Happy Release Day to the lovely and talented authors of the HEX & HEARTH paranormal romance anthology. I read and loved every story in this collection, from the sweet (Carole Wolfe) to the uber-steamy (Taryn Quinn). There is something for every PNR fan in this collection, and it’s coming at just the right time for those of us not so patiently awaiting spooky season. Grab it, read it love it!
From sweet to steamy, Hex & Hearth is a multi-author paranormal romance anthology featuring M/F and M/M stories across a range of heat levels, with each standing alone and delivering a guaranteed HEA.
Driftwood Pointe has been weaving its magic for centuries—and love remains its greatest enchantment.
Along the Massachusetts coast, tucked between sea and stone, lies a town where the impossible feels ordinary and whispers are carried on the tide. At its heart stands the Hex & Hearth, where the fire is warm and fate often pulls up a chair.
For three hundred fifty years, Rowan has poured the drink you need, not the one you ordered, and Elara has listened, because she already knows your secrets—and keeps them safe.
Within these winding streets and salt-kissed shores, love takes many forms. Witches and shifters, ghosts and ancient powers, first loves and second chances all collide in ten interconnected stories where destiny refuses to be ignored and happily-ever-afters are hard-won.
Because in Driftwood Pointe, love is the one force old enough—and stubborn enough—to break what time couldn’t.
I love spooky season reads, paranormal romance, and interconnected stories, so color me happy as can be with the release of the HEX & HEARTH anthology. This collection of sweet, steamy, and atmospheric stories by a group of super awesome romance authors ticks all of my boxes and then some.
There is something for every PNR fan in this anthology from fated mates to found family to answered dreams, all set in the delightful and magical town of Driftwood Pointe, Massachusetts. I really love the ‘Spice-O-Meter,’ from one witch’s hat (sweet) to four (super steamy – Taryn Quinn, I’m looking at you!), so you know just how much steam to expect in each story.
Whether you’re a diehard fan of the magically spooky, or looking to dip your toe in, HEX & HEARTH is the book, and now is the time. Dive in and enjoy!
Y’all, I cannot say enough about THE LIES WE PLAY. Author Claudia Burgoa has outdone herself here. This book completely captivated me, uplifting and devastating me by turn. There is the best kind of tension, the best kind of angst, the best kind of love and redemption, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Don’t sleep on reading this one, friends. You need this beautiful story in your life.
I had two men, one secret marriage, and a love the law refused to name.
Then came the accident.
When I woke up, Halston Saint Claire was hidden behind his family’s money, lawyers, and lies. Creed Lafontaine was gone. Everyone around me insisted the rings, the vows, the three of us—it was all trauma talking.
So I did what broken girls with color-coded calendars and trust issues do best.
I survived.
Now I live in Florence, restoring damaged art and pretending the past doesn’t still have its hands on me. Until one forged document drags me back into the Saint Claire world, where old money buries truth, families weaponize concern, and the two men I never stopped loving are closer than I’m ready for.
Creed remembers everything.
Halston remembers in fragments.
And I remember enough to know our love wasn’t the lie.
It was the thing everyone tried to erase.
Now the three of us have one chance to uncover what really happened that night, reclaim the marriage stolen from us, and decide whether a love built for three can survive ten years of betrayal.
Because in the Saint Claire world, love was never the most dangerous thing.
It was the lies we played to survive it.
Tropes:
Why Choose / MMF
Secret Marriage
Second Chance Romance
Forced Separation
Amnesia
Hockey Romance
Old Money Family Drama
Romantic Suspense
Hidden Conspiracy
He remembers her body before his mind catches up
The marriage was legal, but the love was always three
There are books that you like, books that you love, and books that you cannot put down because they have captured you completely, and turned you inside out in the best way possible. THE LIES WE PLAY by author Claudia Burgoa falls decidedly into the last category.
Claudia has written the family that is Creed, Liv, and Halston with such emotion, such love, such commitment and healing, that I could not help but fall in love with them myself. Three very different people that together make the perfect whole. I loved each of them, rooted for them, suffered with them, ached for them, and celebrated with them, and will carry their story with me for a long time, because some love stories you just don’t forget.
THE LIES WE PLAY is a ‘why choose’ romance, which does not work for all readers. But if you are looking for a love story that will give you all the feels and leave you wanting the happiest and most deserved happily ever after ever, this is for you. I cannot recommend this book highly enough – it is a definite must-read.
Life can often be awkward when you’re a child genius. For Louisa Ward, that came in the form of meeting her one true love at the age of 12. TJ Taggart was perfect. But being a year younger and a full grade ahead of him in school always made things weird. Working in the CIA has turned her into a strong and capable woman. Until TJ walks into a room. Fifteen years later, she still gets butterflies every time she sees the gorgeous soldier, but she’s tired of waiting and ready to find love, even if it can’t be with him.
TJ Taggart always knew he wanted to be a soldier. But joining the Army would require a sacrifice. Since meeting Louisa, TJ knew she was the one for him, but they had different paths in life. Lou was meant to change the world at some prestigious research job or maybe teach at an Ivy League school. There would be a chance to sweep her off her feet when his time in this dangerous life was done, and their happily ever after could begin.
Before he can make it home on his latest leave, TJ is kidnapped by an unknown adversary. As he waits to die, all he can think of is the time he wasted and how badly he wants to be with Lou. He’s more than a little surprised when his sweet, quiet girl shows up leading a CIA special ops squad to bust him out. Back in Dallas, it’s time to claim the woman of his dreams. He has a plan to win her over, until the adversary who almost killed him returns to finish the job.
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When you find an author whose books make you laugh, cry, and feel like you’re among a group of people that you absolutely love, well, you’ve found your people, and you hold onto them with both hands. Author Lexi Blake is my people, and I absolutely adore her and her books, filled as they always are with wit, humor, sass, sarcasm, adrenaline-pumping suspense, family, and love. Always love.
LIVE, LOVE, SPY, the second book in Lexi’s Masters & Mercenaries: New Recruits series, is Louisa Ward’s and TJ Taggart’s story, and I don’t think that I could have loved it more. Lou finally gets to show that she is so much more than the brainy one, the sensible one, the one that you can depend on to sit behind the computer and get things done. To show TJ that she’s more than his friend Lou, that she is a strong woman, capable of so much more than he knew, the woman that has been there all along, waiting for him to wake the heck up. I mean, the Taggart girls are her besties, so what else would we expect?
Strong women and the men that love them are a given in Lexi’s books, and this new series is extra special, because we’re on to the next generation, the kids that we’ve watched grow up now coming into their own and taking on the world the way that their parents did before them (and still do!). They are the next wave, and are doing a bang-up job showing the spy world what they’re bringing to the table.
Ian ‘Big Tag’ Taggart continues to make me laugh out loud, and seeing him getting served by the younger set some of what he doled out their whole lives is hilarious. Many of the other OG M&M gang make their appearances, doing their best to support the kids, and still show that they’re the bad*sses they’ve always been, lending the air of nostalgia that I so enjoy in this series. LIVE, LOVE, SPY is an immediate favorite for me, and one that Lexi’s fans should not miss (Note: While I do believe that these books can be read as standalones, having read the prior books helps everything make more sense. 😊). I can’t wait to see what’s next for this crew, but in the meantime, make sure that this one is high atop your TBR, and happy reading! ❤️
Meet Lexi
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.
Get ready to fall for Lawson and Hallie in their single dad, age gap, nanny, small town romance, from USA Today Bestselling Author, Catherine Cowles!
Five years ago, I nearly lost everything. But there was a glimmer of hope on that darkest night. There was him—a stranger I could never forget.
Now, I’m finally getting the fresh start I’ve longed for. But when I show up to interview for a nanny position in the small mountain town, the single dad has startlingly familiar blue eyes.
Eyes that have haunted my dreams for the past five years.
Lawson Hartley is everything I know I can’t have. Older, handsome, and my boss. Not to mention the shadows in his eyes that tell me he has demons, too.
Still, he seems to understand me better than anyone I’ve ever met. So gentle and careful of my scars, yet somehow making me believe I’m stronger than I ever thought possible.
And when his lips touch mine, I’m lost.
We find what we’ve been missing in each other. But the terrors of my past aren’t done with me yet, and this time, Lawson might not be able to save me…
Y’all, this book. THIS BOOK. It’s no secret that I absolutely love author Catherine Cowles and her books. After the way she thrilled my romance-loving heart with Roan’s and Aspen’s story in SHADOWS OF YOU, I wasn’t sure how Lawson Hartley’s tale was going to unfold, or whether it would speak to me in the same way (spoiler: it SO does). You guys, this book is everything.
Age-gap is not always my favorite, but I could not have loved Lawson and Hallie together more. They are perfect for each other, and seeing the eldest Hartley happy at last warms me to my very heart. And, as always, the family support, the friendships and love, the sense of community, all make this trip to Cedar Ridge feel like coming home.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Catherine’s or new to her books, do NOT miss this one. If you haven’t met the Hartleys yet, you can binge read the whole series, and you absolutely should. But save some space in your heart for Law and Hallie, because they are beautiful magic. ❤️
About Catherine Cowles
Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.
New York Times bestselling sensation Kylie Scott’s sexy, smart and unconventional opposites-attract love story looks at what happens when fate refuses to give up on what’s meant to be…
When Susie Bowen inherits a charming fixer-upper from her aunt, she’s excited to start living her best HGTV life. But when she opens the door to find that her contractor is none other than her ex’s best friend, Lars—the same man who witnessed their humiliating public breakup six months ago—she isn’t exactly eager to have anyone around whose alliance is with the enemy. But beggars can’t be choosers, and the sooner the repairs are done, the sooner she can get back to embracing singledom.
Things go from awkward to unbelievable when Lars discovers a divorce certificate hidden in a wall and dated ten years in the future—with both their names on it. It couldn’t possibly be real…could it? As Susie and Lars work to unravel the document’s origins, the impossibility of a spark between them suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched. But would a relationship between them be doomed before it’s even begun?
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One of my favorite things as a reader is to jump into a book with only a synopsis and knowledge that you’ve really enjoyed the author’s books in the past. I went into END OF STORY by Kylie Scott, having read only a couple of her books, and none of them the ones that are most often mentioned. I am a big fan of friends to lovers, especially those with a twist, and knew that I like Kylie’s style, so in I went. I was absolutely delighted with this story, with Susie and Lars and the whole sort of mystery behind their romance, and so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book.
Kylie has infused Susie, Lars, and really all of the characters, with wit as well as self-knowledge and sensitivity, and their interactions left me smiling and invested in seeing where their journey took them through all of the twists and turns. END OF STORY is a quick read, not because it’s short, but because I didn’t want to stop until I saw how everything turned out for everyone, and I could not put it down.
END OF STORY is a solid 4.5 stars for me, and one of my favorite contemporary romance reads of 2023. I wouldn’t mind at all if we got stories for more of the characters in this world. As a note, END OF STORY is completely different from any of Kylie’s books that I’ve read (or listened to!) in the past. If contemporary romance with characters that you’d want to hang out with are your thing, this one should definitely be on your TBR. Grab it and enjoy! ❤️
Meet Kylie
Kylie is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling, Audie Award winning author. She has sold over 2,000,000 books and was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year four times by the Australian Romance Reader’s Association. Her books have been translated into fifteen different languages and she is based in Queensland, Australia.
“Why’s it feel so good with you? Why’s it feel so right?” “Maybe because we’re right where we belong, right now, in this moment.”
Oh, my heart. A.L. Jackson has gone and done it again, given us a book that is heartbreaking and beautiful, crushing and uplifting, and, as always, just perfect. PROMISE ME ALWAYS, Milo’s and Tessa’s story, is finally here, and it is totally worth the wait
A longtime fan of Amy’s books, I have read and loved all of them. The Redemption Hills series are some of her best, because her writing only gets better and more powerful with time. And while Trent and Eden, Jud and Salem, and Logan and Amber, have all found a place in my heart, it was Tessa that I was waiting for, and Amy has absolutely delivered with this book
Tessa McDaniels is the cement of the friend group, the cheerleader, the one that has watched all of her people find their happy endings. Never one to dwell on her own troubles, she’s the light in the middle of the dark, especially for Milo Hendricks. A man filled with dark secrets himself, Milo is always watching, looking to protect those that can’t protect themselves, and Tessa is that beacon of light that he finds himself gravitating towards.
PROMISE ME ALWAYS captivated me from the first page, swept up in Tessa’s and Milo’s story and unable to put it down until the end. The angst is real in this book, making me ache for this unexpected but perfect pairing, and hold on for their passion-filled and finally redemptive journey.
The Redemption Hills books are recommendations that I continually make to other romance readers. Amy has knocked it out of the proverbial park with PROMISE ME ALWAYS, making it the perfect wrap up for this amazing series. Although each of the books can be read as standalones, they are best enjoyed as a whole, so make the time to visit Redemption Hills, and enjoy. ❤️
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
An age gap, roommates-to-lovers small town romance from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles…
Fractured Sky, an emotional and swoony contemporary romance from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles, is now available!
Damaged. Broken. Destroyed. I’ve heard it all. A single moment of trusting the wrong person shattered my life into pieces, and my family has never looked at me the same. It’s impossible to convince them that I’m anything more than the broken girl they rescued all those years ago.
Until I meet him.
Ramsey’s surly demeanor and menacing scowl scare most of the world away. But not me. Not when I’ve seen his gentle hands soothe an abused colt or comfort a terrified mare.
And when I finally get up the courage to strike out on my own, Ramsey’s there. Roommates felt like such a safe proposition until Ramsey’s lingering touches and wicked smile light a fire in me I don’t think will ever be extinguished. And he feels it, too…
But just as my new life begins to take root, an evil from my past emerges from the shadows, casting a darkness on my newfound freedom. And this time, they won’t settle for pieces of me. They want everything…
Okay, I knew from the very beginning of this series that Shiloh’s book was going to be the one, and, boy, the lovely and talented Catherine Cowles did not disappoint. I was all in with FRACTURED SKY from the first page, and I am still feeling it, weeks after I reached THE END.
I went into the Tattered & Torn series having read nothing at all that Catherine has written and I can now say that she is, without a doubt, one of my most favorite go-to romance authors. Her characters, their stories, the sense of family and home, she incorporates all of these things beautifully, and, if I was going to recommend one series this year, this would be the one.
Shiloh and Ramsey are perfect for each other, because they really have a strong sense of who they are themselves, who each other are, and what they need to move forward in their lives. Their connection is right on, and the chemistry, although somewhat of a slow burn, is off the charts.
I could not put FRACTURED SKY down, and I am already jonesing for another book by Catherine. Happily enough, the Lost & Found series is headed our way in the new year, and these books are already high atop my TBR. In the meantime, y’all, if you haven’t read the books in the Tattered & Torn series, now is the time for a binge, because they truly are all that. Go, read, fall in love. ❤️
About Catherine Cowles
Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.
On Ronan Thatcher’s first week in Montana, he spots the most beautiful woman in the world. Love at first sight? Nah. He doesn’t believe in love. But he wouldn’t mind a date or two with the local beauty. Ronan is the type of man who gets what he wants, and he wants Larke Hale.
Except Calamity’s sweetheart has sworn off men. The last time Ronan was rejected was, well . . . never. Yet Larke dismisses him without even batting those pretty brown eyes.
Bruised ego in check, he’s about to walk away when a teenager marches into his office and asks to hire Ronan as her lawyer. Something about a bad grade and a ruined grade point average that will inevitably destroy her future. He’s about to lecture the kid for being melodramatic until he learns that the teacher she wants to sue is Larke.
Suddenly this frivolous lawsuit seems like a bright idea. Ronan wants Larke’s attention and this is guaranteed to snag it. So let the brawl begin.
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Oh, my goodness, it’s official…THE BRAWL is my absolute favorite of the books in the Calamity, Montana series by author Willa Nash. I’ve likely said it with each consecutive book, but, oh, my word, this is THE ONE.
It’s no secret that I am all about the town of Calamity and the folks that call it home. Like all of the places that Willa (or Devney) write about, the beauty of the place, as well as the people, resonates with me. And let me just say that Willa has outdone herself with this book, because Ronan Thatcher and his love for Larke and Wren Hale have got me all up in my feels. He had me from the first ‘Mama,’ and my love for him, for his deep feelings, for his commitment to the people that he loves and the causes that he believes in, knows no bounds. And as for Larke, well, she’s what I’ve come to expect from Willa’s heroines. Strong even when she’s shaken, committed to family and a part of her home town down to her very depths.
Besides my love for Ronan and Larke, there is so much to recommend this book. All of the characters, especially Gerty, Wren, and Ember, the secondary plotline interwoven with, but no less important than, the love story between Ronan and Larke, the emphasis placed on family and home, all come together to create a story that I could not put down. THE BRAWL can be read as a standalone, so definitely snap this one up immediately because it is swoony and awesome, but do yourself a solid and read the whole series, because I guarantee that you will love them all. ❤️
Willa Nash is USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Devney Perry’s alter ego, writing contemporary romance stories for Kindle Unlimited. Lover of Swedish Fish, hater of laundry, she lives in Washington State with her husband and two sons. She was born and raised in Montana and has a passion for writing books in the state she calls home.
She’s the one who got away. She just doesn’t know it.
When Shay Zucconi’s step-grandmother died, she left Shay a tulip farm—under two conditions.
First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second—and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding—Shay must be married within one year.
Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.
Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.
A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.
Until Shay returns to their hometown and turns his life upside down.
I don’t even know how I survived these many years in Romance Land without having been a diehard Kate Canterbary fan from the very first. I’m kicking my own butt for having come so late to the game, but this is my vow to make up for lost time. What started with THE BELLE AND THE BEARD segued into THE WORST GUY, and now I’ve just devoured IN A JAM, the latest book by Kate. Am I in love? Boy, am I ever. I inhaled this book like it was my job, and, let me tell you, I adore every dang thing about it. I mean, how can a book with unrequited love, a hot jam-making farmer that can also sue the pants off you, a six-year-old that cusses like the proverbial pirate, and a friend group to die for be wrong? It can’t, and I am here to tell you that this book is not to be missed.
IN A JAM is one of those gems of a book that will have you both fanning yourself and thinking, ‘Oh, my heart!’ because it’s got everything that a contemporary romance should have, and then some. Smart, sexy, funny, and just so dang GOOD, this is a book that I will recommend for forever. Do not miss this book. Do not pass Go, do not stop for snacks, just get it. You can thank me later… ❤️
Meet Kate Canterbary
USA Today Bestseller Kate Canterbary writes smart, steamy contemporary romances loaded with heat, heart, and happy ever afters. Kate lives on the New England coast with her husband and daughter.
The last thing she expected was to fall in love with Hollywood royalty.
Shattered Sea, a passionate and heartfelt contemporary romance featuring a Hollywood hero and a small-town heroine from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles, is now available!
I’ve known every kind of pain. Of the heart. Of the body. Of the soul. All I want now is the freedom that comes from making my art.
The last thing I expected was Hollywood royalty to waltz into my gallery in a small town in the middle of nowhere and see me.
A man like Boden Cavanaugh shouldn’t understand me. Shouldn’t be able to soothe my most ragged edges. Even worse, he makes me want the one thing I can’t have. Him.
All it takes is one spark, and friendship catches flame. But as our attraction burns bright, there are forces desperate to send us back into the darkness. And they’ve already killed before…
Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.
Why Choose / MMF
Saucy Southern Readers 