Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!
Tallow and Bone by. Rhiannon Hargadon
If Salem would rather kill witches than let them exist, how much will one witch sacrifice to save it?
After her family flees allegations of treason in Europe, Amity Merriweather hopes Salem will be a fresh start. Instead, she finds a land poisoned: Toxic relationships. Crop failures. Sick children. Deep-seated superstition and irrational fear. With every death, the curse buried beneath Salem’s cobblestone streets grows stronger.
Gifted with rare earth magic, Amity has spent her entire life hiding, suppressing her magic. She has a chance to heal the town before hysteria turns neighbor against neighbor. But Salem doesn’t want saving. Every acre of poison she clears will risk discovery, and she’ll get no thanks from its citizens.
Meanwhile, Amity must choose between two very different men:
A male witch hardened by abuse, who would gladly burn Salem to its poisoned roots… Or a scarred shoemaker with a heart too generous for its own good. Knowing which path to take requires knowing both men, but more importantly, it requires knowing herself.
Amity has worn as mask for so long, she no longer can be sure of who she truly is.
As accusations mount and innocents are dragged to the gallows, Amity faces an impossible choice. Keep sacrificing herself for people who would rather see her burn—or abandon Salem to the curse consuming it.
Tropes and Triggers:
Love Triangle with a masked MMC
Surprise (unwanted) pregnancy
Elemental magic
Generational curse
Witch Trials
Religious Trauma
Morally gray characters
TALLOW AND BONE is a dark paranormal romance. It is a retelling of the Salem Witch Trials with a healer witch, a cursed village, and the choice between mercy or retribution.
The first in the Sons of Salem series— a seductive, dark why-choose romance filled with cursed bloodlines, secret societies, and a powerful heroine destined to save the coven.
Four cursed heirs. One forbidden witch. A desire that burns bright.
I was warned to stay away from the Sons of Salem. Not because they’re monsters—but because they’re broken enough to recognize one.
Ezra Bishop.
Cameron Goode.
Lyall Corey.
Reyes Scott.
And me—Haven Wardwell.
Legacies. Witches. Something far worse than myths.
Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what the Dark Gods will ask for in return.
Ghosts haunt the corridors of Ipswich College, and if I’m not careful, I might just become one of them.
The Stolen Crown by. L.J. Andrews
She is the life of the party. He is the villain you never wish to meet alone.
Tait Heartwalker may be the cousin of the Ever King, but royally good company he is not. He’s ill-tempered and unapproachable, sharpened by the hard responsibilities of life and loyalty. But to the dismay of Mira Sekundär, princess of the glamour fae, he’s also intoxicating to look at.
Despite doing their best to avoid each other, fate has other plans when an otherworldly storm shipwrecks Tait and Mira far beyond the boundaries of the Ever Kingdom. They are forced to break through the thorny barriers between them and work together to find their way home. One wrong step and they’ll never return alive…
Yet as their feelings deepen, a new threat rises from the waters. And this enemy is so dangerous, even the history books tried to forget their existence.
Reap & Sow by. Charlotte B. Plumb
A young woman bargains with a demon to save her brothers, only to lose her heart in this slow-burn romantasy about dark magic, unlikely love, and the imperfect beauty of mortality.
The penniless in Blackbridge have only two choices: Sell the body or sell the soul. And thanks to Eda Shaw, business is booming.
Indentured to a capricious demon known as Mr. Night, Eda and her brothers arrange illicit Pacts on his behalf, luring the city’s most desperate into trading years of their lives for their deepest desires. When a Pact goes awry and her brothers are arrested, Eda realizes she’ll need an infernal ally of her own: Kit’rath, an infuriating demon with a curious penchant for humanity and the only being in Blackbridge that Mr. Night seems to fear. As they race to rescue her family and save the city from ruin, an undeniable connection sparks between mortal and demon.
But Kit’s help doesn’t come cheap. Now, Eda risks losing her heart to the one who claims her years—and saving herself may prove the steepest cost of all.
Rich with gothic atmosphere, sharp wit, and simmering romantic tension, Reap & Sow is a fantasy debut perfect for fans of Rachel Gillig, Hannah Whitten, and Heather Fawcett.
In the harrowing conclusion of The Eating Woods trilogy, an age-old prophecy will come to pass, plunging the immortal world into a blighted web of destruction and despair.
Fate has never been entirely kind to Maevyth Bronwick. Though, after having survived a sinister plague, grotesque monsters, and gut-wrenching tragedy, she never imagined things could possibly get worse. But cursed gods, she was wrong.
It seems fate was only sharpening its claws.
Ensnared in the golden gauntlet of the most sadistic general in Aethyria, Maevyth faces the wrath of a jealous tyrant who longs to watch her suffer a slow and painful ruin.
A torment said to be worse than death.
Without the protection of her blood magic, Maevyth is no more than a powerless mortal and must fight the urge to succumb to the cruelty. Not an easy task, given the devastating loss she refuses to accept—and rightly so.
Because Zevander “The Scorpion” Rydainn isn’t dead, after all.
He’s very much alive and seething with vengeance. Brimming with rage. Merciless in his pursuit to reclaim his beloved mate and bring the ancient godsflame to anyone who stands in his way.
A necessary brutality when a slumbering god awakens and Aethyria’s foretold destruction reignites the hunt of those who seek Maevyth’s precious blood.
Prophecies will unravel. Walls will crumble. Kingdoms will fall. And through it all, a monolith of truth stands unbroken:
Their love may conquer all, but death will tear them apart.
This Shattered Tempest by. Thea Guanzon
The highly anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Hurricane Wars trilogy makes landfall— and as the winds of war sweep through Lir, Talasyn and Alaric must confront the truth of their hearts and decide whether duty or desire will lead them forward.
When the storm swallows the world, who will be left standing?
Throughout their political marriage, Alaric and Talasyn struggled to resist the undeniable pull between them, even as rising tensions forced them on opposite sides of a looming war. Hand in hand, they vanquished the cataclysmic threat of the Moonless Dark—and started to hope for a future together.
That hope is shattered when a devastating attack sets off a chain of events that tears them apart once more. Now, as two rival nations prepare for a final, decisive clash, the Master of the Shadowforged Legion and the last Lightweaver fight to find their way back to each other. But the odds are stacked against them, and time is running out…
Is love enough to rewrite destiny? Can a new beginning rise from the ruins of the past? Or are Alaric and Talasyn doomed to meet as enemies on one last battlefield? This explosive third and final book brings the beloved Hurricane Wars series to a stunning conclusion—where passion and power collide, and the fate of a divided world hangs in the balance.
Six strangers. One soul-bound Ring. No way out.
Isara Virelle has spent her entire life avoiding people. Unfortunately, becoming Eshani means binding your soul to five of them.
When the Binding Ceremony assigns her to Ring Six—the most elite fighting unit in Veryuun—Isa is forced into the last place she wants to surrounded by strangers who can hear her thoughts, feel her emotions, and know her secrets. Worst of all, their commander is Niko Veyshar.
Feared across the continent as Rathvenorn’s deadliest weapon, Niko is everything Isa has been taught to hate. Cold. Dangerous. Untouchable. And now they’re bound together.
As political tensions rise between nations and whispers of forgotten gods begin to spread, cracks appear within Ring Six. Ancient powers stir beneath the surface, forbidden magic awakens in Isa’s blood, and the bond tying her to her team may be unraveling before it has a chance to hold.
To survive, Isa must learn who she can trust. Because in Veryuun, loyalty is sacred. And betrayal can cost far more than your life.
Contains mature themes.
Devoured by. Jordan Stephanie Gray
The breathtaking finale to the instant New York Times bestseller, Bitten!
Welcome back to the Wolf Queen’s Court.
Vanessa Hart is done being a victim. After the brutal winter massacre stole everything from her, she vows vengeance against her enemies once and for all—even if that means killing the boy she once loved…
Vanessa bides her time playing the role of a docile subject. But beneath her mask, she sharpens her powers, embracing the werewolf within while weaving a complicated web of lies, betrayals, and alliances to topple the throne.
Unfortunately, vengeance isn’t easy, and nothing in the Wolf Queen’s Court is ever as it seems. As the darkness of the castle bleeds into human society, it’s clear no one is safe. Cora’s vicious reign grows stronger by the day, Sinclair continues hiding deadly secrets, and Calix—the boy Vanessa might loathe most of all—is threatening her every plan.
With nowhere to run and no place to hide, Vanessa sheds the last of her humanity to play this lethal game of werewolves. And if she doesn’t win, the consequences will destroy her life—and the entire world as she knows it—forever.
Pick a face, pick a fate.
Judith Ban, former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief, is on the lookout for her next identity. The daughter of a Vietnamese adventuress and a French naval officer, she’s no stranger to risk, but she’s unprepared for the secrets of New York’s legendary Four Hundred, or for the women who build their power at the city’s heart through blood-soaked, gold-etched rituals of demonic marriage.
In exchange for enough wealth to outrun her past, Judith strikes a deal with the matriarch of the powerful Howard family: she will stand in for the missing Howard granddaughter, who was poised to make her debut when she disappeared. With Miss Iphigenia Marshall’s face stitched over her own, Judith is white, rich, and about to risk body and soul in the deadly games that determine which girls will find a match—and which will be devoured. If she can keep her wits and her life, her reward will be a husband with undreamt-of power who will be hers to command… so long as she can keep his infinite hungers fed. But to survive the season, Judith will have to seduce a storm in the shape of a man, before the night to which everything has been leading—the Scarlet Ball where the demons choose their brides.
A razor-sharp subversion of romance tropes and nightmare of manners, Vo’s fusion of history and fantasy does for Edith Wharton what her acclaimed debut The Chosen and the Beautiful did for F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The Sixth Faction by. Veronica Roth
The worldwide sensation as you’ve never seen it before. Step into a bold new Divergent series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.
Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives.
She has a plan: she’s going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind.
But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her plans, even Beatrice herself.
Her ensuing decision thrusts her into the crosshairs of an underground rebellion, and into the path of a boy with secrets as dangerous as her own—a boy with only a number for a name.
One choice will change everything.
Counting Down to You by. Emily Stone
A young woman travels to the Alps to complete her best friend’s last request—and finds a love that’s closer to home than she realizes in this heartfelt romance from the author of Always, in December and Yours for the Season.
Ali has always loved Christmas, but this year she doesn’t think she’ll get through it. Christmas was always her and her best friend Robyn’s holiday—every year they made each other an advent calendar with challenges to complete before Christmas. Tell the hot guy at the coffee shop you like him. Delete your terrible ex’s phone number. Throw out the bathroom scales.
But this Christmas, there is no Robyn, because she didn’t get the heart transplant she desperately needed.
There is a calendar, though. Robyn gave it to Ali before she died and made her promise to open it come December. And Ali is going to keep her promise, no matter how much it hurts.
The very first challenge sends Ali to the Alps, where she takes up a seasonal job at a ski lodge she and Robyn had planned to visit. But when another challenge leads her co-workers to mistakenly assume that Ali is dating her boss—stoic, seriously hot Leo—things get much more complicated.
To save her from embarrassment, Leo offers to keep up the charade until Ali leaves. As Ali spends more time with him, she realizes Leo is grieving too—though for who or what, she doesn’t know. And as he begins helping her complete her advent challenges, she realizes she might just want to date him for real.
But there’s a lot they still don’t know about each other, and the truth behind Leo’s grief could bring them closer than before… or tear them apart forever.
The Lost Guardian by. Natalia Hernandez
With a grandfather’s dying words, Santiago learns that his bedtime stories weren’t myths. They were warnings.
Before he knows it, Santiago Rios is leaving Los Angeles for Lima, Peru. Armed with a mysterious map and hunted by ruthless tomb robbers, the quiet archaeologist is thrust into a brutal race across the Andes to unearth the lost tomb of the final Incan emperor.
His only weapon is Ali, a fierce, feline woman who knows far more than she’s letting on. The closer they grow, the more certain Santiago becomes…Ali is trouble. Just the kind of trouble he likes.
To fulfill his grandfather’s final wish, Santiago and Ali will solve ancient riddles, outwit deadly enemies, and honor a legacy straight out of antiquity. Because it’s not just their lives on the line—not by a long shot.
Based on the true history of Atahualpa, the last emperor of the Inca people, indie sensation Natalia Hernandez delivers a powerhouse romantasy adventure set in the modern age.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey comes a gripping, heated romance about a girl trapped in a new reality, forced to make a choice between two brothers—one who is the high school golden boy, the other sworn to hunt down her kind—time travelers. This is Tessa Bailey as you’ve never seen her before.
Magnolia Brown loves Friday night football games, volunteering, and dominating at high school swim meets. Just your average everyday eighteen-year-old. Except for one thing:
She’s from fifty years in the future.
Magnolia’s parents, two brilliant scientists, are the inventors of time travel, but due to widespread destruction and rampant abuse of the technology from a corrupt few, time travel is outlawed and punishable by death. When Magnolia’s parents are seized and executed for illegally traveling to the past, they leave Magnolia stranded in 2026 without a way to get home.
Now Magnolia has nowhere to turn but a complicated Kansas family with two sons—Fallon, her high school sweetheart with secrets of his own, and Ramsey, the brooding militia commander who hunts and kills criminals like her. Magnolia knows Ramsey resents and hates her, but how can he be her true enemy when he looks at her with such hunger, despite his callousness, and guards her with his very life? Which brother can she trust and is the real danger coming from inside the house?
Bane Bloom by. Sharon Lynn Fisher
A botanical illustrator in Victorian England uncovers a country garden’s secrets in a fantastical novel of dark enchantments by the author of Tea & Alchemy.
In 1850, Catherine Gray, a botanical illustrator from London, travels to a remote estate in the Lake District to catalog and paint the specimens thriving in a mysterious glasshouse garden. The most bewildering find is a water lily that somehow alters its appearance. Nearly as puzzling is Thomas Bane, the brooding groundskeeper, who closely guards the estate’s secrets—including the disappearance of Catherine’s predecessor.
The mystery deepens when Catherine discovers the diary of Prudence Bane, Thomas’s late mother, which contains revelations about the odd flora and its hold on a family touched by madness. The more she uncovers, the more the line between fantasy and reality—and superstition and fact—begins to blur.
Unable to trust her own thoughts, Catherine draws closer to Thomas, her only anchor in this strange place. But even he can’t fully protect her from the house and his otherworldly family. Only Catherine can break the Bane family’s cycle of heartbreak…but first she’ll have to confront her own.
Are you getting any new books this week?
Happy Reading!
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