strange and random happenstance

Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stephanie Burgis delivers another irreverent, sparkling, and sexy installment in the Queens of Villainy series, where a seductive fae queen meets her unexpected match in the enemy empire's valiant general.

Queen Lorelei is a notorious fae seductress, with a trail of broken hearts in her wake. But behind her glamorous lifestyle and sparkling mask lurks a dangerously intelligent woman who'd do anything to keep her people safe, including kidnap the empire's most famous hero.

The virtuous high general Gerard de Moireul represents all that is moral and true. He has to, after his parents were executed for treason. The last thing he needs is the Queen of Balravia, who showers glitter and rainbow-colored sparkles everywhere she goes without the slightest regard for good taste, decorum, or royal dignity.

They're opposites in every way, but when they're swept up together in a grand - and deadly - fae tournament, they discover all of each other's most hidden truths - and how perfectly they might be suited for each other after all."

A day there's a new Stephanie Burgis book released into the world is a day filled with magic.

Ballad of the Bone Road by A.C. Wise
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the glittering city of Port Astor, where fae roads criss-cross human highways and ghosts whisper to the living, nothing is ever as it seems.

From Sunburst Award-winning author A.C. Wise, this utterly original dark fantasy tale of faith and fanaticism, doomed love and desperate bargains is perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Ava Reid.

Port Astor is a city of ghosts. Once home to the beautiful, brutal courts of the fae, forty years ago they vanished without explanation - and Port Astor decided to forget.

Brix and Bellefeather are paranormal investigators, working to keep Port Astor's wraiths and spectres from consuming the city. Both have hauntings of their own: Belle shares her body with a demon, Belizial; Brix has trapped the soul of his dead fiancée in the world of the living, unwilling to let her go.

While investigating the glamorous and notoriously haunted Peony Hotel, Brix and Belle come across a young couple tangled up in one of the city's most infamous tales. Jimmy Valentine, silver screen idol and one-time favorite of a fae queen, has returned to haunt the Peony. But Jimmy is no mere ghost, and Brix and Belle soon realize his return is more intimately tied to their own hauntings than they could ever have imagined.

The fae have not forgotten that Port Astor once belonged to them. And their Hollow Queen won't give up her kingdom so easily."

Have we learned nothing from IT!?! You NEVER forget! It's dangerous to forget.

Silver and Blood by Jessie Mihalik
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"On a deadly mission to kill the mythical beast that has been haunting her woods, a desperate mage finds her fate intertwined with the handsome, powerful man who saves her in this dark and sexy romantasy - perfect for readers of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Callie Hart, and Holly Black.

There's something in the woods...

When a vicious beast begins attacking her fellow villagers, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forbidden forest and kill the monster as she's the only mage available - or so she thought.

Untrained and barely armed, Riela is quickly overwhelmed when one beast turns into two. She fears her death is at hand until the unexpected arrival of a scarred, strikingly handsome man with gleaming moonlit magic changes her fate - and provides a rare opportunity to learn more about her own fickle power.

After being rescued and healed from the beast's poison, Riela awakens in a magical castle complete with a gorgeous library, a strange wolf, and the surly man who saved her life. She soon learns Garrick is both more powerful and far deadlier than a mere mortal mage - but thanks to a century-long curse, his powers are weakening.

Trapped in his castle and surrounded by the treacherous woods, the spark of attraction between Riela and Garrick slowly ignites into fiery desire. But the more they discover about Riela's magic, the more suspicious Garrick grows of her identity. As they unravel the secrets and lies connecting Riela's past to Garrick's, the tenuous threads of trust between them start to fray.

Because Riela's life - or her death - might be the key to regaining everything Garrick has lost."

Oh, this sounds like sexy Beauty and the Beast time!

To Ride a Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young indigenous woman and her dragon fight for the independence of their homeland in this epic sequel to the bestselling and multi-award-winning To Shape a Dragon's Breath, "a remarkable novel that is bound to be a staple of fantasy shelves for years to come" (BuzzFeed).

Anequs has not only survived her first year at Kuiper's Academy but exceeded her professors' admittedly low expectations - and passed all her courses with honors. Now she and her dragon, Kasaqua, are headed home for the summer, along with Theod, the only other native student at the Academy.

But what should have been a relaxing break takes a darker turn. Thanks to Anequs's notoriety, there is an Anglish presence on Masquapaug for the first time ever: a presence that Anequs hates. Anequs will always fight for what she believes in, however, and what she believes in is her people's right to self-govern and live as they have for generations, without the restrictive yoke of Anglish rules and social customs. And fight she will - even if it means lighting a spark that may flare into civil war."

Always here for a dragon academy. If it has a good message about self and identity, all the better.

One Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this sinister and surreal Southern Gothic debut, a woman escapes into the uncanny woods of southern Georgia and must contend with ghosts, haints, and most dangerous of all, the truth about herself.

When Judith Rice fled her childhood home, she thought she'd severed her abusive mother's hold on her. She didn't have a plan or destination, just a desperate need to escape. Drawn to the forests of southern Georgia, Jude finds shelter in a house as haunted by its violent history as she is by her own.

Jude embraces the eccentricities of the dilapidated house, soothing its ghosts and haints, honoring its blood-soaked land. And over the next thirteen years, Jude blossoms from her bitter beginnings into a wisewoman, a healer.

But her hard-won peace is threatened when an enigmatic woman shows up on her doorstep. The woman is beautiful but unsettling, captivating but uncanny. Ensnared by her desire for this stranger, Jude is caught off guard by brutal urges suddenly simmering beneath her skin. As the woman stirs up memories of her escape years ago, Jude must confront the calls of violence rooted in her bloodline.

Haunting and thought-provoking, On Sunday She Picked Flowers explores retribution, family trauma, and the power of building oneself back up after breaking down."

A haunted house and haints? I'm in.

This House Will Feed by Maria Tureaud
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amidst the devastation of Ireland's Great Famine, a young woman is salvaged from certain death when offered a mysterious position at a remote manor house haunted by a strange power and the horror of her own memories in this chillingly evocative historical novel braided with gothic horror and supernatural suspense for readers of Katherine Arden's The Warm Hands of Ghosts and The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins.

County Clare, 1848: In the scant few years since the potato blight first cast its foul shadow over Ireland, Maggie O'Shaughnessy has lost everything - her entire family and the man she trusted with her heart. Toiling in the Ennis Workhouse for paltry rations, she can see no future either within or outside its walls - until the mysterious Lady Catherine arrives to whisk her away to an old mansion in the stark limestone landscape of the Burren.

Lady Catherine wants Maggie to impersonate her late daughter, Wilhelmina, and hoodwink solicitors into releasing Wilhelmina's widow pension so that Lady Catherine can continue to provide for the villagers in her care. In exchange, Maggie will receive freedom from the workhouse, land of her own, and the one thing she wants more than either: a chance to fulfill the promise she made to her brother on his deathbed - to live to spite them all.

Launching herself into the daunting task, Maggie plays the role of Wilhelmina as best she can while ignoring the villagers' tales of ghostly figures and curses. But more worrying are the whispers that come from within. Something in Lady Catherine's house is reawakening long-buried memories in Maggie - of a foe more terrifying than hunger or greed, of a power that calls for blood and vengeance, and of her own role in a nightmare that demands the darkest sacrifice..."

Brat Farrar but supernatural! 

The Green Baize Door by Eleanor Birney
Published by: Parlor and Dock
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 305 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An atmospheric historical mystery where every character has their own agenda, and their own truth.

In the fashionable mansions on Chestnut Hill, a simple green baize door separates the masters' world from the servants'. That door is thrown wide when an elderly housekeeper is found brutally murdered on the first day of the new century. Marie Chevalier, the housekeeper's poor but ambitious granddaughter, and James Lett, the mansion owner's kind but indolent son, suspect the killer is connected to one of their families - but which one?

From drawing rooms to alleyways, their separate investigations lead them through the sometimes lavish, sometimes brutal, landscape of turn-of-the-century New England. When long-buried secrets begin to unravel the fragile threads that hold both households together, Marie and James must find a way to bridge the gulf between them - if only to prove that the murderer belongs not to their own world, but to that strange and foreign land on the other side of the green baize door.

Inspired by real-life events, The Green Baize Door is a richly layered historical mystery that explores themes of class identity, family loyalty, and the sometimes blurry line between virtue and vice."

Anyone else thinking the cover looks like the child of Eva Green and Blu Hunt?

The Case of the Murdered Muckraker by Rob Osler
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Harriet Morrow, a spunky, bike-riding, independent, lesbian P.I. in turn-of-the-20th century Chicago, is back on the case in this brilliant historical mystery inspired by a real-life Windy City detective - from the acclaimed author of the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, and Lefty Award-nominated Devil's Chew Toy. For fans of Lev AC Rosen, Ashley Weaver, and Stephen Spotswood.

Chicago, 1898. In the midst of the Progressive Era, twenty-one-year-old junior detective Harriet Morrow is determined to prove she's more than a lucky hire as the Prescott Agency's first woman operative. But her latest challenge - a murder case steeped in scandal - could become a deadly setback...

As the Windy City thaws from a harsh winter, Harriet Morrow finds herself doubting her investigative skills when she's assigned to solve a high-stakes murder case well above her pay grade. And there's also a catch. Harriet must somehow blend in as an "unremarkable" young woman - one who feels confident in skirts, not men's clothing - on a quest to infiltrate the immigrant community at the center of the grisly crime...

The mystery has more twists and turns than her morning bike commute, with a muckraker found murdered in a southside tenement building after obtaining evidence of a powerful politician's corruption. While Harriet gains the trust of the tenement's women residents to gather clues, the undercover mission reveals an innocent mother might have been framed for the crime - and exposes ties to another violent death...

Harriet soon realizes she has few allies as new dangers explode around her. Enlisting the help of Matthew McCabe, her only true confidante at the agency, and growing more protective of her budding relationship with the lovely Barbara Wozniak, Harriet will need to survive rising threats to assert her place in a world that's quick to dismiss her - and out a killer who's always one step ahead..."

Thawing out from a harsh winter? So this is set in June right?

With Love from Harlem by ReShonda Tate
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From The Queen of Sugar Hill author ReShonda Tate - a new novel inspired by beloved Harlem jazz performer Hazel Scott and the equal parts exhilarating and tumultuous relationship that changed the course of her life.

Harlem, 1943. At just twenty-three, Hazel Scott is a woman on fire. A jazz prodigy, a glamorous film star, and a fierce advocate for civil rights, she's breaking barriers and refusing to play by the rules. Then Adam Clayton Powell Jr. walks into her life. Harlem's most electrifying preacher-turned-politician, Adam is as bold and unyielding as Hazel - charismatic, powerful...and married.

This kicks off a decades-long relationship that propels them into the center of a political and cultural revolution. As Hazel's star rises, Adam takes the national stage in Congress and the couple becomes the toast of the country. But when their affair turns into a marriage, behind the glamorous façade is a battlefield of ego, ambition, and sacrifice. Forced to choose between her music and her family, Hazel must decide what she's willing to lose - and what she refuses to give up.

Set against the pulsing backdrop of twentieth-century Harlem and featuring icons like Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin, With Love from Harlem is a sweeping, emotionally charged romantic drama, rich with historical detail. ReShonda Tate delivers a powerful portrait of love, art, and the price of being unforgettable."

True love will understand who you refuse to give up.

Uma's Head by Kristin Kelly
Published by: Sticks on Fire Books
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 250 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the dangerous world of Southeast Asia's illicit antiquities trade, a curator's search for a missing colleague uncovers a decades-old conspiracy, and a stolen artifact that could unravel it all.

When art curator Sarah Burroughs glimpses a half-hidden Khmer sculpture in her mentor's Bangkok apartment, she doesn't yet realize she's staring at Uma's head, a stolen national treasure, and a clue to a dangerous secret. Across the border in Cambodia, fellow curator Sam Heng uncovers a shocking diary written at the start of the Khmer Rouge's brutal reign, by the father he never knew. Soon after, Heng vanishes without a trace.

Thrust into the criminal underworld of antiquities trafficking, Sarah must join forces with a mysterious government official to find her missing colleague. What begins as a research trip for a museum exhibition spirals into a harrowing rescue mission through Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and Angkor's ancient temples. Inspired by historical events, Uma's Head is a gripping mystery that explores the depths of friendship and betrayal, the long and lasting effects of war, and the devastating looting of irreplaceable material heritage."

Looting and black market antiquities trafficking! YES! The dark Indiana Jones!

Monster in the Moonlight by Annelise Ryan
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Under the light of the full moon, a quiet rural lane becomes the scene of a shocking crime that may be the work of a mythical monster in the latest entry of this USA Today bestselling mystery series.

When a dead body turns up along a lonely country byway in rural Wisconsin, rumors of The Beast of Bray Road, a werewolf-like creature that is said to inhabit the area are reinvigorated. For years locals have reported sightings of the terrifying creature, but this would be its first verified attack.

Marks on the dead woman's body indicate a mauling by some kind of large animal. The wounds plus deep scratches on the victim's car convince the community that the legendary beast is not only real but responsible for this brutal killing.

If the police have any hope of solving this crime, they're going to need an expert - enter cryptozoologist Morgan Carter. She's investigated sightings of eerie creatures throughout the upper Midwest. If anyone is going to track down the killer, it's Morgan, but she may find that the Beast is not the worst thing lurking on Bray Road."

Just saying, that in December 2025 there was a Wolverine sighting that could account for this. AKA Hugh Jackman.

The Witching Hours by Heather Graham
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A haunting murder and kidnapping on the outskirts of Salem, Massachusetts, sends two people with unique talents hunting for answers from both the past and present in internationally bestselling author Heather Graham's electrifying new Krewe of Hunters spin off for fans of Stephen King, Jayne Ann Krentz, Riley Sager, and Simone St. James.

Skye McMahon sees things. Good and bad, the past unreels in her mind's eye like a movie. Such is Skye's uncanny life. That's why she's been summoned by Special Supervisory paranormal investigators Jackson and Angela Crowe, to help solve a mystifying murder and kidnapping on the outskirts of historic Salem.

Alicia Bolton discovered her grandfather-in-law murdered, her nanny and her young son have both vanished without a trace, and her infant daughter was found terrified and crying in her playpen. Skye, partnered with the intriguing Zachary Erickson, a charmer with a psychic touch, is at first beset only by visions of Salem's witch trials and the tragic, paranoia-fueled executions. Then she sets foot in the Boltons' house.

What Skye sees is not another innocent from the 17th century swinging from a noose. What she sees is a bona fide crone, pointed hat and all, preying on the family like something from a children's nightmarish fairy tale. And when another local woman and her daughter inexplicably vanish, Skye has a second vision - that same wicked witch creeping up on her new victims on a lonely Salem road. It's impossible to believe. Yet Skye's visions never lie.

As Skye and Zachary put their otherworldly abilities to use, and grow closer with each revelation, they're lured into an ominous mystery enveloping Salem like a fog. Navigating suspects, whispers of a cult, and a sinister history that threatens to reignite in the present, with Zachary's help, only Skye can see the way to find the missing - but first, she may have to dance with the devil himself."

Is it wrong that my first thought is this would be an interesting PR campaign for the next Hocus Pocus movie?

In Bloom by Liz Allan
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A story of class and coming-of-age as a group of best friends investigates the allegations against their teacher.

It's the mid-nineties, and in the small, shitty coastal town of Vincent, Australia, four Nirvana-obsessed fourteen-year-old girls form a grunge band. The Bastards are "forgettable girls" - poor, not particularly clever, ridiculed by their better-off classmates, and desperate to escape the fates of their mothers, who seem locked into a life of minimum-wage jobs, surprise pregnancies, and drunk boyfriends. The Battle of the Bands is the girls' one ticket out.

As small-town rumors swirl, however, The Bastards are abandoned by their lead singer Lily Lucid, who accuses their beloved music teacher of assault. The three remaining girls are left with nothing. Nothing, that is, except their amateur detective skills, a conviction that Mr. P is innocent, and a readiness to sacrifice everything to keep their dream alive. Spinning with rage at the confines of their lives, they reach a precipice where there’s no turning back.

Brash and bold, grungy and propulsive, In Bloom is a coming-of-age novel about class, girlhood in precarious circumstances, and how to build a sense of self when the foundations of friendship fail."

Um, shouldn't the girls maybe trust their bandmate over their teacher? 

Lost Girls of Hollow Lake by Rebekah Faubion
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After a group of teens visit a dangerous island where three are left behind, the surviving girls realize they must return to confront the sinister force hunting them. This dark YA thriller is perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.

Eight were lost. Five were found. None will ever be free.

For Evie Williams, life is about to get a lot more complicated. Haunted by the events of a school trip to Hollow Lake National Park that went disastrously wrong, Evie and her friends returned changed, their lives forever marked by the mysterious Island they encountered - and the three girls they left behind.

Now, someone is picking off those who were involved, one by one. Their families, friends, and even online investigators are all caught in a deadly game. The stakes are raised when Evie receives a chilling message: to save her loved ones, she must return to the Island.

As Evie and the other "Lost Girls" navigate the treacherous terrain of the Island once more, they must confront the secrets they've buried, the horrors they witnessed, and the person - or thing - that's hunting them. But some secrets refuse to stay hidden, and the Island demands a price for freedom."

Because we all need a little Yellowjackets-esque fix before the new and final season...

Black Dahlia by William J. Mann
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Illuminating and captivating, New York Times bestselling author of Tinseltown and Bogart offers the first definitive account of the Black Dahlia murder - the most famous unsolved true crime case in American history - which humanizes the victim and situates the notorious case within an anxious, postwar country grappling with new ideas, demographics, and technologies.

The brutal murder of Elizabeth Short - better known as the Black Dahlia - in 1947 has been in the public consciousness for nearly eighty years, yet no serious study of the crime has ever been published.

Short has been mischaracterized as a wayward sex worker or vagabond, and - like the seductive femme fatales of film noir - responsible for and perhaps deserving of her fate. William J. Mann, however, is interested in the truth. His extensive research reveals her as a young woman with curiosity and drive, who leveraged what little agency postwar society gave her to explore the world, defying draconian postwar gender expectations to settle down, marry, and have children. It's time to reexamine the woman who became known as the Black Dahlia.

Using a 21st-century lens, Mann connects Short's story to the anxious era after World War II, when the nation was grappling with new ideas, new demographics, new technologies, and old fears dressed up as new ones. Only by situating the Black Dahlia case within this changing world can we understand the tragedy of this young woman, whose life and death offer surprising mirrors on today.

Mann has strong opinions on who might've killed her, and even stronger ones on who did not. He spent five years sifting through the evidence and has found unknown connections by cross-referencing police reports, District Attorney investigations, FBI files, court documents, military records, and more, using the deep, intense research skills that have become his trademark. He also spoke with the families of the original detectives, of Short's friends, and even of suspects, and relied on advice from experienced physicians and homicide detectives.

Mann deftly sifts through the sensationalized journalism, preconceived notions, myths, and misunderstandings surrounding the case to uncover the truth about Elizabeth Short like no book before. The Black Dahlia promises to be the definitive study about the most famous unsolved case in American history."

Yes, yes, a more academic approach within the bigger context of the century, I approve.

Never Mind the Happy by Marc Shaiman
Published by: Regalo Press
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning composer/co-lyricist behind such iconic projects as Hairspray, Sister Act, Mary Poppins Returns, and Smash comes a wickedly funny, no-holds-barred memoir.

In Never Mind the Happy, musical dynamo Marc Shaiman looks back on five decades of Broadway triumphs, Hollywood hijinks, and unforgettable collaborations. Along the way, he charts the personal highs and heartbreaks that have shaped him - spending his teenage years in community theater, starting a decades-long collaboration with Bette Midler in the '70s, surviving the AIDS crisis of the '80s, his award-winning film music career in the Hollywood of the '90s, right up to the peaks (and valleys) of creating Broadway musicals from 2000 on.

Candid, hilarious, and deeply human, Shaiman's story is a tribute to the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the beat that never stops.

Part showbiz tell-all, part love letter to the melancholy that fuels creativity, told with perfect comic timing - along with a few wrong notes, and plenty of standing ovations."

I love that in 2026 someone went, can we give Marc Shaiman's autobiography the most nineties cover possible?

The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: January 27th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of The Midnight Library and In Five Years, The Unwritten Rules of Magic is a spellbinding novel that blends magic and memory in an unforgettable journey through love, grief, and the hidden cost of perfection across three generations of women.

Emerson Clarke can't remember a time when she felt in control. Her father - a celebrated author - was a chaotic force until he got Alzheimer's. Her mother turned to gin. And recently, her teen daughter has shut her out without explanation. If only she could arrange reality the same way she controls the stories she ghostwrites, life could be perfect.

Or so she thinks.

After her father's funeral, Emerson steals his vintage typewriter - the one he'd forbidden anyone to touch - and tests its keys by typing out a frivolous wish. When it comes true the very next day, she tries another. Then, those words also spring to life. Suddenly, she becomes obsessed with using the typewriter to rewrite happiness for herself and her daughter.

But the more she shapes her real-life, the more she uncovers disturbing truths about her family's history and the unexpected cost of every story-come-true. She should destroy the typewriter, yet when her daughter's secret finally emerges, Emerson is torn between paying the price for bending fate and embracing the uncertainty of an unscripted life."

Hey blurb writers, stop comparing everything to The Midnight Library!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Annelise Ryan, Black Dahlia, Eleanor Birney, Harper Ross, Heather Graham, Kristin Kelly, Liz Allan, Marc Shaiman, Maria Tureaud, Moniquill Blackgoose, Rebekah Faubion, ReShonda Tate, Rob Osler, Stephanie Burgis, William J. Mann

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn't have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. "Fabian" is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange - what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? - but he's getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well...

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she's falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?"

I adore the worlds that Stephanie Burgis creates, and come on, a sexy librarian love interest? Oh yes. I can't wait to add this to my bookshelf.

Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who's planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches - something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn't enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she's now betrayed him by joining forces with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won't allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die - especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can't refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they're forced into each other's company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren't as dead and buried as he thought. Now he's faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly."

I love a good duology don't you?

I Got Abducted by Aliens and I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.

Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she's attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she's saved! On the not-so-bright side, it's because they're abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has...dinosaurs?

Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can't resist the attraction that's developing in their trio....

As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they've all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined (she imagined...zero), and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp."

I little Ozian, a little Arthur Dentian, and a whole lot of sexy.

Mythic Plants by Ellen Zachos
Published by: Workman Publishing
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this beautifully illustrated book that's Song of Achilles meets Secret Life of Trees, readers will discover the plants cultivated by the Greek Gods - many of which can still be experimented with today - for a myriad of uses.

In Greek mythology, plants were used for tools, intoxication, warfare, food, medicine, magic, and rituals. When Prometheus stole fire from the Olympian gods and gave it to mankind, he hid it in a stalk of giant fennel. Ancient Greeks waiting to question the oracles were given cannabis as part of their cleansing rituals. A quince fruit started the Trojan war. The goddess Demeter was so distraught when Hades kidnapped her daughter that she caused winter to blanket the earth, killing all plants.

Mythic Plants focuses on how the ancient Greeks used plants in their lives and loves and conquests - some of which we can still use.

Includes tips throughout for bringing these ancient plants into your garden."

The best type of gardening, mythical!

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Upon a Starlit Tide is a dark and enchanting historical fantasy combining elements of "The Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella" into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal.

Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven.

While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel, her best friend - and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea.

Immediately drawn in by the stranger's charm, Luce is plunged into a world of glittering balls and faerie magic, seduction and brutality. Secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface, but as Luce wrestles with warring desires, she finds that her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid's tail."

Because some people are like me and drawn to the sea. I should note that sadly I am not any kind of mermaid. 

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
Published by: Zando
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula.

It's the height of the industrial revolution and ten years into Lenore's marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry's ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands to host a hunting party, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger...

As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk."

Perhaps they'll have a different kind of hunt? Am I right?

Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dark Academia...with Demons.

A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets - including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic - in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn't even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion's halls - the only problem is, they're all keeping secrets from her.

Page doesn't know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots - roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried."

It would be heart-wrenching to find the perfect place but then have to deal with demons. But some things are worth a few demons...

The Vengeful Dead by Darcy Coates
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"How far will she go to save the damned?

Keira is caught in a deadly battle. Her ability to help ghosts move on from the mortal world has made her a threat to Artec, a powerful corporation intent on trapping the tortured dead for profit. They've been tracking her for years and now, finally, there's nowhere left for her to run.

Artec fears Keira and everything she's capable of. They will stop at nothing to eliminate her - including sending armed men after everyone she holds dear.

Desperate and quickly running out of time, Keira races to hone her abilities as she searches for a way to destroy the twisted organization for good. But at least now she's no longer alone. Her friends have offered to follow wherever she leads, even if that means a direct strike deep into the heart of Artec's central base...and to the certain death waiting for them there."

I mean, if you're not addicted to this series yet you have four previous volumes to catch up on!

The Echoes by Evie Wyld
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning novelist, a ravishing new novel set between London and rural Australia, both a love story and a ghost story.

Max didn't believe in an afterlife. Until he died. Now, as a reluctant ghost trying to work out why he is still here, he watches his girlfriend, Hannah, lost in grief in the apartment they shared and begins to realize how much of her life was invisible to him.

In the weeks and months before Max's death, Hannah was haunted by the secrets she left Australia to escape. A relationship with Max seemed to offer the potential of a fresh new chapter, but the past refused to stay hidden. It found expression in the untold stories of the people she grew up with, and the events that broke her family apart and led her to Max.

Both a celebration and an autopsy of a relationship, and spanning multiple generations, The Echoes is a novel about love and grief, motherhood and sisterhood, secrets and who has the right to reveal them - what of our past can be cast away and what is fixed forever, echoing down through the years."

I have become more than a little Australia obsessed lately. And I'm always down for any kind of haunting.

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Haven's Rock in Cold as Hell as Casey Duncan hunts down a dangerous killer during a deadly blizzard.

Haven's Rock is a sanctuary town hidden deep in the Yukon for those who need to disappear from the regular world. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are starting a family now that they've settled into their life here. As Casey nears the end of her pregnancy, she lets nothing, including her worried husband, stop her from investigating what happens in the forbidden forest outside the town of Haven's Rock.

When one of the town's residents is drugged and wanders too close to the edge of town, she's dragged into the woods kicking and screaming. She's saved in the nick of time, but the women of the town are alarmed. Casey and Eric investigate the assault just as a snowstorm hits Haven's Rock, covering the forest. It's there they find a frozen body, naked in the snow. With mixed accounts of the woman's last movements, the two begin to question who they can trust - and who they can't - in their seemingly safe haven."

Basically a locked-room but encompassing a snowbound town. I love it, it's like deadly Northern Exposure! 

The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea by C.L. Miller
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this follow-up to the USA TODAY bestselling "utterly charming mystery" (Robyn Harding, author The Party) The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder, Freya Lockwood and Aunt Carole are on the hunt once again to return priceless stolen antiques and catch a dangerous criminal abord a cruise ship.

When a painting vanishes from a maritime museum and a dead body is found nearby, the newly established Lockwood Antique Hunter's Agency, Freya Lockwood and her Aunt Carole, are called to investigate.

Following a lead that takes them aboard a glamorous antiques cruise sailing toward the Red Sea in Jordan, they quickly discover that the ships art gallery is filled with stolen antiquities. Each antique is also listed in Freya's late mentor's journals that detail unsolved cases. In chasing a murderer with a stolen painting, they may have found something more sinister than they could've imagined...

Their hunt soon turns deadly when they learn the enigmatic and dangerous art trafficker named The Collector could be on board. But on a ship full of antiques enthusiasts - plus some unexpected familiar faces - will Freya and Carole be able to discover the Collector's identity and stop his murderous plans before the ship docks? Or will the killer strike again?"

If you have't read the first book in this series which made so many best of lists last year you're in for a double treat with a dash of Lovejoy.

Death of a Smuggler by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From a New York Times bestselling author, a murder, a missing man, and his newest constable's secret past are all that's standing in the way of Sergeant Hamish Macbeth's relaxing winter.

All Hamish Macbeth wants is a quiet life in his peaceful home in the Highland village of Lochdubh. But when his newly-assigned constable arrives, he presents Hamish with a surprise and a secret. Getting to the bottom of the secret becomes the least of Hamish's problems when he meets a family who have a score to settle with a sinister man who has mysteriously gone missing. Discovering a murdered woman's body puts further pressure on Hamish, especially when it becomes clear that the murdered woman and the missing man are linked.

To Hamish's horror, he then finds himself working on the murder case with the despicable Detective Chief Inspector Blair - his sworn enemy - who has been drafted in under curious circumstances. With a growing list of suspects, ever more bewildering circumstances and Blair hindering him at every turn, Hamish must find the murderer before anyone else falls victim.

Never has a quiet life seemed further from his grasp!"

All things Hamish Macbeth in honor of my mother.

Mrs. Hudson and the Capricorn Incident by Martin Davies
Published by: Allison and Busby
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It is spring in Baker Street, and London is preparing itself for the wedding of the year. It will be an international spectacle in which the young and popular Count Rudolph Absberg, a political exile from his native land, will take the hand of the beautiful and accomplished Princess Sophia Kubinova. A lot depends on the marriage, for it is hoped that the union will ensure the security and independence of their homeland.

When the princess subsequently disappears in dramatic circumstances, members of the British establishment are quick to call on Mr. Sherlock Holmes. He, in turn, needs the gifts of long-standing housekeeper Mrs. Hudson and her able assistant, housemaid Flotsam, to solve this puzzling case on which rests the fate of nations.

The continuation of the intricately crafted Holmes and Hudson series is a treat for fans of the great detective's original cases while they offer an inspired take on the rest of the famous Baker Street household."

I mean, I can never get enough Sherlock Holmes adjacent stories!

Bunny Made Tea by Amanda Baehr Fuller
Published by: Owlkids
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 32 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A cozy story about sharing, showing gratitude, and a fondness for tea.

One soggy spring morning, Bunny decides to make a cup of tea. Before they can take a sip, Opossum arrives for an impromptu visit. Like a good host, Bunny kindly offers the unexpected guest their tea and gathers ingredients to brew another cup. But just as they're settling in to enjoy it, Opossum returns with their babies in tow. They all want tea too! Ingredients are gathered, and more tea is made - enough for Opossum's babies, but not enough for Bunny. Disappointed, Bunny goes to bed without tea, until a knock at the door the next morning reveals their hospitality has been repaid: one of Opossum's babies has made tea for Bunny in return!

With charming illustrations, simple text, and hilariously expressive characters, this cozy tale invites readers to practice generosity and meet acts of kindness with gratitude."

If Bunny will make me some tea I would totally return the favor!

The History of Everything by Victoria Evans
Published by: HarperAlley
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Best friends Agnes and Daisy must learn to say goodbye in this coming-of-age YA graphic novel perfect for fans of Booksmart and Pumpkinheads from debut creator Victoria Evans.

Daisy and Agnes have always had each other.

And that's all they've ever needed - or wanted, at least. So when Agnes's mom drops the bombshell that she and Agnes are moving at the end of the summer, the girls are crushed.

All seems lost until the pair unearth "The History of Everything," an old friendship scrapbook with the ultimate bucket list to make their last summer together unforgettable. But when Daisy starts dating a charming drummer, her social calendar suddenly has less room for her best friend. Insecurities bubble to the surface, and Daisy and Agnes begin to question if their friendship is meant to last the summer, much less forever.

In this tender graphic novel debut, Victoria Evans delves into the heart of a best friendship and explores what it means to grow up without growing apart."

It's hard to hold onto friendships as circumstances change, but if it's meant to be forever it will work out.

Buzz!: Color Edition by Ananth Hirsh, Tess Stone, and Fen Garza
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Webster's first day of high school goes off the rails when he ends up at a back-alley rumble...FOR UNDERGROUND SPELLING! (What??)

He's dubbed the Golden Kid, and from that moment on he's drawn into the world of underground spelling bees, where letters fly like shurikens and defeat is never an option. His talent is recognized by the mysterious and dashing Outlaw King, Khan, and the suave and plucky Black Queen, Bonnie, and they introduce to him the new challenge of no-holds-barred competitive spelling.

First released in 2013 by writer Ananth Hirsh (Lucky Penny) and artist Tess Stone (Not Drunk Enough), this new color edition comes with new cover art, freshly colored interiors (new colors by Fen Garza), and bonus material from the creators. Read and reread the frenetic tale of spelling bee battles, friendship, and the discovery of self-worth! As the Outlaw King says, "Word is bond.""

"I came here to drink milk and kick ass. And I've just finished my milk."

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buzz!, C.L. Miller, Darcy Coates, Ellen Zachos, Evie Wyld, Kat Dunn, Kell Woods, Kelley Armstrong, Kimberly Lemming, Kristen Ciccarelli, Lili Wilkinson, M.C. Beaton, Martin Davies, Stephanie Burgis, Victoria Evans

Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Stephanie Burgis
Publication Date: Octover 4th, 2021
Format: Kindle, 307 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

When her parents lost everything and promptly died Elinor Tregarth and her two sisters had to rely on the kindness of their relatives. But no one household could be expected to take on three penniless orphans so they were separated across the length and breath of England. Elinor ended up at Hathergill Hall to be a dogsbody to her cousin Penelope. Penelope under normal circumstances is hard to deal with, leading up to her debut she's a nightmare. She is making everyone, in particular Elinor, suffer. But Elinor never knew there'd be a breaking point but the tantrum Penelope throws when she hears her mother's friend Mrs. De Lacey isn't coming would destroy anyone's resolve. It's the fashionable thing for all young ladies to have a dragon, to be nothing more than an accessory, an inanimate object on one's shoulder. So of course Penelope's father got her the best dragon money can buy. Though poor Sir Jessamyn Carnavoran Artos has a nervous disposition and Penelope's treatment of him breaks Elinor. She snaps at her cousin and flees Hathergill Hall with Sir Jessamyn, her meager belongings, and her four shillings and sixpence she has diligently saved. Only to be promptly run over by a carriage, losing all her savings to dirty ditchwater. The carriage belongs to one Mr. Cornelius Aubrey, who is a scholar and dragon expert, so he instantly is more interested in Sir Jessamyn than Elinor, his companion is Mr. Benedict Hawkins, who hopes to be Penelope's future fiance, as his father lost all his money in the same scheme that wiped out Elinor's parents. For the first time in Elinor's life she thinks, if only she could be the type of girl to attract someone like Benedict Hawkins, or if she'd admit it to herself, Benedict Hawkins. The four travelers spend the night in a local inn. Before she falls asleep Elinor wishes she could be rich and beautiful, like Mrs. De Lacey, she could win the heart of Benedict and be able to care for Sir Jessamyn as he deserves. And that's when something magical happens. But everyone knows dragons can't do magic! Yet the next day Elinor is glamoured to look like Mrs. De Lacey and she has to put on the performance of a lifetime to save herself, her sisters, and her heart. If only fairy tales could come true.

I have always strongly identified with Elinor from Sense and Sensibility, so to have a similarly named capable young woman as the heroine of Scales and Sensibility, I couldn't be happier than Sir Jessamyn with a plate full of pheasant. Everything about this book just brought me joy. My love of dragons, happily ever afters, the Regency, house parties, revenge, true love, wait, I'm going a bit William Goldman there... This book at first sounded a little absurd, not that I don't like absurdity, but a world with dragons and no magic? I thought maybe it wouldn't work. But Stephanie Burgis does such a credible job grounding her fantastical tales. Everything makes sense with her worldbuilding. With her Harwood Spellbook "British" society being run by women was historically linked to Boudica. Here the way dragons were discovered was more along the lines of Mary Anning and her hunt for a living fossil. In the last two years I have become more than a little Mary Anning obsessed, I've even read The Essex Serpent twice as well as watching the miniseries to follow Cora Seabourne's desperate attempts to follow in Mary Anning's footsteps. Therefore a world in which a living fossil, a dragon, without magic, without anything other than just being a reptile that is named a dragon makes such sense. Of course there turns out to be more to Sir Jessamyn than meets the eye, but the point is, I loved this realistic grounding. What's more the whole financial scandal that lost Elinor and Beneidct's families their fortunes, The Great Brazilian Bubble, was common with banks and investments during the time period and had a real world counterpart, the South Sea Bubble, which, while earlier, was used to great effect in Andrea Penrose's Regency novel, Sweet Revenge and therefore makes me link the Regency more with the scandal than perhaps it ought. As fairy tales always have their grounding in reality, being written to teach a lesson that would otherwise go unheeded, so does fantasy. And really good fantasy builds it story on a bedrock of truth, and that's what this book is and does, now I need to go find me a dragon, because I now know they're out there.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Benedict Hawkins, Cornelius Aubrey, Dragons, Elinor Tregarth, Fairy Tales, Mary Anning, Mrs. De Lacey, Regency Magic, Scales and Sensibility, Sir Jessamyn, South Sea Bubble, Stephanie Burgis, The Essex Serpent

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street, comes a masterful story about friendship and betrayal, dark obsessions, and the impossibility of escaping your own story.

In a cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow has begun the last book he will ever write.

It is the story about the sun-drenched summer days of his youth in Whistler Bay, and the blood-stained path of the killer that stalked his small vacation town. About the terrible secret he and his companions, Nat and Harper, discovered entombed in the coves off the bay. And how the pact they swore that day echoed down the decades, forever shaping their lives.

But the more Wilder writes, the less he trusts himself and his memory. He starts to see things that can't be real - notes hidden in his cupboards, from an old friend now dead; a woman with dark hair drowning in the icy waters below, calling for help; entire chapters he doesn't recall typing, appearing overnight. Who, or what, is haunting Wilder?

No longer able to trust his own eyes, Wilder begins to fear that this will not only be his last book, but the last thing he ever does."

This right here has summer blockbuster thriller beach read written all over it!

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge
Published by: Random House Trade
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman uploads her DNA online, searching for her father - but the man who contacts her is Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens. From the acclaimed author of Little Sister, this endlessly twisty crime novel asks: What might a family do to protect or expose a serial killer in its midst?

When the police found the first body, left on a bonfire in the forest, they worried it had the hallmarks of a serial killer.

Now, as they find the second, they know for sure.

Panic about the "Bonfire Killer" quickly spreads through the sedate suburban area of Southampton. Women are urged not to travel alone at night, and constant vigilance is encouraged among the local residents. But single mom Aisling Cooley has a lot to distract her: two beloved teenage sons and a quest to find her long-lost father, whom she hasn't seen since she was a teenager.

After much debate, she decides to upload her DNA to an ancestry website. When she gets a match she is filled with an anxious excitement that her questions about her father's disappearance from her life might finally be answered.

But to her horror, it's not her father who's found her. It's a detective.

And they say her DNA is a close match for the Bonfire Killer...."

I love how ancestry sites have changed crime solving and storytelling.

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan
Published by: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A chilling domestic story of terror for fans of Black Mirror and The Amityville Horror.

When a young family moves into an unfinished development community, cracks begin to emerge in both their new residence and their lives, as a mysterious online DIY instructor delivers dark subliminal suggestions about how to handle any problem around the house. The trials of home improvement, destructive insecurities, and haunted house horror all collide in this thrilling story perfect for fans of Nick Cutter's bestsellers The Troop and The Deep."

Like evil This Old House, I'm SO here for it!

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin's acclaimed The Night Swim, returns to search for a popular influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer.

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his release date approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she's been kidnapped - or worse. Is Maddison's disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? And why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel Krall's help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems to only exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail - identical to a tattoo Rachel had seen on Bailey's hand - the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krall herself. Suddenly the target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet."

Maybe Maddison Logan is nothing more than bait for Rachel Krall?

The Dark Place by Britney S. Lewis
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"You can only hide from your nightmares for so long.

Seventeen-year-old Hylee Williams didn't ask to disappear. But she did disappear, and not only that, but when she vanished from our world, she materialized in a dark, twisted version of the night that changed her life forever: the night her older brother went missing.

Just as Hylee realizes this moment could be the key to unraveling the truth about her brother, she's yanked away from the dark place back to our world. Craving a sense of normalcy, she goes to a party with her best friend - where she meets Eilam Roads. Tall, handsome, and undeniably, inexplicably familiar, Hylee can't help the pull she feels towards him. It's a classic teen girl-meets-boy situation, until it happens again. She disappears, right in front of him.

Together, Hylee and Eilam investigate the truth about time, space, and reality, with Hylee increasingly convinced her time travel holds the key to saving her brother. But the more they learn, the more Hylee begins to see darkness lurking in her world - and in herself.

Britney S. Lewis's sophomore novel combines the quotable relatability, swoony romance, and emotional resonance of John Green with the surrealist horror imagery and razor-sharp wit of Jordan Peele. At once haunting and enchanting and entirely unforgettable."

Here for the "surrealist horror imagery!"

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show - and discover the secret of its enigmatic host - in this "skin-crawling story of pop culture fandom and '90s nostalgia" (Melissa Albert, author of The Hazel Woods) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children's program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.

But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who - or what - the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has. Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it's been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven't seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.

After all, they're the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?

Because magic never forgets the taste of your friendship...."

"Try, try, try to understand, he's a magic man!"

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling YA author of the beloved Gallagher Girls series bursts onto the adult scene with a fast-paced, hilarious road trip rom-com about a woman with amnesia who discovers she's the identical twin sister of a rogue spy...and must team up with a rugged, grumpy operative to stay alive.

It's the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.

She only knows three things for certain:
1. She has a splitting headache.
2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.
And oh yeah...
3. People keep trying to kill her.

She doesn't know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there's only one explanation: obviously...she's a spy!

Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she's not. She's a spy's identical twin sister.

Too bad the only person who knows she's not the woman they're looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear.

That's easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught. Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they're lying their way across Europe - dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister's name.

But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can't remember or the mysterious man she can't let herself forget..."

Because everyone has wanted a rom-com version of The Bourne Identity right? I know I have. Jason and Marie deserved their HEA!

The Raven Throne by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The action-packed sequel to the critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure The Raven Heir, perfect for fans of Robert Beatty and Shannon Hale.

Now that Cordelia sits on the Raven Throne, life in Corvenne must change.

When their triplet sister became the Raven Queen, Giles and Rosalind knew they would have to learn to behave at court. For Rosalind, no more fighting. For Giles, no more loud singing. But what they didn't foresee was having to foil a wicked plot against their sister.

When Cordelia falls into an enchanted sleep and cannot be woken, Rosalind and Giles must quest across the kingdom to seek help from the ancient spirits of the land. But their family's greatest enemies lurk at every turn, and it will take all of the triplets' deepest strengths to fight against them.

From the author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart comes a thrilling new fantasy full of magic, adventure, and the power of family."

Not only are we readers lucky enough to get TWO new Stephanie Burgis books this summer, this one has Bufftastic names!

Skeleton in the Closet by Kevin J. Anderson
Published by: Wordfire Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 242 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Princess Bride meets Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Join former scamp Cullin and his merry band of confidence men (and one liberated princess) as they put The Sting in the Middle Ages. With dreams of being a hero, or at least a storyteller, Cullin travels with Sir Dalbry, a washed-up knight in shining armor; Reeger, ready and eager for any part of the dirty work; and Affonyl, former princess, who wanted to study science and alchemy, rather than embroidery.

Together, they cross the land with one scam after another, concocting their own heroic deeds, preparing mock dragon heads, or selling kraken tusks and mermaid scales.

But when attempting to con King Longjohn, whose castle is supposedly bursting at the seams with treasure, the caper turns sour. The powerful Wizard-Mage Ugnarok and his army of ugly and muscular (if not too bright) orcs takes over Longjohn's castle, imprisoning the king, pillaging the halls, and carrying on with typical orc-like mayhem.

Cullin and his friends are trapped in the castle's labyrinth of secret passages, just trying to survive...or is this the opportunity for a grander scam than they have ever attempted before?

Orcs are terribly superstitious - you can't bash a ghost, after all - and it's like Die Hard in a castle, as Cullin, Affonyl, Reeger, and Dalbry set up a grand haunting that will scare off even the scariest orc army."

Name check two of my favorite movies and classic Christmas caper and I will totally read your book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ally Carter, Andrew F. Sullivan, Britney S. Lewis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Catriona Ward, Gothic, Gytha Lodge, Kevin J. Anderson, Kiersten White, Megan Goldin, Nick Cutter, Rupert Giles, Stephanie Burgis, Summer