at a Pride festival in another town, Jaden is completely taken aback because there was Ruby Simon, the girl who had made it all happen.
On the cusp of their high school graduation, Ruby and Chance were about to leave this place they’d called home and wanted to leave it better than they found it. In planning this first Pride event for their community, their lives also end up changing for the better.
EROTICA
Impact
by Nikki Markham
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Bailey is 28 years old. She’s single, she’s bisexual, and after stumbling into the wrong club on the right Friday night, she thinks she might be kinky too. Immediately entranced by the sights around her—including the gorgeous and commanding Domme, Isabelle—Bailey wonders if there’s a side of life she’s been missing.
Isabelle is still reeling from a traumatic break up with her old submissive that’s left her questioning the things that used to mean the most to her. She’s relegated herself to casual companionship with no chance of feelings, all in the hopes of repairing her heart. When she meets Bailey—eager, new, and beautiful, Bailey—Isabelle realizes she doesn’t stand a chance.
It doesn’t take long for Isabelle to learn that Bailey’s bright eyed curiosity might be exactly what she needs to heal from her past, and it doesn’t take Bailey long to learn that her new favorite place might be on her knees. But are great chemistry and hot scenes enough to leave a lasting impact on both women or are their days numbered from the start?
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Redemption
Crossing Lines: Book 2
by Barbara Winkes
Available in Kindle Unlimited
ROBYN
I can’t let go.
I wish I could say all my actions were justified when I tried to prevent an all-out war between two crime families.
Falling for Kendall Mancini was never part of the plan – but that’s the bed I made for myself, and now I have to lie in it.
I owe her.
KENDALL
My family thinks I’m a traitor. Given what I know now, I can’t be too surprised or disappointed.
It’s ironic that the only person I can trust is the woman who set out to lock me up, but that’s life.
Trust is everything.
The danger is not past, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect both of us.
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Evermore
A Mystic Meteor Tale: Book 2
by Elle Hyden
Available in Kindle Unlimited
In Book Two of this Mystic Meteor Tale, the meddling spirit Lily is back in matchmaking mode, working with a few new cohorts to help two women find their Evermore.
Raven, a reclusive but wealthy video game developer, needs more than just a paid caretaker; she needs true healing to melt the cold core of her deeply wounded heart. She’s lived her entire life without love and trusts no one. Only once did Raven allow anyone close, but it wasn’t to be, and she vowed Nevermore!
Lynn, a gifted empath, seeks a safe haven not only for herself but for a little girl that she’s sworn to protect. Like Raven, she experienced an early childhood rejection. Although she didn’t close herself off to others, Lynn has never shared herself entirely with another. It has kept her moving on from one relationship to another.
The advent of a spectral raven starts these women down a path that can potentially redress these old hurts if only they can open their hearts to each other. Join these two women in their quest to discover if the spirits and fate will bring them together or tear them apart.
FICTION
The Golden People
by J. A. Yates
Bored, discontent, and broken, wealthy Lillian is at a crossroads: she doesn’t fit in anywhere, her self-esteem is lacking, and she is losing her only friend. An accidental encounter leads her to Ivy, an intriguing girl possessing what Lillian has been seeking, including enthralling, sensual encounters. Beguiled, Lillian vows to do anything to keep Ivy. Ivy leads Lillian into a group calling itself The Golden People. The Golden People offers a place to belong, love, and acceptance. But is their meeting fate or Ivy’s careful plan? As a devout member of The Golden People and a follower of its charismatic yet dangerous leader, Lillian’s idyllic destiny turns into deadly horror and chaos.
Trigger warnings: abuse including rape, child abuse, cult activity, and domestic violence.
AUDIOBOOK
No Strings
by Lucy Bexley
narrated by Abby Craden
Fun is the one thing Elsie Webb takes seriously. Though she’d be having a lot more of it if Haelstrom Media paid her enough to actually get out of debt. She’s determined to hold out on contract negotiations for her kids’ television show Fangley Heights until she gets what she deserves. There’s only one problem, the head of the network just died and left her future more uncertain than ever.
Forty-eight hours and one funeral—that’s all Jones Haelstrom has to get through before she can return to her life in LA that’s as ordered and sparse as an IKEA showroom. When she steps in as CEO of her father’s media company, Elsie Webb is her first problem to deal with. Elsie ends up challenging Jones in ways she never could have predicted, starting with an attraction neither can avoid.
As their attraction teeters on the edge of something more both agree to keep it casual. A no-strings agreement and disclosure to HR should be enough to keep things between Jones and Elsie from getting tangled, right?
Trigger Warning: this story includes the death of an estranged parent off-page and prior to the story beginning
May 2022 Winners
ROMANCE
If I Don’t Ask
by E. J. Noyes
Rebecca Keane has it all figured out. With a successful career as an Army surgeon and a fresh promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, she loves her life leading a surgical team. Even if that life means she’s spent years hiding her sexuality and ignoring her desires under the Army’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Then Captain Sabine Fleischer’s arrival sets off an attraction that cracks Rebecca’s carefully cultivated armor and brings about fresh complications.
As Sabine’s direct commanding officer, Rebecca knows she cannot act on her attraction, but that knowledge does nothing to squash her desires. Unable to keep her thoughts about the alluring other woman under control, Rebecca resigns herself to years of censoring her thoughts and feelings until Sabine’s time in the Army is done. She’s spent decades suppressing parts of herself for her job, so what’s a few more years?
But as Rebecca and Sabine work closely together on Army bases in Afghanistan and the States, the undeniable sparks between them begin to ignite. And despite Rebecca’s constant self-censure, her denials and her knowledge of every obstacle standing between them, her resolve crumbles with each passing day. But when the consequences of your love run deeper than just breaking one of the unbreakable rules of the military, you risk losing more than just your heart.
EROTICA
Volleyball Vixens
by Riley Rose
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Alena Araya and Casey Chen are professional beach volleyball players, rising through the ranks of their bikini-clad brethren.
When they win their first tournament, their super-sexy Brazilian rivals challenge them to a unique match: one where their clothes and naughty assets are on the line!
Will Alena and Casey be able to ignore the gorgeous bodies across the net and win? Or will they wind up the sex toys of two beautiful Brazilians?
Find out if our bikini warriors can survive the ultimate volleyball sex battle!
ACTION & ADVENTURE
Darkness San Francisco
The Darkness Series: Book 5
by KC Luck
Available in Kindle Unlimited
In Darkness San Francisco, two main characters from the Darkness series, US Army Major Grace Hamilton and her partner, Ship Captain Meg O’Grady, set sail from Astoria to track down the pirate king and bring him to justice. They will chase the outlaw on their ship, Wind Dancer, to his lair in San Francisco, if necessary, to capture him.
SCI-FI ROMANCE
Mail Order Bride
by Molly J. Bragg
Ten years ago, aliens from a Galaxy spanning government called the Hegemony arrived in the Solar system and ever since Earth has been on a long, slow journey to becoming a banana republic. Samantha ‘Sam’ Murray has spent her entire high school career doing everything her mom could think of to earn a chance at an off-world education that would keep her from living a life of poverty. But with just a few weeks left before graduation there’s no scholarship in sight and Sam has her heart set on getting an apartment with her best friend and crush, Jenny, and maybe finding out if they can be more than just friends. All of her plans come crashing down when she finds out her mom has signed her up for an arranged marriage on another planet as a way to get her the off-world education she’s sure Sam needs.
Sam arrives on Talamh, a planet ravaged by disaster, expecting to find herself promised to some rich alien prince. Instead, she finds herself among a species that has no concept of gender, promised to a beautiful alien that makes Sam’s little gay heart skip a beat every time she looks at them. There’s just one problem. Orla, the person Sam is promised to, is already in love with their best friend Sorcha. As Orla and Sam’s betrothal moves forward, they find themselves falling in love, but Sam can’t help but worry that Sorcha will come between them. At least, until she and Sorcha start to develop feelings for each other.
Will desire and jealousy destroy all their futures, or will Sam, Orla, and Sorcha find a way to be happy together?
Trigger Warnings: Sex with An Alien, Dysfunctional Family, Panic Attacks, Minor Drug Use
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Sarah Sawyer Series
Books 1-3
by S.W. Andersen
Follow the journey of gunslinger Sarah Sawyer through the old West as she battles past demons and vengeance-seeking relatives, finding love and a life she never knew she could have along the way.
This box set includes revised editions of books 1 & 2 plus bonus features and a prologue. Stories in set: Somewhere Between Love and Justice, The Price of Payback, and A Call To Justice.
YOUNG ADULT
Take Your Shot
by Riley Scott
Sometimes, the girl who has it all—really doesn’t.
At first glance, high-school basketball superstar Logan Watts is living the American dream—perfect grades, perfect appearance, perfect boyfriend, and a college athletic scholarship already lined up. But if people looked deeper, they’d see Logan is plagued by the loss of her older brother and unending internal questions about what’s missing from her life. Logan’s world is turned upside down when she catches Carter Shaw—the witty and stylish head of the school newspaper, and the only out lesbian in school—staring at her in class.
A high-school romance is not on Carter’s radar. She just wants to survive the year so she can move on and enjoy the freedoms of college. But when a chance encounter puts her alone with Logan for hours, Carter discovers just how much they have in common.
And Logan realizes Carter could be that thing she’s felt was missing all along…
AUDIO
A London Love Story
Season One
by Miranda MacLeod & TB Markinson
narrated by Lori Prince & Marisa Calin
Four young American women form an unlikely bond as they search for sapphic love and the meaning of life in London.
Taylor Elliott, an aspiring writer with few practical life skills, is on her last chance when she moves to London to work for the father she barely knows. Her world is turned topsy-turvy by a woman who’s so wrong for her she might actually be right.
Emma Garfield is a talented but stubborn chef from the American South who dreams of running her own Michelin-starred restaurant, but her temper gets her into hot water. She gives relationships a hard pass, but could her latest fling be different?
Jasmine Singh is a perpetual graduate student who was born and raised in Ohio. She has every step of her life planned to perfection, including marrying her very nice boyfriend, Dave, until a curious spark throws it all off course.
Lexi Channing is the biracial adopted daughter of a prominent Wall Street family in New York City. When she isn’t dealing with the world’s most demanding client, she’s pining for her straight best friend.
If you enjoy shows like The L Word and Sex and the City, don’t miss the latest collaboration of Miranda MacLeod and TB Markinson.
April 2022 Winners
ROMANCE
A Whisper Of Solace
by Milena McKay
Available in Kindle Unlimited
What makes an Ice Queen?
Neve Blackthorne, head of one of the most successful Studios in Hollywood, is the one to rule them all. Powerful, beautiful, and aloof, she’s ruthless, yet irresistible. Above all, she has an unquenchable survival instinct.
Surely a fleeting entanglement with one Audrey Avens, a bright, young, rising star in her company, won’t bring down the Wicked Queen of Tinseltown. Or will it?
Neve’s public persona has no chink in the untouchable armor, but when the lights go out and the cameras stop rolling, what becomes of an Ice Queen whose heart is ruled by love and fear?
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Cowboys and Kisses
by Karin Kallmaker
Shunned by her family, a girl is sent west on a one-way stage ticket. Penniless, she takes up the only profession open to her. Years later she encounters the cowboy she can love, and her first taste of pleasure – and happiness.
Cowboys, however, are born to wander, and their kisses are as brief as the lives of young women without family or means. Accepting that her days will be numbered too few, Darlin’ clings to her scribblings for escape. Until she recognizes her own truth and a chance for love in the longing gaze of a townswoman.
Two determined women in a hostile world save themselves — and each other — in a lyric, sensual love story as only Karin Kallmaker can tell.
EROTIC ROMANCE
Tell Me What You Want
Talk to Me: Book 1
by Johana Gavez
A failed blind date turns into the start of an unexpected connection.
Since her divorce four years before, love hasn’t been in the cards for Olivia Fernández. She focuses on work, her children, and the occasional fleeting encounter that never becomes more. The last thing she wants for Valentine’s Day is to be set up on yet another date that will end with her bed warm but her heart as lonely as ever.
Canceling the date arranged by her nosy friends should be simple and the end of any interaction with Isabela Santamaría, CEO of Santamaría Media. Except, life insists on putting Isabela on Olivia’s path and she can’t deny her attraction and the easy connection they share.
Not falling for the woman she initially rejected becomes harder than expected the more time they spend together and explore their chemistry in bed. Will passion turn into love for Olivia and Isabela?
Tell Me What You Want is a steamy standalone novella in the Talk to Me series.
Trigger Warning: This book contains explicit scenes that include Air Play/Consensual Choking and Light BDSM.
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Undercover
Crossing Lines: Book 1
by Barbara Winkes
Available in Kindle Unlimited
KENDALL
I swore to avenge my father’s death. I have to do it not only for my peace of mind, but to make sure everyone, from my family to the Biancos, knows that I am in charge now.
It’s lonely at the top. Jess is exactly who I need by my side, and I can’t let her go, even knowing about the danger that’s coming. Even after I learn of her true identity…
JESS/ROBYN
I began this undercover mission with good intentions and an infatuation for my target, Kendall Mancini, heir to a crime empire. My mission: to convince her to give up her vendetta and work with the authorities instead. For that, I had to get close to her.
I did get close to her. I couldn’t resist.
Now there’s no way back.
If we both want to survive this, we must do the impossible: Trust each other.
SCI-FI ROMANCE
An Army of One
The Alpha God: Book 7
by Lexa Luthor
The Sworne have taken Kal! Unable to accept Kal’s fate, Charlie suits up and becomes an army of one in a daring attempt to save Kal from the Sworne. Meanwhile the battle at Clabonne has left more questions than answers about why the Sworne stole a large volume of darakar. However, Charlie, Kal, and the Zodiac Pack may find a spark of hope when they discover a mysterious scientist named Talyn has escaped his bonds from the Sworne. Can they learn what secrets Talyn holds about the Sworne, willingly or by force, before the Sworne return for war?
Trigger Warning: The book has a female lead character with a penis.
YOUNG ADULT
I am Stone
by Amy DeMeritt
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Seventeen-year-old Dylan Ryder has been in foster care since she was an infant, and every minute, day, and year has been a trial of survival. Especially, after being placed under the care of Harley and Francis Carlton, a couple with no children of their own and who treat Dylan more like a servant and a punching bag than a child.
For over seven years, their abuses and threats forced Dylan to remain silent. But when Dylan ends up in the hospital, her new caseworker grows suspicious of the Carltons. Dylan wants to confide in Whitney and tell her everything. She wants to be set free. But the failures and negligence of her previous caseworkers make it hard to trust anyone.
But the Carltons aren’t the only threats in Dylan’s life. Forbidden to have friends, and a lack of nice clothes that fit, Dylan is the number-one “untouchable” at school, as deemed by the school’s bully. But one particular run-in with Tracy doesn’t sit well with one of the girls from her inner circle and things at school are about to change.
While Dylan goes through the motions, just trying to survive and keep her grades up in school, Whitney devises a plot to try to learn the truth and improve Dylan’s circumstances, something her previous caseworkers never tried to do. And that difference doesn’t go unnoticed by the Carltons, and Dylan will be the one to pay.
Dylan survives the Carltons, but only just.
But Dylan will heal. She’ll learn that it’s always worth fighting for the next day. She’ll gain a family and friends. And the future has never looked brighter.
Trigger Warning: This book deals with subjects that may be difficult for some people, including physical and verbal abuse of a minor, bullying, starvation, brief discussions on sexual assault of a minor, depression, and discussions on suicide.
AUDIOBOOK
The Delicate Things We Make
by Milena McKay
narrated by Abby Craden
Hitting rock bottom in the concrete jungle of Manhattan, investigative journalist Jamie Walker lands the assignment of a lifetime: Find the most elusive artist of a generation, who has enthralled the art and fashion world for more than a decade.
This assignment is supposed to finally be Jamie’s ticket to journalistic fame and fortune. The quest, however, proves to be difficult, as – so far – nobody has managed to discover who the legendary DeVor really is.
As Jamie delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the enigmatic artist, trying to salvage her stagnant career, she risks getting in over her head and losing her heart in the process.
Trigger Warning: off page mentions of sexual assault.
March 2022 Winners
ROMANCE
Behind Her Eyes
by Melissa Tereze
Available in Kindle Unlimited
All it takes is one cold lie to ruin the recipe for a perfect love…
Five years ago, Abi was in culinary school and dreaming of working at Adley’s, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and for its equally delectable owner. Instead, she’s alone, broke, and out of friendly couches to sleep on. Her only direction…rock bottom.
Abi’s in a mess, but it’s her mess, and she plans to fix it. She just doesn’t know how—until, huddled and shivering in a doorway across from Adley’s, she sees the beautiful owner drop her purse. And returning it reaps an unexpected reward.
Behind Victoria Adley’s cool public persona and power suits is a woman in turmoil, a victim of tabloid lies that have thrown her for a loop. Accused of having an affair with a female employee, her family has fallen apart and her business is suffering.
When Victoria offers temporary shelter to the homeless young woman who found and returned her dropped purse, she is irresistibly drawn to Abi’s kindness and warmth. Their instant attraction melts into something more, but they can’t pretend the real world doesn’t exist. While all the ingredients for a lasting love are there, putting them together isn’t so easy.
Because Victoria isn’t out.
And Abi can’t live a lie.
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
In the Shadow of Love
Shadow Series: Book 2
by J.E. Leak
She was prepared to lose her life. She was not prepared to lose her heart.
Romance, secrets, and intrigue swirl around two female OSS agents navigating duty and love amidst the backdrop of New York City during World War II.
An encounter with a sultry nightclub singer led reporter Jenny Ryan to a secret job at the Office of Strategic Services and an unlikely romance with the woman of her dreams.
OSS agent Kathryn Hammond fell for her former assignment, and she’ll do anything to keep her safe—including staying away. When ghosts from her past emerge, and Jenny waltzes into headquarters as a new recruit, all of Kathryn’s fears come true.
With Jenny’s protection out of her hands, and society, the war, and time against them, will their love survive?
In the Shadow of Love is the second book in this lesbian historical romance series. If you like secrets, spies, and love against all odds, you’ll love this emotionally sweeping love story.
Note: As this is a series, reading the books in order is recommended.
Sensitive Content: This novel contains instances of PTSD from war experiences. While it is not the central theme of the story, it is woven into the tapestry of the characters’ lives, and I am mindful that for many, such forewarning is appreciated.
EROTICA
Welcome to the Cardinal
by TJ Dallas
Available in Kindle Unlimited
When your friend recommends a renowned sex club, the location you find yourself at is not what you expected. The seven-story building in the heart of Edinburgh also hosts a hotel, a restaurant, a casino… Even a nightclub! As you explore in your own time, prepare to meet a plethora of sinful people. Do you want to learn how to play Blackjack, or would you prefer the owner to show you a good time over her private poker table? Are you ravenous for food, or something more in the restaurant? Does the sexy butch who runs the gym really know what she’s doing with a strap-on? (*Spoiler alert, of course she does.) Choose wisely.
A create-your-own lesfic erotic adventure based on the Cardinal, the setting of my women-loving-women series featuring the Seven Deadly Sins. Over twenty seductive sapphic encounters to enjoy!
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
The One to Walk Away
by L. Dreamer
Available in Kindle Unlimited
For FBI Special Agent Lake Stuart, doing the right thing had come at a price—her family. Years later, in a new city, a new career, she’s still feeling the burden of the cost. She refuses to let anyone close enough to break her heart again. She’s the one to walk away now—until she goes home with Dr. Mel Pascale for one of her many routine one-night stands. What happens to Lake’s ‘one and done’ way of companionship when she can’t get Mel out of her head?
Pediatrician Mel Pascale likes her life the way it is: working at a premier hospital and volunteering at a refugee clinic, hanging out with her nephew, sister, and best friend, and surfing. But she yearns to find someone special. When she (literally) runs into a beautiful, assertive woman, she’s taken with her immediately. And when she does something she’s never done before–take a stranger home for the night—something clicks into place and falls into an incongruous mess all at once.
Just as the two women are figuring out who they can be to each other, Mel gets embroiled in Lake’s multi-agency drug cartel corruption investigation, putting their burgeoning relationship—and lives—at risk.
SCI-FI
Scatter
Heart of Heroes: Book 1
by Molly Bragg
When Deputy US Marshal Danielle ‘Danny’ Martin was told she’d gotten a promotion, she expected to be leading her own fugitive retrieval team. Instead, she got transferred to Pontian Florida of all places, and assigned to a Superhero support detail for Focus, a seemingly immortal superhero who is also one of the most famous lesbian icons on the planet.
Bad enough she’s got to spend every day working with a woman she’s had a crush on since she was five years old, but when she arrives at her new post, things start getting weird. It turns out that Focus asked for her by name, and it quickly becomes apparent that Focus wants to be more than just coworkers, or even friends.
After Focus has a violent reaction to Danny getting hurt in the line of duty, she starts looking into why the Superhero might be so fixated on her. She begins to suspect that seeing the future might be one of Focus’ powers, but when a mission leaves her stranded thirty years in the past, right at the start of Focus’s superhero career, everything becomes clear, except why the Focus in the past can barely seem to tolerate her presence.
SHORT STORY
Bridget
by Kitty McIntosh
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Do memories from the past hold us back? Can Bridget ever move on? A day out in Glasgow may hold the key to the rest of her life.
AUDIOBOOK
The Headmistress
by Milena McKay
narrated by Abby Craden
A chance encounter. An unforgettable night.
And back home, trouble is brewing on the remote island of Three Dragons, where nothing feels like it used to. Alone and lonely, Sam Threadneedle wishes upon a star, hoping for change. But when said change comes, it’s with a roar and not a whimper.
Torn between loyalty and lust, Sam is forced to reevaluate everything.
Can she and the Home of Dragons withstand the storm that is Magdalene Nox, or will any and all crumble?
Not everything is as it seems, and as she slowly unravels the mysteries behind the centuries-old walls, Sam realizes that home is much more than oak and stone.
February 2021 Winners
ROMANCE
The Girlfriend Arrangement
Black Diamond: Book 1
by Anna Stone & Hildred Billings
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Fake girlfriends. Real chemistry.
Parker Black has put her bad girl days behind her. Once the rebellious, womanizing middle child of the wealthiest family in Seattle, she’s now the founder and CEO of a luxury lingerie label. But when an incident from her past resurfaces, everything she’s built threatens to come crashing down.
For up-and-coming public relations specialist Julia Conner, her job is her life. A former foster kid, she’s spent years climbing the ladder. So when Parker contacts her to help her come back from a scandal, Julia is determined to prove she can handle a big-name client like Parker Black.
But Julia isn’t prepared for the way the blonde-haired billionaire makes her weak at the knees. And she definitely isn’t prepared when Parker announces to the world that Julia is her girlfriend.
Swept into a fake romance with a woman who’s determined to tempt her into her bed, Julia is unable to resist Parker and her intoxicating power games. But is their relationship really just pretend? And with both their reputations on the line, will Parker and Julia be willing to put their hearts on the line too?
Don’t miss the first book in this hot new series from bestselling lesbian romance authors Anna Stone and Hildred Billings. Each book can be read as a standalone story.
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Raven and the Banshee
by Carolyn Elizabeth
It’s the early 1700’s and sixteen-year-old Julia Farrow, spirited daughter of a shipping company owner, lives and loves on her own terms. With a sharp mind and sharper tongue, she constantly defies family and society expectations with no regard for the consequences.
Branna Kelly, only child of an Irish immigrant sailor, is hopelessly in love with Julia and imagines their life together as captains of their own fate. Left brokenhearted after Julia’s rejection, she embarks on a journey to chart a new shipping route to the Caribbean. Before Julia can explain her decision, Branna’s ship is overrun by merciless pirates. All hands are presumed lost.
Fifteen years later, Julia is running the Farrow Company and sailing with the crew on her newest ship when an encounter with pirates leaves her the lone survivor to be rescued by the infamous Raven, hard-hearted captain of the mercenary ship, Banshee. Julia is shocked to discover her rescuer wears a familiar face.
The Raven and the Banshee is a passionate tale of vengeance, forgiveness and second chance love in a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas.
Content note: the book contains one brief scene of sexual assault and one mention of rape.
EROTIC ROMANCE
Escorted
by Renee Roman
Are you looking for a night to remember? The Agency is your premium choice for sensual female companions who will always leave you satisfied.
Dani Brown has the kind of fantasies she can’t share with just anyone, let alone trust someone enough to make them come true. The Agency is a perfect solution—safe, secret, and best of all, no strings attached.
As the CEO of the Agency, Ryan Lewis has dashing good looks, a lucrative business, and as much kinky sex as she wants. She has it all, right? Everything except the one thing she most desires—true love.
Intrigued by Dani’s fantasies, Ryan takes her on as a client. Ryan is more than capable of giving Dani exactly what she craves, but when the tables turn and her control slips, will she be able to stay away from the woman of her fantasies?
FANTASY ROMANCE
Of Wulf and Wynd
The Kingdoms Of Gyldren: Book 2
by Lexa Luthor
Princess Tharon and Princess Roswynd were best of friends as pups; now they are enemies and forced to marry each other.
The Kingdom of White Sommer and the Kingdom of Wyndfeld were once united for many generations. Princess Tharon of White Sommer and Princess Roswynd of Wyndfeld grew up together until it all came crashing down when Tharon’s mother is murdered by Roswynd’s family. Driven by rage, Tharon becomes White Sommer’s Lord Commander and Prince, bent on vengeance for her mother. After ten long years at war, the kingdoms agree to a ceasefire, but under the condition of a forced marriage between Roswynd and Tharon.
They may have exchanged rings; however, they both soon discover they must choose between honoring their wedding vows or their vows to protect their kingdom.
Trigger Warnings: The book has a female lead character with a penis.
ACTION & ADVENTURE
Everybody Needs a Hero
by KC Luck
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Hold on to your heart…
The daughter of an actress superstar, Ashley Landish wants nothing more than to simply run her popular coffee shop on the Venice Beach boardwalk and enjoy the sun and beaches of beautiful southern California. There is only one thing missing in her life—someone special to take her breath away.
Marine Corporal Bryce Cooper is home on leave after taking care of her father in his last days. Although the Marine Corps is calling, she has a new outlook on life, leaving one last box to check—to tell the woman she knew in college, Ashley Landish, that she loves her.
Award-winning author Drew Andersen’s mission in life is to spread the message of her novel to the world by having it made into a movie. Everything is going perfectly until a last-minute switch gives the lead actress role to Hollywood diva Tess Landish. She’s ready to do whatever she can to have her kicked off the movie—until the chemistry between them sends Drew into a tailspin.
Forty-eight-year-old Tess Landish realizes her illustrious career as an A-list celebrity is starting to fade. When the opportunity comes to take the romantic lead in a film based on a popular novel, she jumps at it only to learn the author of the book doesn’t want her for the role. Tess is determined to change her mind—especially after they meet and sparks fly.
When a powerful earthquake rocks Los Angeles, the four women must find a way to not only work together to save themselves but also to protect their hearts.
Everybody Needs a Hero is a multi-trope romance with a little adventure sprinkled in for fun.
SHORT STORY COLLECTION
Sapphic Sweets
by Anne Hagan
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Short Stories of Romance, Love, and Chocolate
Four complete, Sapphic short stories and a novel preview featuring women falling in love, and realizing love at long last, all in a world of chocolate. Some are sweet. Some have a little heat…
Revel in food and fun with Amy and Rox in ‘Chocolate Fond of You.’
Dance with Etta and Corgyn in ‘Cruise Grooves.’
Ache with Quinn and Carlotta in ‘Cake Ache.’
Sweat it out with Charlene and Sierra in ‘Fit Benefit.’
Finally, meet Mandy, and the woman who changed her life without even knowing it, Lisette, in the preview of Anne’s future novel, “Drizzle Sizzle.’
FICTION
The Forever and The Now
By KJ
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Bron McIntyre, forty-two, has it all together. Terrific job. Loving family. No desperate need for a girlfriend but would be interested if one came along. Bron McIntyre is Teflon.
Kate Agostino, forty-eight, is not Teflon. Yes, she has a terrific job. But a loving family? Not really. And her personal life is rapidly disintegrating and turning into dust.
When her orange smoothie explodes all over her business suit while she’s on her afternoon walk, Kate simply shakes her head in resignation.
Bron, having witnessed the smoothie eruption, races to help, and suddenly her life takes an unexpected turn.
Falling in love is like watching the grandest sunset on the calmest ocean where the tiniest ripples wear silver sparkles as their hats. Kate and Bron find that sunset on that ocean with those ripples of love, but what happens when you take that love for granted? What happens when your person disappears? The answers are hard to hear and Bron chooses not to listen.
After a relationship break, a family intervention, and conversations that rip apart seams, Bron and Kate eventually find themselves, each other, and their now. And what they discover is that love is the large and the deliberate, and the simple and the small.
So when tragedy strikes, they call on its strength because, when you think about it, love can live on in the forever, particularly if it lives courageously in the now.
A beautifully poignant story about life, love and a loss so tragic that sometimes even the grandest sunset on the calmest ocean with the ripples wearing hats is too heartbreaking to bear.
AUDIOBOOK
Chemistry Lessons
by Jae
narrated by Abby Craden
Kylie and Regan have been best friends since kindergarten, supporting each other through thick and thin.
While everyone thinks they would be perfect for each other, they insist there’s no chemistry between them – and Regan should know since she’s a chemistry teacher.
To prove it, they agree to a little chemistry experiment: They’ll go on three dates with each other.
So what if their gazes start to linger and accidental touches no longer feel platonic? They chalk it up to the romantic atmosphere – until a friendly good night kiss turns passionate.
Can their friendship go back to the way it was before? Do they even want it to? Or will they risk losing what they have for a chance at love?
January 2021 Winners
ROMANCE
AT FIRST GLANCE
by Melissa Tereze
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Faye Holmes’s life is the polar opposite from her racy, bestselling romances. It’s quiet, routine, and, at the moment, plagued with writer’s block. If only just a little of the passion burning up the pages of her books would warm her lonely bed. But to be honest, one-night stands aren’t her thing.
When her best friend buys her a lap dance to celebrate her latest bestseller, Faye is more than shocked. She’s intrigued by the stunningly beautiful dancer whose gentle eyes seem vaguely familiar.
Talia isn’t surprised that her favorite coffee shop customer doesn’t recognise her. Few would connect Talia, mild-mannered barista, with Adria, pole dancer and star of Liverpool’s hottest new strip club. And that’s how Talia wants it. It’s safer this way.
In the glaring spotlight though, no truth can hide for long. For two women from different worlds, falling in love can be a delicious dance—and a dangerous game. Not only for their careers, but for their hearts.
HISTORICAL FICTION
AWAKENING HEARTS
by Angie K. Love
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Two women, two lifetimes, a powerful attraction. Will they choose love or safety?
Soulmate love is the most transformative and by far the most thrilling—but also the most challenging.
2014 California: Sage Morales has a strict rule against mixing her personal life with her professional one. But when her attractive new massage client, Alex Fischer, asks her on a hike, she’s tempted to make an exception. Her stormy blue eyes awaken something dormant in Sage, and there’s a familiarity—as if they hadn’t only just met.
Torn over indulging this new friendship, Sage doesn’t realize Alex being a client is far from their greatest obstacle. She’s still oblivious to her deeply-held religious beliefs and the vow Alex made to herself almost two decades prior.
1862 Ohio: Lizzy’s mundane life on the farm becomes infinitely more interesting the day Claudia arrives. A faint smile hints at the bright spirit hiding behind those guarded blue eyes, kindling a deep desire to uncover it.
When unexpected feelings bloom between the two young women, Lizzy is eager to explore them—while Claudia struggles to reconcile the dizzying sensations in her body with her unquestioned faith and need for safety.
Will the two women risk their hearts and home for a taste of their forbidden love?
Do soulmates meet again to heal old wounds from lifetimes past?
EROTICA
ALL GIRL 4
by Victoria Rush
Book 1: The Personal Trainer
When recent divorcée Jade notices some subtle changes in her figure, she decides to set up a workout routine to get back into shape. She makes an appointment at her local health club for a personal training session and is floored by how beautiful and shapely her instructor is…
Book 2: The Harem
When Jade travels to Marrakesh for a North African vacation, she’s captivated by the sights and sounds of the bustling metropolis. But when a handsome and mysterious sheik invites her to join him on his desert caravan, she hesitates deciding to accept his offer…
Book 3: The Dominatrix
When Jade searches online for something to change up her boring sex life, she finds an ad for a dominatrix. Intrigued, she clicks on the link and begins to learn all about the exciting world of bondage and domination…
Book 4: Paint Me
When Jade sees an ad for a bodypainting workshop at the local supermarket, her interest is piqued. She books an appointment and is excited when she’s paired with a pretty redhead at their first session…
Book 5: The Masseuse
When Jade is feeling particularly needy one night, she searches online for a personal masseuse. When she sees an interesting listing for tantric massage, she clicks on the link and is surprised to see graphic illustrations of the company’s Goddesses massaging a woman’s private areas…
THRILLER
INVOCATIONS
Carpenter/Harding: Book 13
by Barbara Winkes
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Halloween is around the corner…
Detectives Carpenter and Harding are used to bizarre cases, but this one might take the cake: Sightings of scary clowns, murders, a gruesome find on the grounds of an abandoned amusement park.
Did someone’s prank go horribly wrong, or is there something more sinister behind the incidents?
While Jordan, Ellie and their friends work hard to solve the case so citizens can have a safe holiday, another case brings up difficult memories.
Meanwhile, Kathryn needs help with a problem that might have far-reaching consequences for their family…
FANTASY ROMANCE
PIRATES OF ALETHARIA
by Britney Jackson
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Emilia Drakon was once the youngest and kindest of the dragon sorcerers, but she’s now the last of her kind. Betrayed and angry, she trades her meekness for a sword and embarks on a quest for vengeance that will lead her straight into the arms of the legendary Captain Maria Welles.
Captain of the famed pirate ship, the Wicked Fate, Maria is every bit as treacherous and bloodthirsty as they say. She has her own vendetta and practically jumps at the chance to trick Emilia into joining her crew.
But when their animosity toward each other blossoms into a passionate romance, the two women will have to decide what they want most.
Vengeance?
Or love?
Trigger Warning: Violence, murder, and a character with PTSD.
GENERAL FICTION
AND THEN I MET YOU
by Erica Lee
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Have you ever met someone and known from that very first moment that they were going to have a big impact on your life? That’s how it was with Willow Stone. She was that person to me. She will always be that person to me.
And this is her story.
Before you get your hopes up, I need to issue a warning about this story. There’s happiness. And there’s an ending. But there’s not a happy ending. At least, not in the conventional sense.
Anyway, my moment came at freshman orientation when the girl who would eventually become my everything stood up during introductions and proudly announced, “My name is Willow Stone, and I’m going to die on December 27th, 2019.”
AUDIOBOOK
ALWAYS
by Kris Bryant
narrated by Melissa Sternenberg
Peri Logan’s first client is dead, but not in a morbid way. When her great-grandmother passes, her estate bequeathed Peri a piece of jewelry, a stack of cash, and a note that simply reads “find her”. As a newly licensed private investigator, Peri travels to Italy to find the mysterious woman whose photo was perfectly preserved in the heart-shaped locket. What she doesn’t expect is to be given the runaround from a beautiful stranger who offers to help and does anything but.
Camila Barnes is bored. Nothing exciting ever happens in the small town of Sequina, Italy. When a pushy American shows up demanding to meet the woman in Camila’s artwork, instead of introducing her to her great-grandmother, Camila decides to lead her on a wild goose chase all over town. Nobody messes with her family, especially people who won’t tell her why.
When the truth is finally revealed, Peri and Camilla realize they are a part of something greater than they ever expected. Attraction is fleeting, and true love touches only a few. Do they take the easy road home, or do they fight the odds and give love the chance to last for always?
