Reluctant Hero (The Seeded Saga, #1)

Reluctant Hero (The Seeded Saga, #1) By Vanessa MacLellan
Publication date: July 16, 2024
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction, Superhero
Summary:

Someone is taking the Seeded.
Can a psychic hacker crack the digital world and unearth the conspiracy before it’s too late?

The Seed grants extraordinary powers to a select few—the Seeded.

For Nekoka—a genius catgirl blessed with multiple Seeded powers, cool tech, and loyal friends—every day is Mardi Gras. 

But her carefree days in the Big Easy come to an end when her best friends decide to bind their New Orleans Seeded group with rules and duties by going official. Nekoka, a free-range hedonist, rebels against any leash, and she storms off to Portland. She’s nobody’s hero.

But she’s soon caught performing heroics when she saves lives in a freeway pileup involving abducted Seeded. As she hacks secure networks about the mysterious incident, she uncovers a sinister plot to gather low-powered Seeded, and she’s faced with a choice: confront the sadistic horrors head-on and risk capture, or hightail it to safer pastures. But the situation is critical. If Nekoka leaves, friends and frenemies could die.

Journey through the shadows where friendship, sacrifice, and determination forge heroes in the face of impending darkness.

—

EXCERPT:

“What are those papers?” Nekoka demanded. The world had suddenly gotten hot, and with a ripple, her fur thinned out over her body. The blood was pounding in her ears as her gaze homed in on the papers.

They couldn’t do this. They wouldn’t do this.

They were her friends.

Her family.

“It’s just a trial,” Zack said, finally facing her, his silver eyes barely meeting hers. “Temporary. So, you can see how it won’t be that big a deal.”

September Road (Forbidden Silver Attraction, #1)

September Road (Forbidden Silver Attraction, #1) By Pax Sinclair
Publication date: July 4, 2024
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Summary:

I’m a former Army Ranger, an Afghan vet that’s faced my share of battles, but nothing in my training has prepared me for the road trip I’m about to take alone with Riley, the daughter of my best buddy.

Josh and I grew up in a Vermont small town. We joined the Army after high school and we busted our asses to become Rangers. I’ll never forget the night he died on a mission in Afghanistan, leaving behind his young daughter Riley and his wife, Laci.

Years later, when Laci died, it became my duty to fulfill her final wishes: to drive her daughter from New Mexico to Vermont to Josh’s mother, the only family Riley has left. While I take Riley to her grandmother, I’m to tell her about a father she doesn’t know and the harder memories of how Josh and Laci’s lives intertwined with mine.

Riley is a 20-year-old smoking hot beauty with sass, determination, and she won’t back down, especially from me. And yeah, she’s my type. Damn, she’s more than just a temptation, she’s my best buddy’s daughter. I know where my duty lies, so this brown-eyed girl is off limits.

I have to be honest with myself; there’s no point in sugarcoating this situation. What could that princess see in a 40-year-old soldier still battling his own demons? Being in close quarters on a long road trip with her will be challenging enough, but staying true to my loyalty to Josh and protecting his daughter, even from my own feelings, will be the real test. I can do it. I can be a hard ass and complete the mission, but damn, she’s beautiful.

—

EXCERPT:

Ruthie is staring at the new arrival when I step back into the diner. “I’ve already given him a menu,” she says.

I nod and grab the coffeepot in case he wants a cup, so I don’t have to backtrack. Looking at him from behind, it’s another buzz cut. Well, his hair isn’t exactly that short, but that’s how I refer to all the military guys we get here. There’s an Army base in the next town, but eventually, they cruise over here for something different.

“Would you like coffee?” I ask.

Storm and Flame (Enchanted, #1)

Storm and Flame (Enchanted, #1) By Mallory Wanless
Publication date: September 22, 2022
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Summary:

Elena has always been a disappointment. Her magic is practically non-existent and now, on her sixteenth birthday, she is expelled from magic school by the strict headmistress–also known as her mother. Cast out into the world of the magically inept with only her familiar for company, Elena feels lost and alone until she meets a strange boy in the woods.

Quinn is a thief, a hunter, and a hothead. His unexpected friendship with Elena awakens a fiery side in him–quite literally– and uncovers new and surprising magical abilities. Except men aren’t supposed to be capable of magic.

With Quinn’s help, Elena carves a safe new life as a barmaid, but when she is attacked, her powers awaken with shocking ferocity. Elena’s explosion of magic creates a power surge that attracts the attention of magical investigators, sent to uncover and contain the source of the power surge.

But the awakening of their powers kickstarts an ancient prophecy. Will they be able to escape those that hunt them? Can they fulfill the prophecy, destroy the turmio and save magic from being destroyed once and for all?

Content warning: the story mentions incidents of child abuse, sexual assault, and birth trauma. May not be suitable for some readers.

Storm and Flame is the first in a completed trilogy. A found family low-spice series perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval series, Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns, and Phillip Pullman’s Golden Compass.

—

EXCERPT:

“Come on. Just work, dammit,” Elena muttered to herself, trying for the millionth time to cast her spell.

Agon had stretched his lithe, weasel-like body across a long, skinny patch of sunlight on the floor of the testing room. He’d spent the morning basking in the warmth of the sun-drenched stone and flicking his fluffy blue-black tail back and forth. As her closest, and arguably only, friend, Agon knew nothing he could say would make her feel better. She was in a mood, and the best thing he could do was to leave her be.

Sparks flared and quickly sputtered out from Elena’s fingertips.

Molly (Pendleton Promises, #2)

Molly (Pendleton Promises, #2) By Shanna Hatfield
Publication date: June 11, 2024
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Summary:

Inspired by the Hello Girls, America’s first women soldiers who helped win World War I.

She longs to make a difference.
He yearns to claim her heart.

After years of managing the Pendleton telephone office, Molly Thorsen answers the call for women to serve as telephone operators during World War I. Upon her arrival in France, she navigates the challenges of working near the front lines and battles the prejudices and skepticism of the men around her. Determined to prove her worth and skill, Molly faces adversity head-on while unexpectedly falling in love with a charming soldier.

Friday Fitzpatrick may not have been eager to engage in combat, but when he is drafted into the American Expeditionary Forces, he embraces the role of a soldier with unwavering determination. While fighting to survive the harrowing battlefield experiences, he clings to his sanity by dreaming about the captivating Hello Girl who has captured his heart. Though his opportunities to see her are limited, she serves as a beacon of hope in the midst of his darkest days.

Through their shared experiences and the trials they endure, Molly and Friday find comfort and encouragement in each other’s company, forging a connection that defies the chaos of a world in conflict. As the war draws to a close and they return home, will civilian life bring them together or pull them apart?

Find out in this sweet and wholesome historical romance filled with hope, faith, courage, and love.

—

EXCERPT:

“Molly! What a surprise!” Harley John swung Molly off her feet into a wide circle, then kissed her cheek before he set her down.

Hoping none of her superiors had witnessed the display, Molly frowned at Harley John, but playfully swatted his shoulder before straightening her cap he’d knocked askew with his exuberant greeting. She gave him another hug, unable to keep from sharing her pleasure in seeing him. “Oh, Harley John! I’d hoped to see you, but had no idea where you’d be. Have you been here long?”

“No. We just arrived this morning. How long have you been here?” he asked.

The Rarkyn’s Fall (The Rarkyn Trilogy, #2)

The Rarkyn’s Fall (The Rarkyn Trilogy, #2) By Nikky Lee
Publication date: October 16, 2024
Buy Link: Pre Order
Genres: Adult, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy
Summary:

“Magic might be this city’s first currency, but blood is its second.”

They survived mancers. They survived monsters. They survived the Storm.

With the mountains behind them and Illredus on the horizon, they thought the hardest part of the journey over.

They were wrong.

Outlawed and on the run, Lyss struggles to control her new and volatile magic. A magic that will destroy her.

Her only hope: Find the last remaining witch to tame it.

Her only clue: Buried in Illredus. City of mancers. Capital of the Empire.

Together, she and Skaar descend into Illredus’ underbelly and discover a warren of illegal magics and the monstrous legacy Lyss’ father left behind.

As truth, loyalties, and magic clash, Lyss must decide how far she’ll go to exact justice in her father’s name…

And how far she’ll fall to rule the power inside her once and for all.

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