Leather and Lace (Southern Gothic Series, #1)

Leather and Lace (Southern Gothic Series, #1) By Magen Cubed
Publication date: February 16, 2021
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Summary:

Falling in love with a vampire bites—and sometimes loving a human bites back.

Dorian Villeneuve is an unlucky vampire from the slums of Devil’s Row. He makes ends meet for himself and his emotional support Chihuahua by working sleazy bars and nightclubs, doing what it takes to get by. Cash Leroy is a monster hunter from East Texas with a golden voice and an unrivaled devotion to Stevie Nicks. Hunting does not leave time for friends, let alone love.

When their paths cross during a bloody run-in with the vampire mob, Cash upends Dorian’s life—and takes Dorian under his wing to teach how to hunt monsters.

The unlikely pair become partners, and soon, best friends. However, their deepening bond grows complicated when Dorian falls in love with Cash. Their friendship is too important to throw away over an interspecies attraction, especially in a career that is already nasty, brutish, and short.

And things become even more complicated when Cash finds himself returning the vampire’s affections.

When an unusually deadly case lands in the hunters’ laps, their ill-fated affair takes a backseat. A pair of man-eating weredeer are on the loose taking victims’ hearts. With the pressure on to end the killing spree, Dorian and Cash must set aside their feelings and hunt down the blood-thirsty deer.

Can Dorian and Cash’s friendship survive this monstrous romance, or will they lose their hearts in the process?

—

EXCERPT:

Cash Leroy could have been a singer but killing paid the bills. He stood at the karaoke machine and bathed in the pink neon spotlight, every inch of him painted in a dusky glow. Mic in hand, he commanded his favorite booth with lowered eyes, splinters of light catching in his fallen lashes as they fluttered against his stubbled cheeks. His voice hit the high notes of ‘Outside the Rain’ in a velvety dither that belied his smoky drawl and taste for Pall Mall cigarettes. In a depth of sound so full, it overshadowed the shrill karaoke track.

Here, on most nights and nearly every weekend, Cash sang Stevie Nicks songs and only Stevie Nicks songs. This was his ritual for the eight months that Dorian knew Cash, but it went well beyond their partnership. Cash was a man of singular interest, and no one else loved Stevie Nicks like he did.

The Life and Times of Angie Bardot

The Life and Times of Angie Bardot By Angela Bardot
Publication date: February 14, 2021
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Comedy, Women’s Fiction
Summary:

IS THERE LIFE AFTER?

Setting out on her adventures, Angie is best described as endearingly tragic as she gives a truly laugh-out-loud account of what could possibly go wrong when her long-term marriage comes to an end. Extolling the many pitfalls of being single is no laughing matter and being thrown into the dating arena is even worse.

When curiosity to view a certain piece of the male anatomy takes priority, bedlam unfolds. Angie’s journey will leave you in fits of laughter while raising your eyebrows in absolute disdain.

Taking you from “Hell No” to “Hell Yes,” this two-part true story taps into a range of emotions as you travel along with Angie on her voyage of self-discovery. A captivating exposé of courage and raw honesty in finding a new beginning when life takes a nosedive, this compelling portrayal of compassion gives insight into the weakest and strongest moments of what it is to be human.

You will fall in love with Angie and won’t be able to stop turning the pages to see what she will do next. To err on the side of caution is not Angies strong suit. Heart wrenching, yet hilariously funny in the unique style of telling her tale, it’s never a surprise when she ends up on several occasions with her tail between her legs!

Does she ever learn?

This book is one of a kind, and better still, so is Angie Bardot.

A Shot at Normal

A Shot at Normal By Marisa Reichardt
Published by: Farrar Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication date: February 16, 2021
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Summary:

Marisa Reichardt’s A Shot at Normal is a powerful and timely novel about justice, agency, family, and taking your shot, even when it seems impossible.

Dr. Villapando told me to get a good attorney. He wasn’t serious. But I am. I’m going to sue my parents.

Juniper Jade’s parents are hippies. They didn’t attend the first Woodstock, but they were there for the second one. The Jade family lives an all-organic homeschool lifestyle that means no plastics, no cell phones, and no vaccines. It isn’t exactly normal, but it’s the only thing Juniper has ever known. She doesn’t agree with her parents on everything, but she knows that to be in this family, you’ve got to stick to the rules. That is, until the unthinkable happens.

Juniper contracts the measles and unknowingly passes the disease along, with tragic consequences. She is shell-shocked. Juniper knows she is responsible and feels simultaneously helpless and furious at her parents, and herself.

Now, with the help of Nico, the boy who works at the library and loves movies and may just be more than a friend, Juniper comes to a decision: she is going to get vaccinated. Her parents refuse so Juniper arms herself with a lawyer and prepares for battle. But is waging war for her autonomy worth losing her family? How much is Juniper willing to risk for a shot at normal?

—

EXCERPT:

Now that the new school year has started and my parents have reached out to other local homeschoolers to plan field trips, I’m hoping I’ll make some new friends.

Until then, I’ll remain on the outside looking in.

Like this morning, in my room, where I spent from seven forty-fi ve to eight a.m. watching through the window as bright yellow buses pulled up to the curb in front of Playa Bonita High School. The bus doors opened and students spilled onto the sidewalk. Others rode up on bikes and skateboards. The older ones, the juniors and seniors, arrived in cars crammed with passengers, two in the front seat and three in the back. Everyone wore shorts or sundresses, because it’s still the last week of August and the heat of summer hasn’t let go of this town yet.

Demon’s Little Lamb (Shadow Demons, #2)

Demon’s Little Lamb (Shadow Demons, #2) By Marteeka Karland
Publication date: February 11, 2021
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Summary:

A Demon infatuated with the enemy:
Azriel Ivanovich knows the new intern he’s hired at Argent Tech comes with a price tag. It’s possible the young, sexy college grad is in bed with the people trying to stage a takeover of the company he and his brothers built as a cover for their underground activities. 

With the help of a former member of one of the most dangerous and influential shady organizations in the world, Azriel and the Shadow Demons are about to stage a hostile takeover of their own. Of the permanent kind.

A little lamb lost among the wolves:
All Lamb Newsome wants to do is start an exciting, promising life after graduation. The little break she takes in the Florida Keys before starting her new internship started things off smashingly. 

There she meets a wealthy man who is familiar with Argent Tech and they hit it off from the start. Both in bed and out of it. When she finds out he’s married, things unravel quickly. The mess that follows isn’t what she expected, however. Instead of a jealous wife, she has one of the owners of the company after her. In retrospect, she realizes she really shouldn’t have fallen for the guy, but the sex is just that good.

Betrayals and secret wars:
Had she known the stakes, Lamb wouldn’t have bet her heart. Now all she can do is believe in her Demon. Even if she doesn’t know how he lives in the shadows. Now, she has to survive. But how is she supposed to do it on her own? And how can she ever trust her heart again when all it wants is the Shadow Demon she can never have?

—

EXCERPT:

The last person in the world Lamb expected to see tonight was James. She was so surprised and genuinely glad to see him, she forgot where she was or that there were people around them. She hugged him fiercely.

“I’m so glad to see you!” Letting him go and pulling back to smile up at him, Lamb continued in a rush. “I thought I’d never see you again! When I left, I forgot to get your number or even an email address!” Then she noticed the woman standing next to him who’d sidled closer, slipping her hand around his upper arm.

And her stomach dropped.

The Sweetest Valentine (Sweetland Valley, #1)

The Sweetest Valentine (Sweetland Valley, #1)
By Lacey Baker
Publication date: February 16, 2021
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Summary:

When the idea for a new script brings Hollywood actor Kelan Hunter to the Wine & Chocolate Festival in the small town of Sweetland Valley, MD, sparks fly with the charming candy shop owner who has a list of reasons for why their love isn’t meant to be.

Ruthlessly organized Sydni Murray’s life goal checklist was derailed after her broken engagement last Valentine’s Day. Now, with the holiday fast approaching again and the town’s biggest chocolate festival on the horizon, she must put her biases about love on the backburner. 

Until Kelan walks into her shop with his model good looks and a box of his grandparents’ love letters that melt her heart.

But happy ever after may not be in the cards for the couple as Sydni’s in danger of losing her shop and Kelan’s plan to stay in Sweetland is threatened by an unbelievable career opportunity.

—

EXCERPT:

There was a movie star standing in her shop, posing for pictures with two of her dearest friends and all Syd could think about was how many more milk and dark chocolate truffles she needed to make to complete Savannah Cantrell’s order. She’d intended to spend the morning in the kitchen working on the order but Sharay, her part-time clerk, was down with the flu. That left her the only one here to run the store today. Not that she minded, Sinfully Sweet was her dream come true. Owning and running her own specialty chocolate shop after the detour she’d taken on her career path was an accomplishment Syd was thankful for every day.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been in here way too long. We’ve got to get going before Aunt Louisa becomes hysterical with worry.” Julia’s hand on her shoulder had Syd turning at the sound of her voice.