Tuesday Tomorrow
Thus with a Kiss I Die by Christina Dodd
Published by: A John Scognamiglio Book
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The delightfully irreverent eldest daughter of the not-so-ill-fated Romeo and Juliet returns to sleuth another day in fair Verona, in this hugely entertaining historical mystery series with a refreshingly bold premise.
"Woe, for I am the bug that meets the windshield's might,
No longer the speeding glass, smooth, clean and bright..."
You're right. I, Rosie Montague of Verona, am lousy at iambic pentameter and Shakespeare speak, but you get the point: Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug. I, who for my whole life, have cruised along, unruffled by life's trials, am suddenly smashed flat and speeding recklessly up the WhattheHellHappened Highway.
Why? you ask...
I'm 20-years-old and by my own design, never been wed, free as no married woman ever is. I'm beautiful, but without conceit, for Juliet, my legendary Mamma is the most gorgeous creature to ever walk the earth. Just ask Romeo, my legendary Papà . (Rumors of their deaths were premature.) I was heartwhole until I fell (literally) in love with Lysander of the House of Beautiful. But our love was not to be, for I was thwarted by Escalus, the Prince of Verona...who had designs on me.
I'm trapped.
Then! I'm presented with a solution. Escalus's father, Prince Escalus the Elder, appears to me. He tasks that I find his killer. Did I mention Elder is a ghost?
Given that I only recently dispatched Verona's first serial killer, I'm less than pleased. Yet Elder promises to unite me with my One True Love, so I gather clues. Meanwhile, revolution threatens, for beneath Verona society's glittering surface lurk dark shadows - and an enemy eager to make me a tragic heroine in my own right..."
Aside for the whole windshield anachronism I'm game. Then again, there are ghosts, so should I even call out an anachronism?
A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"London provides fabulously deadly opportunities for a fledgling inspector in the twisty follow-up to Julia Seales's bestselling debut, A Most Agreeable Murder, hailed by People as a "delightful cocktail...of wit, hilarity, and suspense!"
After achieving her lifelong dream of solving a murder, bringing a killer to justice, and proving she is not, in fact, a morbid creep, Beatrice Steele feels like everything is finally falling into place. She's traded her etiquette-obsessed community of Swampshire for the big city of London, accompanied by her ever-trusty chaperone, Miss Bolton. They've settled in a lovely neighborhood, Sweetbriar, known for its proximity to the Sweet Majestic theater, picturesque pleasure gardens, and an unfortunate infestation of flying squirrels. But Beatrice's favorite part is that Sweetbriar is also home to DS Investigations, the new office she opened with the prickly, annoyingly logical Inspector Drake to solve the city's brutally thrilling crimes.
However, nothing is turning out how Beatrice imagined it would. Sir Huxley, famed gentleman inspector and Beatrice's former crush, is still considered the real investigator in London, so the only cases left for Beatrice and Drake are lost pets and spectacles. Not that Beatrice has much time for crime-solving anyway, as her mother still expects her to find an eligible (rich) husband to protect their family from destitution. Beatrice is struggling to balance all the demands on her and begins to wonder if she can become a true detective in a city that feels full of false promises.
That is until a string of murders thrusts Beatrice and Drake into the center of a scandal that pits the neighborhood's wealthiest against the arts community, spreading fear and chaos throughout the city. As they follow the trail through bewildering ballrooms, secretive shops, and odd operas, Beatrice must survive threats to her partnership, her business, and her place in society to break the case - before it's too late."
Can they also investigate the flying squirrel infestation? I really want that investigated.
A Daughter's Guide to mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In the latest USA Today bestselling, Victorian Era-set Countess of Harleigh Mystery from multi-award winning author Dianne Freeman, Frances Hazelton and her husband, George, uncover the secrets of backstage Paris to find out who's acting the role of a killer to chilling perfection...
Frances and George are enjoying some well-deserved leisure time in Paris when an old acquaintance from London, Alicia Stoke-Whitney, seeks Frances's help to investigate a personal matter. Alicia's daughter is being courted by Carlson Deaver, a wealthy American shadowed by a very suspicious tragedy.
Less than a year ago, Carlson's wife, a former actress, was murdered, her body discovered in one of the more dubious quartiers in Paris. Though authorities guess it was a robbery gone wrong, no one was ever brought to justice. Until Daniel Cadieux, Inspector for the Sûreté, follows a startling new lead. None other than Sarah Bernhardt, legendary icon of the Paris stage, receives a piece of jewelry stolen from the victim, along with an incriminating note: I know what you did.
It opens a new door for the Hazeltons' investigation, as well. But not a soul believes that the Divine Sarah would become entangled in something so disreputable as murder - even if she and the late Mrs. Deaver did have a history of theatrical clashes. Amid questions of revenge, blackmail, scandals, and secrets, more poisoned pen letters follow, and suspects abound. Now it's up to Francis and George to infiltrate the most elite social circles of Paris, and find a culprit before another victim faces their final act."
I love any fracas involving a theatre! Must be the real reason I got a theatre degree...
The Colony of Lost Souls by Kelsey James
Published by: A John Scognamiglio Book
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 3504 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A young woman searching for her missing sister in 1930s California is drawn into a dark and dangerous cult in this intoxicating binge of sacrifice and obsession, strange rituals, alluring promises, and a beautiful prison for readers of Silvia Moreno Garcia, Nicola Harrison, Laura Purcell, California Golden by Melanie Benjamin, and Emma Cline's The Girls.
Born a year apart, May and June Anderson were once as close as twins. Time and a loveless marriage changed the once vibrant May into June's timid counterpart. Now, two years after June abruptly disappeared, May receives a letter from her sister, inviting her to visit a mysterious colony in southern California. Eager to match June's boldness for once, May doesn't hesitate.
The Colony is located in a magnificent Spanish Revival-style mansion perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, and is presided over by the group's charismatic leader, Rex. Colony members believe in an afterlife where departed souls mingle, and that the truly enlightened can even summon back the spirits of lost loved ones. May is told that June has recently left on a mission, and she's intrigued enough to accept Rex's invitation to stay until her sister's return.
Drawn deeper into the group, and under Rex's seductive spell, May undergoes their initiation ceremony. Yet her questions grow more urgent with June's continued absence - and the warnings of a presumptuous but charming undercover investigator. May has longed for the daring, adventurous life her sister pursued, but her arrival has sparked a dangerous unraveling within the Colony, where nothing and no one is quite as it seems.
Gripping and atmospheric, The Colony of Lost Souls immerses readers in a world of secrets, deception, and unexpected redemption."
Oh, her sister is SO dead. That's the "mission" she one FOR SURE.
The Loveless Child by Elsie Mason
Published by: Orion
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"England, 1940s.
Minnie has spent most of her life feeling like a plain Jane, watching things happen around her, waiting for something - just something - to once happen to her. When her old best friend, the beautiful and callous Junie, unexpectedly returns to Sixteen Streets, Minnie's not quite sure how to feel. Once inseparable, the two now find themselves at odds. And when Junie strikes up a romance with Minnie's brother Derek, Minnie can't help but feel lonelier than ever...
Junie's looking to start anew - she's running from her mucky, strained life in South Manchester, and the cruel man she shared it with. But when she returns to Sixteen Streets, all her old wounds - from her mother to her friends - resurface. And she has no choice but to face them, and this place she once called home.
In the midst of it all, can the two women find their way back to each other - and themselves - once again?
Or will Sixteen Streets really break them apart?"
Oh my, my friend Paul's books, written under his nom de plume Elsie Mason, are FINALLY available stateside.
The Dark Library by Mary Anna Evans
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Can a family's dark history repeat itself?
Estella Ecker has returned to Rockfall House, the last place on earth she wants to be. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, she has been forced back home to walk in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the fabulous home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades - and perhaps she owns it now, because her mercurial mother has disappeared. At the center of everything - the whispers, the rumors, the secrets - is her father's library of rare books, which she had been forbidden to touch while he was alive to stop her.
Everyone in town is watching Estella, with her dead father's name on their lips, and no one seems to care about her missing mother. Who were her parents, really, and is the answer hidden somewhere in the depths of Rockfall House? And who will Estella be, if she gathers enough courage to find that answer? What she discovers is that no one can escape the secrets hidden in this dark library.
Suspenseful and unsettling but ultimately triumphant, The Dark Library by acclaimed author Mary Anna Evans is a compelling tale of mystery, family secrets, and the quest for truth."
I want into that library as well!
An Amateur Sleuth's Guide to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon makes her hardcover debut with an irresistible new meta-mystery series about an amateur sleuth who doesn't just solve crimes, she writes about how to do it...
TIP #1: WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU COUNTS AS WORK EXPERIENCE
Meg Gates could use a guidebook for life. Indeed, she's faced some challenges. She dropped out of college to work for a tech startup that failed - and her fiancé just took her bridesmaid to Italy on what was supposed to be Meg's honeymoon.
Now, at twenty-six, Meg has taken the ferry ride of shame from Seattle back to Bainbridge Island to live with her family. At least she has her rescue cocker spaniel, Watson, by her side. But it's Meg who could use a rescue - and she's hoping it will come in the form of a part-time gig doing research for a bestselling mystery writer.
TIP #2: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW - OR WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW
That's when the light bulb goes on: Meg will write her own guidebook - a manual on criminal investigation. But before she can impress her new boss with her pet project, the author's manager is found dead on the rocks beneath the author's Gothic mansion.
Now it's time to put her guide to the test, as Meg sets out to clear her employer of suspicion and solve the crime. But there's one important caveat she'll have to add to her guide -
TIP #3: BEWARE OF UNKNOWN DANGERS"
I mean, Meg doesn't seem to be the best judge in character, so here's hoping she survives.
Like a Bullet by Andrew Cartmel
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Humorous cosy-crime caper from the author of the beloved, bestselling Vinyl Detective series in which a feisty, amoral book dealer uses her unique skills to solve fiendish crimes, a love letter to Agatha Christie murder mysteries and classic whodunnits.
When Erik Make Loud, retired rock star and a major World War Two nut, hires Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to track down a series of lurid paperbacks about his favourite global conflict - the "Commando" novels by the blatantly pseudonymous Butch Raider - it seems like a routine job. But Cordelia soon discovers the final novel in the series, the incredibly rare Commando Gold, is all but impossible to track down.
The books' creator - real name Monty Harrington, once a promising young poet and now a depraved drunk - proves easier to find. Writing pulp war stories didn't come naturally to Monty. Until he met someone who knew all about such stuff during a pub crawl; a genuine ex-commando who, for the price of a pint or two, was willing to provide Monty with authentic anecdotes.
Too authentic, it turns out...
Because Commando Gold reveals the details of a real-life commando mission.
At the time the mission was top secret.
And all these years later, someone is quite prepared to kill to keep it so."
Firstly, I wish I had the money to hire someone to hunt down rare books for me. And secondly, I would totally love to be hired to hunt down rare books.
V is for Venom by Kathryn Harkup
Published by: Bloomsbury Sigma
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Fourteen stories. Fourteen more poisons. Just because it's fiction doesn't mean it's all made-up...
Agatha Christie is renowned for her captivating plots and creative ways of killing off ill-fated victims. And what better way to add intrigue to a story than poison? The surreptitious ways they can be administered and the characteristic symptoms they produce make these killer chemicals the ideal method of murder in a 'whodunit'. Christie perfected the use of poisons in her plots; her deft and varied use of toxic substances is one of her great strengths as a writer. But how is it that some compounds prove so fatal, and in such tiny amounts?
The follow up to Kathryn Harkup's best-selling A is for Arsenic, V is for Venom is a compelling exploration of Christie's use of poisons and her extensive chemical knowledge. Featuring fourteen more poisons from the works of Agatha Christie, this book investigates the science behind the deadly substances, the history of their use in real-life murder cases, and how feasible was it to obtain, administer and detect these poisons in Christie's time and today. Combining Christie's murder mysteries, chemical science and true crime, V is for Venom is a celebration of the use of science by the undisputed Queen of Crime."
Ever since I saw Olivia Williams star in Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures I have been fascinated by Christie's real life chemical knowledge.
Bone Hash by Skye Griffith
Published by: Artemesia Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 284 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Ancient Bones. A modern murder. A deadly secret buried deep in the desert.
In the vast untamed desert of northern Arizona, Aideen Connor signs on as lead archaeologist hoping to find peace after witnessing her husband's violent death. Instead, she stumbles into a mystery as ancient and dangerous as the land itself. Aideen's team uncovers a "bone hash," human bones showing evidence of prehistoric cannibalism. Then a brutal murder shocks the residents of the nearby Hopi Reservation. Unsettling connections emerge between the murder and her dig, and Aideen's world begins to unravel.
Aideen's boss blames her when the bone hash is stolen. Violent threats begin: A sheep is viciously killed under her residential trailer, a photo of her dead husband left in its blood. A hulky stranger chases her across remote backcountry and attacks her. All threats point to a grim reality: someone wants her gone. Aideen must navigate a maze of buried truths with only her dog, Dakota for companionship. Every clue leads her closer to the secrets buried at her dig that could cost her more than her career - they could cost her life."
For fans of Dark Winds, particularly this most recent season.
Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Jewell, an author "at the very top of her game" (Lucy Foley) - three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.
"Who are you? Who are you really?"
Nick Radcliffe is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. He's just what Nina Swann needed in her life after her husband's unexpected death. But to Nina's adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick's past. What she finds is more than unsettling...
"Because there are things that don’t make sense, and I've been so patient, so very patient..."
Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can't share the feeling that something isn't right.
"You know that’s mad, don’t you? I'm your husband. We know everything there is to know about each other."
Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don't let him in. But the past won't stay buried forever."
Minimally there's gotta be two families going on, which always intrigues and exhausts me to think of.
The No-End House by Jeremy Bates
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In the tradition of Saw and Eli Roth’s Hostel, but with the evil supernatural twists of Stephen King, Alma Katsu, and Christopher Golden, two strangers unwittingly volunteer for the ultimate haunted house challenge in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.
Nine rooms. Nine tests. One chance to get out alive. No one makes it to the end of The No-End House.
Bestselling author Jeremy Bates invites you to spend the night in The No-End House. Where the nightmares begin as soon as you enter - and the terror never ends...
It's the ultimate haunted house challenge. A crumbling stone mansion nestled in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, it may be the best-kept secret in Europe - a little-known attraction featuring nine escape rooms to explore, nine puzzles to solve, and a large cash prize for anyone who makes it to the end. There's just one catch: no one makes it to the end of The No-End House...
When Joe Hadfield hears about the house from a pair of backpackers, he's intrigued but not interested. He's trying to escape a nightmare of his own: the trauma of witnessing his wife's grisly death. Traveling the world to ease his pain and grief, he meets a beautiful stranger named Helen who convinces him to try The No-End House challenge together. Joe reluctantly agrees. But as soon as they enter its walls, meet its mysterious host - and sign an ominous contract - Joe begins to understand the seductive power of The No-End House...
It knows his darkest secrets. It feeds his greatest fears. It makes him do things he would never do. And there is no end to what he will do...to make it out alive."
Oh, oh yes. I love to read these kinds of stories because there's no way in hell anyone would get me into The No-End House.
Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"An actress desperate to reclaim her fame must survive the real-life plot of the horror movie that made her famous in this psychologically twisted locked-room thriller influenced by nineties slasher films.
Twenty years ago, Ella Winters was the it girl. She made a name for herself in Hollywood and throughout America as the sole survivor in the cult-classic slasher Grad Night. But the real horror is what happened when the cameras weren't rolling - something terrible that Ella and her co-stars agreed never to speak of again. Shortly after the movie's premiere, Ella disappeared from the acting scene under the pretense of caring for her ailing mother, hoping for a quiet life out of the spotlight to ease her guilty mind.
Since her mother's passing, Ella has decided to return to the silver screen. And with the cast and crew of Grad Night in the process of filming a reunion documentary, Ella has an express ticket back into Hollywood's good graces. Weighed down by the secret she's been keeping all these years, Ella apprehensively makes the trip to the original set - a cabin in rural Tennessee - to reunite with her castmates for the first time in more than a decade. But when the actors begin to meet the same gruesome fates as the characters they originally played, falling victim to someone dressed as the Grad Night villain, it's clear their secret is out.
Now, the question is: Can the final girl survive one last nightmare?"
So the documentary was totally staged for a revenge killing right?
Glass Girls by Danie Shokoohi
Published by: Zando - Gillian Flynn Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A former child medium is forced to face her deadly past and the ghosts she left behind in this electrifying debut.
Alice Haserot thought she'd escaped the curse. For sixteen years, she's lived far from her family and the ghosts she used to conjure. But her past isn't so easily left behind.
When Alice discovers she's pregnant and her estranged sister, Bronwyn, turns up on her doorstep, her carefully built new life begins to unravel. Bronwyn offers an ultimatum: one of her daughters is trying to possess the other, and only Alice has the power to save them. If Alice refuses, Bronwyn will go to their abusive mother and expose her location.
Forced to confront the terrors of her childhood, Alice returns home to face the inheritance of her family curse. Tautly paced and gorgeously written, Glass Girls explores the deep, complicated bonds of family and the shadows that follow us, no matter how far we run."
Former. Child. Medium. Everything else is gravy.
Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"American heiress Eliza Dove was resigned to a polite marriage of convenience...until she spent one wicked night with the Duke.
All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.
Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as 'the Duke,' Whitechapel's prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister's only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness...and hope he doesn't lose his heart in the process.
But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan - an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both."
I like to think that Harper St. George is a fan of Miss Scarlet and the Duke and was sad when the Duke left and therefore this is her way to get Eliza Scarlet and the Duke together...
Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this hilarious second installment of a Regency romance series, a single lord is forced to settle down...and when a houseparty brings a happy-go-lucky lady's companion his way, his grumpy heart is unexpectedly warmed.
Nine years ago, Lord Guy Harrowby, Viscount Wennington, was publicly humiliated by a failed and reckless romantic gesture. Despite this, his mother clings to the promise he made her then: that she would have a house full of grandchildren by his thirtieth birthday. Still single, embittered, and swiftly approaching thirty, Guy's work is his life. In desperation, his mother blindsides Guy with a weeklong house party at his estate filled with annoying debutantes, all competing to be his wife.
After failing as a governess, Lottie Travers is struggling as a lady's companion. Raised in an all-male household, she's developed habits that get her dismissed. Even after years of Miss Prentice's teachings of how to be a lady, she climbs trees better than she embroiders and can't resist riding horses astride, in breeches. But with the family farm in trouble, and her father now in dire need of her wages, she's determined to conquer her wildness once and for all.
Even with his home full of eligible women, there is only one who catches Guy's eye - though he tries to deny it. For Lottie, succeeding in her new role proves difficult when the Wennington estate is filled with horses, and a spark ignites between her and the grumpy lord. Will they remain stuck in their ways, or learn that they may just be the perfect match?"
I mean, Guy's mama knows it takes awhile even after marriage for the grandkids to start coming right?
The Camomile by Catherine Carswell
Published by: British Library
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"'The chamomile, the more it is trodden on, the faster is grows.' Shakespeare, Henry IV Part 1
The opening quote of The Camomile provides an insight into the book's title. The narrative highlights the tensions for a woman in the early 20th century between the desire to explore her creativity and the duties expected of her as a prospective wife. Through a series of journal entries, which form an extended letter to her best friend, we follow the protagonist, Ellen, who rents out a room away from her family to provide a quiet space in which to focus on her music and her writing. Ellen is a lively soul who wants the freedom to express herself and she finds a champion of her endeavors at the Mitchell Library. But as she falls in love and becomes betrothed to a doctor who is soon to return to India, she finds herself increasingly conflicted and has to eventually make a choice."
I just gotta say how much I adore the cover of this book. It's perfect but also wonderfully reflects the contents inside it's covers.
Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop by Sharon Booth
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: eBook, 349 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Fans of Heidi Swain, Lucy Jane Wood, and the BBC series Ghosts will love this heart-warming, cosy, romantic novel with a magical twist.
The beautiful Cotswold village of Rowan Vale is run as a living museum, allowing tourists to see history in action. But there's more to the place than any visitor would guess...
Fifty-something Shona grew up in the village and now runs its vintage, 1940s-themed teashop. Not everyone knows that the previous manager, her great-aunt Polly, still lives there too...as a ghost!
When newcomer Max arrives, hoping to find out more about the place where his German grandfather was a prisoner of war, both Shona and Polly are unsettled. Shona, because handsome, interesting Max is the first man to catch her eye since her divorce, and Polly, because she must finally confront the terrible truth about her past.
A 1940s-themed weekend planned for the village brings the families' connections to a head and tragic secrets to light.
Can Shona help her ghostly great-aunt to find love and forgiveness once more, while also creating her own happy ever after?
The second in the comforting, feel-good, romantic series with a dash of fantasy that started with Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall."
Aw, ghostly HEAs!
The Secret Romantic's Book of Magic edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Enemies become lovers, rivalry turns to romance, and convenient marriages create true love in these 12 addictive Romantasy tales.
Featuring Olivie Blake, Kelley Armstrong, Katherine Arden, Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Tasha Suri, Melissa Marr and more.
Fall in love with these twelve gorgeous Romantasy stories from bestselling and beloved authors.
Lost lovers return for a second chance - but what are their motives? Academic rivals compete for a prestigious position, but their sizzling chemistry might get in the way. A monster slayer posing as an unwitting sacrifice meets an intriguingly moral prince.
From relationships caught in disparate timelines to ghostly ballrooms and dragons that need rescuing from princesses, this anthology gives you an inventive new spin on all your favorite tropes, and much more that you've never seen before.
FEATURING BRAND-NEW STORIES FROM:
Olivie Blake
A. G. Slatter
Tasha Suri
Katherine Arden
Kelley Armstrong
Hannah N. Maehrer
Melissa Marr
Megan Bannen
Kelly Andrew
Kamilah Cole
A. C. Wise
Eliza Chan"
Damn, that lineup! Just damn.
A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Set in the waning days of the Dutch Golden Age, this enchanting, lush reimagining of The Little Mermaid is perfect for fans of Jesse Burton's The Miniaturist and Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar.
The Dutch Republic, 1650. One fine spring day in Friesland, twenty-year-old Clara van Wieren is faced with an ill omen: a whale, beached and rotting in the noonday sun. But Clara doesn't believe in magic and superstition, and this portent is quickly dismissed when a proposal from a wealthy merchant arrives, promising Clara the freedom she seeks from her mother's overbearing rule.
When her attempts at overseeing the household at the family's estate lead to her chance encounter with a young man with russet hair and sparkling eyes the color of the sea, she finds herself strangely drawn to him. As Clara grows closer to Maurits, she must choose between the steady, gentle life she has been raised for and the man who makes her blood sing.
But Maurits isn't who he seems to be, and his secrets, once hidden beneath the waves, threaten to rise up and drown them both. And when an ancient bargain, forged in blood between the mythical people of the sea and the rulers of the land, begins to unravel, Clara finds herself at the heart of a deadly struggle for power."
I am a sucker for more dark and authentic takes on The Little Mermaid.
A Treachery of Swans by A.B. Poranek
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Dark Stands Still comes an atmospheric fantasy based on Swan Lake, following Odile as her plan to restore magic to her kingdom gets disrupted by a murder - forcing her to beg for help from the young woman whose identity she stole.
Can two girls - one enchanted, one the enchantress - save their kingdom and each other?
Two hundred years ago, a slighted deity stole the magic from Auréal and vanished without a trace. But seventeen-year-old Odile has a plan. All her life, her father, a vengeful sorcerer, has raised her for one singular task: infiltrate the royal palace and steal the king's crown, an artefact with enough power to restore magic. But to enter the palace, she must assume the identity of a noblewoman. She chooses Marie d'Odette: famed for her beauty, a rumored candidate for future queen…and Odile's childhood-friend-turned-sworn-enemy.
With her father's help, Odile transforms Marie into a swan and takes her place at court. But when the king is brutally murdered and her own brother is accused, her plans are thrown into chaos. Desperate to free her brother, Odile is forced to team up with none other than elegant, infuriating Marie, the girl she has cursed…and the girl she can't seem to stop thinking about despite her best efforts.
To make matters worse, there are whispers that the king's murder was not at the hands of man, but beast. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing feelings for Marie, Odile becomes tangled in a web of treachery and deceit. To save her kingdom, she must find the true path to magic...and find the real killer before they - or it - strikes again."
Very Black Swan vibes here.
A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace by Emily Skrutskie
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this charming fantasy with a swoony friends-to-lovers romance, two soldiers must choose the futures they want in the wake of a last-chance hookup on the night before the world was supposed to end.
On the eve of the battle that will decide the realm of Telrus's fate, Katrien takes a hard look at her prospects. A mere legionnaire, she and her spear will be at the fore in the morning, facing off against the Demon Lord and his wretched army, and it's all but certain she'll perish in the fight. But if the end of the world is mere hours away, there's no reason not to hook up with her handsome, dedicated battle partner, Emory - despite any antifraternization policies their centurion may have in place.
Only the world doesn't end the next day. Instead, an insufferable prince raised in hiding comes out of nowhere with a plucky band of heroes, defeats the Demon Lord, and seals the rift to the hellish plane. The realm is saved. The war is over. And Kat suddenly has a lot more future than she knows what to do with. It's a future that could include Emory...if only he weren't so set on staying enlisted in the very army Kat was unwillingly drafted into.
And while the Demon Lord has been destroyed, peace is still a long march away. When Kat inadvertently catches the eye of the prince, she, Emory, and the rest of their motley unit are pulled to the fore of the formation - and the heart of the danger - as the army embarks on one last campaign. The mission: laying a road as a foundation for the prince's future rule. The real mission: scouring the last of the Demon Lord's servants from the material plane.
As Kat and Emory work to secure a lasting peace, they'll have to decide what they want their futures to look like - and if there's room for love at the end of the road."
Apocalypse hookups are so awkward when someone saves the day...
A Sanctuary for Fire and Fate by Lolu Sinclair
Published by: LOST LUST
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 281 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Mia takes her role at the sanctuary for mythical creatures very seriously. She's spent years tending to injured fauns, mischievous pixies, and orphaned baby dragons. But when brutally injured unicorns start turning up, she fears something ominous is headed their way.
Then Mia witnesses something very few humans have: a phoenix's fiery rebirth. And now, that phoenix wants her dead.
Asher has lived for centuries, surviving by a rule that cannot be broken: no one can witness his resurrection and live. But something about Mia stops him from killing her. A feeling he can't explain. The more time they spend together, the stronger the pull between them becomes. Something deeper than fate, more powerful than instinct.
Now, the ruthless Shadow Guild is closing in, and the sanctuary and its inhabitants are on the brink of annihilation. Mia and Asher must fight together if they want to protect the creatures and each other. Because some connections are impossible to break. And some loves are destined to burn forever.
For fans of slow-burn romantasy, high-stakes adventure, and breathtaking magical worlds, A Sanctuary for Fire and Fate is the first book in a spellbinding new series where love and destiny collide."
Orphaned baby dragons! I want to help save the orphaned baby dragons!
Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Debut author/illustrator Sam Prentice-Jones explores fighting against your destiny and reconciling the actions of your ancestors in Arcana: The Lost Heirs, a tarot-inspired fantasy graphic novel for young adults.
James, Daphne, Koko, and Sonny have all grown up surrounded by magic in the Arcana, an organization of witches that protects the magical world, run by the mysterious and secretive Majors. Eli Jones, however, hadn't even known other witches existed...until he stumbled into James. As James introduces him to the world of the Arcana, Eli finds the family he never had and a blossoming romance with James.
The five new friends soon realize that sinister things are afoot, and everything may not be what it seems at the Arcana. When the group delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the deaths of their parents and the Majors' rise to power, they discover that they're at the center of a curse - one they've just unwittingly set into motion. As the friends search for answers, they'll have to confront the cursed legacy that links them in hopes of freeing their futures."
The tarot and how different people interpret it and weave it into stories fascinates me.
A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales
Deborah Goes to Dover by M.C. Beaton
Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price
Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien
Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen
Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano
The Night It Ended by Katie Garner
The Ghost Theatre by Mat Osman
