Before we get to today’s new releases, including gems by Rachel Lacey, Georgia Beers, Milena McKay, Adrian J. Smith, and many others, we have some announcements.
IHL SAPPHIC READING CHALLENGE
It’s week 14 of IHL’s Sapphic Reading Challenge. You can click here for reading suggestions for the Rich Girl / Poor Girl trope. 7 of the books featured on the page are on sale.
Remember, you can join the I Heart Lesfic Facebook reader group. Every Monday we will announce the category for the week, and every Wednesday you will have the opportunity to post what book you are reading and be entered into the monthly drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. (For those who are not on Facebook and still want to enter, remember you can email your reading selection to tbm@iheartlesfic.com).
Second, we have created a Goodreads group where readers can discuss books, swap recommendations, and generally have a good time.
VOTE FOR FAVORITE BOOK WITH A POC CHARACTER
We asked readers on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram to nominate their all-time favorite sapphic book with a POC main character. Find out who made the cut and cast your vote. Voting is open until April 30th and then we’ll announce the top three on May 5th.
GIVEAWAY
NEW RELEASES
Here are this week’s new ebook and audio releases and announcements.
Please click on this link for how to submit books (ebook and audio) for the newsletter. IHL will not include books unless they receive an email from either the author or publisher.
Happy reading and listening,
TB & Miranda
ROMANCE
No Rings Attached
Ms. Right: Book 2
by Rachel Lacey
Available in Kindle Unlimited
From award-winning author Rachel Lacey comes the second installment in the Ms. Right series: a captivating romance about a reluctant bookseller finding love in unexpected places.
Lia Harris is tired of being the odd one out. She’s never quite fit in with her uptight family, and now that her roommates have all found love, she’s starting to feel like a third wheel in her own apartment. Fed up with her mother’s constant meddling in her love life, Lia drops hints about a girlfriend she doesn’t have. But with her brother’s London nuptials approaching, she needs to find a date to save face. Lia turns to her best friend, Rosie, for help, and Rosie delivers—with the fun, gorgeous Grace Poston.
Grace loves to have a good time, hiding her insecurities behind a sunny smile. Her recent move to London has provided her with a much-needed fresh start. Grace isn’t looking for love, and she hates weddings, having weathered more than her fair share of heartache. Friendships are different, though, so for Rosie’s sake, she reluctantly agrees to pose as Lia’s adoring girlfriend for the wedding festivities.
Both Grace and Lia are prepared for an awkward weekend, complete with prying family members and a guest room with only one bed. As it turns out, they get along well—spectacularly, in fact. Before they know it, the chemistry they’re faking feels all too real. But is their wedding weekend a fleeting performance or the rehearsal for a love that’s meant to last?
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Fake Relationship; Forced Proximity
Greener Pastures
by Aurora Rey
Audrey Adams would do anything for her aunt Ernestine. When Ernestine suffers a stroke, Audrey takes a leave from her fast-track CPA career to care for her. Only Ernestine’s hobby farm needs more tending than the patient herself. Audrey’s bitten off way more than she can chew, or harvest, or plant, or… How does one do hobby farming, anyway?
Enter her neighbor Rowan Marshall, the sexy cider maker. Rowan’s only too happy to come to Audrey’s rescue. Which is all well and good until Audrey realizes Rowan’s angling to buy the orchard that makes up more than half of Ernestine’s pride and joy.
It’s not long before a reluctant truce gives way to a romantic spark and forces Audrey to make the biggest decision of her life.
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Category: Cute Animal
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?
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Ice Queen; Age Gap; Celebrity
Along Came Sally
by JM Dragon
Angela Barossa is content with her life as the local realtor in the small town of Whistler. Until a request to see a property that can only be sold to a local or ex-local disturbs her.
The name of the potential client…Sally Maguire. Why on earth would her childhood nemesis want to return to Whistler?
Angela needs to be dispassionate in her dealings with Sally, but can she?
Simply a timeless romance.
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Category: Enemies to Lovers
With a Twist
A Swizzle Stick Romance: Book 3
by Georgia Beers
Amelia Martini’s favorite things are traveling, animals, and peanut butter. When she left her job to explore the world with her wife, she didn’t expect Tammy’s plans to include leaving her. Now, Amelia is starting over again and facing middle age alone. It’s a struggle, but she doesn’t want to be bitter forever.
Thirty-something Kirby Dupree loves life. Not always easy when you’ve lost as much as she has and carry as much sadness as she does. But she made a promise to always look for beauty, so she does her best…even when she has to squint to see it.
When Kirby’s job as an interior painter brings her into Amelia’s life, they don’t exactly hit it off. Amelia finds Kirby irritatingly cheerful, and Kirby thinks Amelia’s far too serious. Forced to work together, they start to see beyond their first impressions and prove opposites really do attract. But are they brave enough to go after the love they really want?
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Enemies to Lovers; Cute Animal
Serenity
by KB Belmar
After Kirby MacLennan had lost her partner and her only sibling in a horrific accident, all she wanted to do was move from the city and live the rest of her life alone in a small mountain village. When she meets Samantha Parker, the village sheriff, they soon become friends. Samantha’s cousin Jackie, and her wife Beth, along with their children, moved into the old farmhouse next door to Kirby. Something makes Kirby uneasy about the couple’s relationship and she finds herself drawn to Beth, and her silent plea for help.
Can Kirby overcome her own trauma of the past to help a neighbor in need? Will she finally accept love back into her life, enough to move out of the shadows and into the light?
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Category: Loss / Grieving
Spring Trip
Holiday Romances: Book 4
by Sage Donnell
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Spring break is coming up and high school teacher Kade could not be more excited to spend the week with her girlfriend, Aiesha. The two haven’t seen much of each other since their Valentine’s trip thanks to their long distance relationship and generally busy lives, but this will give them the opportunity to spend the whole week together.
Will friends, surfing, and a few communication issues get in the way?
(Spoiler, no way! This is a typical low angst book by Sage Donnell.)
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Category: Asexual; Cute Animal
Indigo: Blues
Indigo B&B: Book 1
by Adrian J. Smith
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Anxiety ridden Sarah finds more than she bargained for in a no-nonsense rancher and baby cow.
Taking her best friend’s advice, Sarah travels to Indigo B&B to distract herself from her upcoming tour. Instead, she comes face-to-face with Indigo’s ruggedly alluring owner, Eli. The vision of strength and confidence, Eli evokes Sarah’s envy as well as an undeniable attraction. Sarah wonders if there is more beneath Eli’s façade and how deep both their demons go.
Eli wants nothing more than to fit into her tiny hometown. When singer-songwriter Sadie Bade shows up for two weeks at her new B&B, Eli fights her attraction, playing it off as star struck. As the days wear on, and Eli learns more about the enigmatic Sarah, she finds it impossible to keep up the pretense. But when her ex-girlfriend hints at getting back together, Eli is left with an equally impossible choice…what will she give up for Sarah?
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Age Gap; Mental Illness; Slow Burn; Rich Girl / Poor Girl; Celebrity
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Promises in Pompeii
Ancient Ashes Series: Book 1
by Violet Morley
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Expanding twenty years, this story explores life, love, and loss in Ancient Rome.
Helvia doesn’t want for anything, but being wealthy can come at a cost. Navigating through her papa’s disinterest and trying to dodge her bully of a brother, Helvia is already learning how lonely life can be—until Octavia comes bursting on the scene, ready to help provide support, laughter, and companionship that Helvia desperately needs.
Octavia’s family doesn’t have wealth, but they certainly aren’t short on love. She is taught early to stick up for what is right and work hard for those she cares about.
As Helvia and Octavia grow, so does their friendship. Moving from childhood to adulthood while navigating the expectations of women in Ancient Rome, their connection navigates unexpected bumps and turns. Life has a way of shaking up even the most solid foundations.
With promises of their future shattered and secrets held tight to the chest, Helvia and Octavia have to ask themselves how their connection can equal a happy ending.
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Friends to Lovers; Rich Girl / Poor Girl; Historical Fiction; Historical Romance
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.
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Enemies to Lovers; Suspense; Romantic Suspense
Secret Agent
by Michelle Larkin
Rogue agent Zoey Blackwood is having the time of her life traveling the world and evading the CIA’s capture. Her wisecracking humor keeps things light, but her mission is no joke: save millions of innocent lives that the US considers expendable in the wake of a deadly virus. Giving away the vaccine’s top-secret formula when the government plans to sell it lands her squarely on the CIA’s most-wanted list.
CIA Agent Peyton North’s mission is simple: apprehend Zoey and return her to headquarters. Peyton gives chase, ready to do whatever it takes to catch her. But every time she thinks she has Zoey cornered, the smart-ass agent pulls off another clever escape.
Sparks ignite between them during their cat-and-mouse trek around the globe. A bond is forged and loyalties are tested as their sizzling attraction approaches a point of no return.
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Thriller; Romantic Suspense; Coming Out
Doublecrossed
by Laury A. Egan
Ever dream of finding the perfect lover? When Alexandra Wyatt meets Marnie Hardwick, Alex is thrilled to end her solitary, unhappy existence. After several blissful months, the two women buy a house set deep in a dense pine forest. However, the landscape soon dissolves from idyllic to disturbing as Alex begins to suspect the relationship is an illusory trap. Fueled by jealousy, anger, and curiosity, Alex rushes into a bizarre intersection of past and present that holds treacherous consequences.
Doublecrossed is a suspenseful tale of desire, deception, betrayal, and smoldering revenge that sparks a complex plot to achieve retribution. At once a strange love story and a cascading nightmare, written in the tradition of Patricia Highsmith, the novel entangles the reader in a web of psychological intrigue.
Doublecrossed includes scenes of physical violence and abuse and is recommended for mature adults.
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Mystery; Suspense; Romantic Suspense
FANTASY ROMANCE
The Witch Queen’s Mate
by Jennifer Karter
There couldn’t have been a worse time for Barra to be chosen by her gods as the next queen of the Neamairtese. She and a group of her people are being marched to the distant Empire of Victricus to be slaves.
Headstrong and independent, Barra never saw herself as a leader, and her chances of saving her people dwindle when her heart’s mate turns out to be a Svekard, the ancient sworn enemy of the Neamairtese. Without her mate, Barra cannot complete her connection to divine magic and free her people.
Silvi, a Svekard veterinarian, was simply trying to survive the march south when she was kissed by the Neamairtese witch, Barra. Now, Silvi has inhuman speed and strength to protect the witch, even at the cost of hurting her own people, an incredible dishonor.
Can Barra and Silvi’s love overcome their ingrained hatred and prejudice to bring their people together and save them all not just from slavery, but destruction?
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Fantasy Romance; Enemies to Lovers; Fantasy
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Cold Blood
by Genevieve McCluer
In a single night, Kalila lost everything—her wife, their son, and even her life. Now, forced to live as the very monster she despises, she’s hunting down the vampire responsible, no matter how long it takes, or how many other vampires she has to kill along the way.
Dorenia is all too familiar with Kalila’s story. Her own vampiric nemesis has tormented her for over a century as retribution for his mistake in turning her. As an information broker in Toronto, the city of fiends, she’s managed to stay one step ahead by gathering all the intel she can and never staying in the same place very long.
When Kalila inadvertently saves Dorenia’s life, the two strike up an unlikely alliance. Maybe together, they’ll have a chance of taking down the vampires who have eluded them all these years. And maybe, in each other, they can find a love worth living for.
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Categories: Paranormal Romance; Vampires; POC Character
NEW AUDIOBOOKS
Writer’s Block
by Ali Vali
narrated by Lula Larkin
Author Wyatt Whitlock is one of the biggest names in action thrillers and writes for the largest publisher in the business. She’s extremely private and writes prolifically—well, until recently. Writer’s block may spell the end of her career if she can’t figure a way around it. A drastic change in scenery and a really old house in New Orleans could get her creativity going again, but renovating the house she bought on a whim might just kill her.
Hayley Fox has put in her time as an assistant to an assistant in publishing, and it’s finally paid off. She’s been hired by a firm in New Orleans and she’s planning to use that as a springboard to the big leagues in New York, if only her sexy new neighbor didn’t make staying put an oh-so-tempting option.
Wyatt and Hayley might be made for each other—if only they can get through noisy neighbors, the historic society, at-odds future plans, and all the secrets hidden in Wyatt’s walls.
2022 IHL Reading Challenge Category: Celebrity
LESFIC BOOK CLUB
BUY US A COFFEE
Running IHL takes the three of us many hours every single week. Also, the costs add up. Last year we setup a Buy Us a Coffee page, which allows people to help cover the expenses. When we first announced the page, we were blown away by the response. Not only were people willing to pitch in, but all of the kind notes and encouragement brought more than a few tears to TB’s eyes. If you’d like to support us, click here. Every cup helps immensely! If you’d like to learn more about TB’s initial response to the outpouring of support, click here.
Have a wonderful day!
Miranda, Em, & TB
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