“Christmas Romances: 5 Short Stories” by C.L. Hamilton

“Christmas Romances: 5 Short Stories” by C.L. Hamilton delivers five delightful and romantic short stories. Ms. Hamilton has woven five charming romance stories. While the first two are related by plot, they all fit together with the themes of love and the holidays, revealing previously held-back feelings. There are some common romance tropes such as mortal peril bringing out realizations and/or confessions of love, but these are welcome and played quite well. Overall, Hamilton has crafted a heartwarming anthology. … More “Christmas Romances: 5 Short Stories” by C.L. Hamilton

“Freja Born” by Jessi A. Charles

After completing her newest manuscript, forty-year-old Freja Born longs for rest (and a break from the LA heat) and heads to her idyllic Monterey vacation home. The introverted writer relishes dipping her toes into the ocean and long strolls with her dog, but fate has something else in store for her. When she runs into her neighboring friends, she gets reacquainted with their son, Frederik, who has transformed into a handsome young man in the two years since she’d last seen him. … More “Freja Born” by Jessi A. Charles

“The Lies That Blind Us” by Amora Sway

Mallory Storm, a New York art appraiser, changes her status from wife to widow relatively quickly when her husband suddenly dies of a heart attack. The police suspect poisoning, placing her as the primary suspect despite her continuous denial. However, a visit from the FBI puts Mallory on an important mission that allows her to legally leave the country and pose as a buyer at auctions throughout Italy, Greece, and nearby areas. Perhaps more importantly, she must closely watch Dylan Hyde, a dashing British buyer suspected of passing off fake artwork as genuine. … More “The Lies That Blind Us” by Amora Sway

“It’s Not Love” by Jasmine Katz

Despite Cherilynne’s persistence, her eight-year marriage to Hank is reaching a breaking point, and she fears she may lose him forever. Holding her past indiscretions over her head, Hank becomes increasingly distant. Cherilynne’s promise to make it up to him is brushed aside. Hank offers his wife an arrangement. Before making any decisions on the fate of their marriage, Hank wants them both to experiment. … More “It’s Not Love” by Jasmine Katz

“Bended Love” by Kat Caldwell

Since assuming full-time guardianship of her nephew, Kentucky-based baker Scarlett has struggled to make ends meet. Without the right business connections, expanding her horizons to include private catering has proved unsuccessful. It seems she is doomed to be a small-town-farmers-market baker forever. With Ben’s father back in the picture and filing for full-time custody of Ben, and Scarlett’s slum landlord threatening to evict her, Scarlett needs a miracle to keep her nephew. … More “Bended Love” by Kat Caldwell

“Dragon of Denmark” by Jennifer Ivy Walker

In Jennifer Ivy Walker’s “Dragon of Denmark” twenty-year-old Ylva the illegitimate daughter of a dreaded Norse ruler, had never had a single suitor. No villager had dared court her. A seer and a Celtic healer with a knowledge of curative herbs, she had been taunted, ridiculed, and termed an outcast by the residents of Saint Suliac. Her father, the ruthless Duke of Normandy Richard the Fearless, had claimed her mother during a Viking invasion in her village, later abandoning them when Ylva was ten to marry for political alliance. … More “Dragon of Denmark” by Jennifer Ivy Walker

“The Shellfish Grift” by Mike Rose

I love novels with a strong sense of place, and apparently Mike Rose, author of “The Shellfish Grift,” feels the same way.  The coast of North Carolina has not been graced with a Savannah or a Charleston, and I sense the residents there are perfectly fine with that.   Leave the three-million-dollar condos and twelve-dollar lattes further south, and meanwhile enjoy the ocean breezes, the lunches out on the balcony of the local fish house, and the thriving fishing and oystering businesses.  He paints a very seductive picture of life on the edge – on the edge of the state, that is, with the open Atlantic filling the frame to the east. … More “The Shellfish Grift” by Mike Rose

“Raven Seeker” by JS Murphy

The warrior Provos was living a blessed life: after his cousin wed the princess of the magical kingdom Mirren-barr, he was free to explore the beautiful Mirren countryside at his leisure. All that changed when he was captured by slavers and forced to wage war in their grisly fighting pits, day after day. While fighting for his life he meets Terrin-tie, an intelligent and resourceful young woman also forced into slavery. The two quickly fall in love and plot their escape from their hellish conditions. But will Provos’ expert fighting skills and Terrin-tie’s cleverness be enough to win their freedom? … More “Raven Seeker” by JS Murphy