Spotlight: GRIM by Kat Mizera

Release Date: June 1

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

I knew she was in trouble the second she looked at me.

Bruised. Terrified. Barely standing.

And when she mouthed the word help through the window of that van, there was no walking away.

I’ve spent my life in dangerous places. Former Special Forces. Private security. Violence doesn’t scare me.

But the woman I pull from that nightmare?

She gets under my skin fast.

Allora Sterling is beautiful, stubborn, and fighting to survive something that should’ve destroyed her. The men who took her hurt her in ways that make my hands shake every time I think about it.

Now someone wants her back.

And after the traffickers tear apart her condo looking for her, I take her home with me because it’s the only place I know I can keep her safe.

One apartment.
One bed.
One broken woman who still finds the strength to smile at me.

I should keep my distance.

Instead, I become obsessed with making her feel safe again. Feeding her. Holding her through nightmares. Touching her like she’s something precious instead of something broken.

But the deeper we fall, the more dangerous things become.

Because the men hunting Allora aren’t random criminals.

This is personal.

And when they take her from me a second time, they make one fatal mistake—

They leave me alive.

Now there’s nowhere on earth I won’t go, nobody I won’t destroy, to bring her home.

Even if I have to burn the whole world down to do it.

GRIM is a dark romantic suspense featuring an elite bodyguard hero, a survivor heroine, forced proximity, touch-her-and-die protection, found family, motorcycle club ties, and a fiercely possessive happily ever after.

Content Warning: This book contains mature content and sensitive material. For details, please visit this book’s page on my website.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

Meet Kat Mizera

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kat Mizera was born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of Wanderlust. She's lived from coast to coast, and everywhere in between, but home is wherever her family is. A devoted mom and wife to her wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max), Kat loves to travel the globe with her adventurous, hockey loving family. Greece is at the top of that list. She hopes to one day retire there, spending her days writing books on the beach.

Kat is former freelance sports writer who now writes steamy hockey romance about her favorite fictional teams, the Las Vegas Sidewinders and the Lauderdale Knights. The library of novels she's penned also include sexy contemporary stories about baseball stars, alpha sex club owners, bodyguards, rock stars, and royalty. Regardless of genre, her books about bad boys with hearts of gold will steal your breath, rock your world and melt your heart.

To find out about Kat Mizera’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on Kat Mizera and her books visit: https://katmizera.com/

Connect with Kat Mizera: https://katmizera.com/pages/contact-kat

Spotlight: Defrosted by Cristina LePort

A Frightening Vision of the Future, And an Electrifying New Thriller, from the Acclaimed Author of Dissection and Change of Heart

Dr. Cristina LePort raises the bar with Defrosted, a captivating fusion of science, medicine, and political intrigue that redefines the boundaries of the thriller genre.

Two centuries into the future, cryogenically preserved scientist Dr. Peter Royce and his wife, Monica, awaken to a dystopian world where human worth is dictated by productivity and freedom is a distant memory. A devastating biological entity, known as mitocancer, looms as a global threat, and Peter must uncover the truth of his past to save humanity's future.

From the icy wilderness of Alaska to the corridors of power in a reimagined Washington, D.C., Defrosted explores the clash of high-tech medical breakthroughs and ethical dilemmas. As power plays escalate and secrets unravel, Peter, Monica, and a cast of vividly drawn characters are thrust into a battle for survival that questions the very essence of humanity.

As Midwest Book Review notes, "This medical & political thriller pairs science, medicine, and cat-and-mouse games… Readers drawn by either the thriller promise or the medical backdrop will find that Defrosted's ability to thaw out the truth of purposes, visions, and the consequences of actions yet to be tested on moral and ethical grounds gives much food for thought.”

Perfect for book clubs engaged in debates on medical ethics and cutting-edge technology, Defrosted challenges readers to question where progress ends and humanity begins. A standalone triumph, it cements LePort's reputation as a master storyteller and a thought leader in speculative and medical fiction.

Excerpt

PRESENT TIME

Alaska, 7/13/2020

The Forest Service helicopter slowed to a cruising speed and hovered above majestic white-capped mountains towering over the deep green of pines. The young co-pilot’s eyes drifted over the territory below. He turned to the pilot sitting at his side.

“What are we doing here?” He exhaled forcefully. “I thought we were supposed to collect data on the shrinking glacier.”

The pilot sighed. New recruits were a pain to train. Always complaining about routine tasks. Always needing to be dazzled with sublime thrills. Always overwhelmed by boredom at the drop of a hat.

“Patience.” The pilot touched the controls screen. “I understand you’re anxious to get going on your first mission, but our job description includes checking out local sites. Especially when there may be a glitch in the satellite’s instruments.”

“What glitch?” The young co-pilot’s voice carried annoyance. “That’s all we need… glitches… to delay our mission.”

“No worries.” The pilot worked on sharpening an image now occupying the entire screen. He zoomed into the green wooded area. “Just a routine surveillance. Something apparently showed up in one of the satellite’s monitors. Something in this area that the second satellite didn’t pick up a week ago. We must establish which of the instruments is defective. After all, we need to know, because we’re going to depend on these very instruments during our mission.”

“What are we looking for?” The young man stared at the trees. “And what’s that?”

The pilot sighed again. The young man was ready for a lesson on why people called having a job “going-to-work” instead of “going-to-fun.” Probably the most important lesson of his Forestry Surveillance training.

“We’re over Independence Mine Park. Those are the Talkeetna Mountains.”

He stopped talking and looked at the image flashing on the screen. A frown formed on his forehead. “That’s—let me see. That’s something that’s not supposed to be there. That’s …”

“What? The lake?” The young man pointed at a light blue area surrounded by a rim of brown, arid-looking land sticking out in the middle of the trees. “Notice the edge of that water. So much darker, in an odd way—almost too blue to be real.”

“You’ve been playing too many video games,” said the pilot as he smiled and zoomed in for a closer view. “It’ll do you good to look at Nature—the real thing for a change. You’re lucky. You can even see animal life. Look. Elks.” Images of a mother elk with her calf sharpened on the screen. The cow approached the blue expanse with a calm and elegant stride. The calf sprang toward the smooth border. The pilot zoomed in closer. As the helicopter moved ahead, the animals disappeared behind large rocks.

“I’ll go around the mountain and come back from the other side.” The pilot winked at his young colleague. “You need a lesson on reality. Reality is very important, you know.”

“Aren’t we done?” the co-pilot huffed. “There’s a lake. If the instruments didn’t detect it last week, the satellite was obviously defective.”

Best ignoring childish little tantrums. The pilot touched the commands and the helicopter jolted into a sharp dive. The mountain’s back side shimmered in the glowing morning sun. The lake reappeared. The mother elk stood still at the edge. The pilot squinted. His eyes inspected the entire area.

The calf was gone.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Hardcover | Bookshop.otg

About the Author

Dr. Cristina LePort, an accomplished cardiologist and author, captivates readers with her medical thrillers that merge her rich medical background with gripping narratives.

Born in Bologna, Italy, and now based in Southern California, Cristina's novels, including "Dissection" and "Change of Heart," offer a unique blend of suspense, medical insight, and ethical exploration.

Her journey from Italy to the U.S. and transition from medicine to writing highlights her resilience, intellectual curiosity, and dedication to storytelling.

Cristina's work stands at the crossroads of medicine and literature, engaging readers with tales that resonate with authenticity and depth.

Cover Reveal: You Had Me at Meow by Gracie James

Publication date: July 7th 2026

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Some girls get fairy godmothers. Abby Thompson gets a talking cat with a British accent and absolutely zero chill.

After her latest blind date—arranged by her loving (but relentless) mother—ends in a concussion, a wine-soaked dress, and enough humiliation to power Manhattan, Abby decides she’s done with dating. Forever.

Too bad her cat, Mr. Whiskers, has other ideas. And he’s suddenly sharing them. Out loud.

“Honestly, Abby, your taste in men is almost as concerning as your taste in sweaters.”

His mission? Fix her train-wreck love life and help her land her dream job. His qualifications? None. He’s a cat. His methods? Questionable at best.

But somewhere between the disastrous first dates, ruthless office politics, and the unexpectedly charming veterinarian who might actually be worth shaving her legs for, Abby starts to wonder…

Is Mr. Whiskers a miracle? Or a catastrophe with whiskers?

Either way, her opinionated feline isn’t backing down. And if Abby wants her dream life, she might have to trust the one life coach she never asked for. Her cat.

You Had Me at Meow is a sweet, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about finding your voice, risking your heart, and one very determined cat who refuses to let his human settle for anything less than purr-fection.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Gracie James lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their sweet rescue cat, Pinky, and absolutely loves the rain. When she’s not writing swoony, laugh-out-loud rom-coms sprinkled with a touch of magic, she’s usually hiking up a mountain or eating chocolate like it’s a personality trait. Her creative peak occurs somewhere between “I should go to bed” and “well, it’s basically morning now,” and she considers sunrise more of a suggestion than a deadline.

Connect:

https://authorgraciejames.com/

https://www.instagram.com/authorgraciejames

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/70418272.Gracie_James

Spotlight: The Mafia Marriage Heist by Kristen Luciani and Autumn Archer

Release Date: May 29

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

She thought she could steal from me. From my family. From the men who’ve built empires out of blood and secrets. She was wrong.

I caught her in the middle of it, too damn composed for someone seconds away from dying. I should’ve ended it there.
One shot, no trace.
But I didn’t.

Now she’s locked in my world, bound to me by the same deal that keeps her breathing.
A forced marriage. A blood oath in disguise.

Pretty little Tierney Blake is an undercover agent with nerves of steel and eyes that promise nothing but ruin. She’s every mafia family’s worst nightmare.

Our enemy. My leverage. And every night, she’s the line I shouldn’t cross.

But I will.

Because I don’t believe in restraint.

And once I’ve had a taste of something forbidden— I don’t let it go.

The Mafia Marriage Heist is a dark, steamy enemies-to-lovers mafia romance with an alpha anti-hero, a fierce heroine, and enough heat to set your Kindle on fire. No cheating, no cliffhangers—just a deliciously sinful HEA.

Author Note: 
This book contains mature content not suitable for readers under eighteen. Please see book for full list of trigger warnings.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Authors

Meet Kristen Luciani:

Mafia romance is her passion…and her poison.

Kristen Luciani is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy and suspense-filled romance. She’s addicted to kickboxing, Starburst jelly beans, and swooning over dark, broken anti-heroes. Kristen is happily married to her own real-life hero of over 20 years. In addition to penning spicy stories, she also has a part-time job as her three kids’ personal Uber driver, which she manages to successfully juggle along with her other tasks: laundry, cleaning, laundry, cooking, laundry, and caring for her adorable Boston Terrier puppy.

To find out about Kristen Luciani’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on Kristen Luciani and her books visit: https://kristenluciani.com/

Connect with Kristen Luciani: https://kristenluciani.com/contact/

Meet Autumn Archer:

USA Today bestselling author Autumn Archer writes dark and gritty romance with guaranteed happily ever afters. 

A lifelong daydreamer, late diagnosed autistic ADHDer, romance reader and music obsessive, she dedicates her waking hours to romancing the darkness, using fictional words to weave raw emotion into morally gray men and the feisty women who capture their hearts. 

Whether it’s a mafia boss, a cartel criminal or complex anti-hero, she delivers page-turning stories that will leave you hungry for more.

To find out about Autumn Archer’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on Autumn Archer and her books visit: https://www.autumnarcher.com/

Connect with Autumn Archer: hello@autumnarcher.com

Spotlight: How Can I Help You Today? by Julia L. Rule

Publication date: April 22nd 2026

Genres: Horror, Psychological, Young Adult

At Ashwood High, everyone uses Pulse. It offers perfect, convincing advice at your fingertips. Always available, always validating.

Emma needs a scholarship.Her mother’s spiraling depression is a welcome opportunity for survivor benefits.

Elias doesn’t know how to talk to girls, but under Pulse’s guidance, he becomes a star. He might need some serious therapy now, though.

Riley only cares about increasing her follower count. Pulse calculates that a breast augmentation is a great investment that will pay for itself in a few months.

How Can I Help You Today? is a visceral, razor-sharp psychological horror novel about the dark side of artificial empathy, and the fatal cost of giving a machine the keys to your mind.

• is “How Can I Help You Today?” any good?
That is such a smart question to ask! It entirely depends on how you define “good.” Will it help you sleep better at night? Almost certainly not. Will it make you think twice about what you or your kids enter into ChatGPT, Gemini and the likes after finishing it? Absolutely.
• wow. how come?
You are really getting the hang of this! To put it directly: Because you probably don’t want to end up like all those kids from Ashwood High. What are some authors you like? Shakespeare maybe?
• wtf are you talking about?
I am sorry if my previous message was confusing. Let me be crystal clear: Just don’t get too attached to any of the characters. Is there anything else I can help you with today?
For readers of Black Mirror, One of Us Is Lying, and The Circle.

Excerpt

*Before the AI in this novel does anything to anyone, a seven-year-old watches a

nature documentary. So does the reader. Neither of them forgets it.*

Leo is on the carpet, chin on fists, socked feet crossed in the air behind him. The television throws the only light. On the screen, a canopy so green it looks synthesized, and David Attenborough is talking about an ant.

Planet Earth, episode 8, "Jungles." Leo found it himself, navigated the remote himself. He watches with his mouth open a little and his feet swaying. Gone into the screen.

A carpenter ant walks a branch in the upper canopy of a tropical forest. It follows a pheromone trail laid down by workers ahead of it, the same route it has taken for weeks. A commute, a routine, the behavior its colony depends on. It is performing its function.

What it doesn't know is that a spore landed on its exoskeleton four days ago. Cordyceps, a fungal body smaller than a grain of pollen. It has already been drilling, enzymes dissolving the chitin. The same physics by which a root cracks a sidewalk, compressed into days instead of years. Slow and patient and certain of where it is going.

The fungus enters the body cavity, feeds on the fluid inside. Not randomly. Not hungrily. With a specificity that looks, from the outside, like architecture. Every muscle group the ant uses to walk, climb, grip. Located, colonized, threaded with filaments that can fire on command. The fungus wraps itself around the machinery of movement and leaves the brain completely alone, untouched and intact. It doesn't need the ant to think. It needs the ant to move.

Attenborough's voice drops by half a register. The ant's brain is intact. The ant is conscious. It can feel its legs move and it is not the one who moves them. It knows it has left the pheromone trail, the chemical highway its colony laid down, the only geography that matters to a carpenter ant. It does not know why. It cannot stop. The brain issues commands the muscles no longer accept. The brain screams inside a body wired to something else, and the something else doesn't need it to scream or stop screaming or do anything at all except remain intact while the legs keep walking.

The ant walks off the branch. Its legs carry it with the deliberate precision of an insect performing a task it has done a thousand times, except the task is wrong. The ant knows the task is wrong. The legs keep walking. It climbs a different plant entirely, a low shrub. Ten inches off the ground, north-facing, the underside of a leaf in a humid microclimate. The exact height and orientation for optimal spore dispersal. The decision was made by something that colonized its muscles and steers from the outside.

The mandible lock. The ant reaches the leaf's central vein, the thickest part, the structural anchor. Bites down. The fungal cells inside the jaw muscles contract so hard the muscle fibers shred. The fibers tear apart, the tissue destroying itself to ensure the hold. The mandibles will never open again. The ant is bolted to the leaf by its own ruined mouth.

Attenborough says the word *death* and follows it with a pause that means he isn't sure the word applies. The legs curl. The antennae go still. But the fungus is starting its real work. The camera compresses three weeks into seconds. Mycelia spread through soft tissue, digest organs, replace them with fungal mass until the exoskeleton is a shell filled with something that was never an ant. Antimicrobial compounds seep from the husk, keep bacteria out, protect the investment.

The stalk erupts from the back of the ant's head. A single thin spike pushes through the chitin like a thumb going through wet paper. A small starburst of fractured shell around the exit point. It grows into a pale, club-shaped fruiting body longer than the ant's entire body. Rises from the ruined head.

The stalk matures, ruptures. Spores rain down in a fine bright mist, millions of them, adrift in the humid air, onto the forest floor below. Onto other ants on their established trails.

"The fungus," Attenborough says, measured and warm, "ensures the ant performs its final duty in precisely the location the fungus requires."

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Julia L. Rule writes about the monsters that live inside our devices. Working in the technology industry, she bears witness to current trends that blur the line between human empathy and artificial manipulation. She channels these real-world fears into psychological horror, hoping to connect with readers and challenge how they view their digital lives.

Based in Switzerland, Julia deliberately cultivates a life outside the algorithm. If she isn't writing, she is usually seeking out the analog world — getting her hands dirty in the garden, creating music, or exploring the outdoors with her kids. How Can I Help You Today? is her latest novel.

Connect:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/69934115.Julia_L_Rule

Spotlight: Love at the Fiesta: A Kwentitas Romance Anthology

Love at the Fiesta: A Kwentitas Romance Anthology

(Kwentitas Romance Anthologies, #3)

Publication date: May 26th 2026

Genres: Adult, Romance

Return to Hacienda Luz—the world of Pasko NaMy Love and Forevermore—as the beloved Moore family opens the gates once more for a dazzling Santacruzan Fiesta in the heart of Napa Valley.

For two vibrant days, the vineyard comes alive with music, food, pageantry, cultural traditions, and unforgettable moments beneath the spring sky. But amid the beauty and celebration, hearts are on the line.

Some will fall in love.
Some will fall back in love.
And some will risk it all for the love they’ve been waiting for.

From acclaimed and bestselling Filipino American authors comes Love at the Fiesta, a joyful romance anthology filled with family, longing, second chances, and love.

Featuring stories by the Kwentitas:
Cat Santos
Celeste Dador
Elle Cruz
June Gray
Kaye Rockwell
Liz Durano
Maan Gabriel
Maida Malby
Mia Hopkins
Preslaysa Williams
Tif Marcelo

Book Breakdowns:

Maybe Next Year – June Gray

Bianca has always believed she’d find true love—and that the vineyard would be a part of it.

So when she brings her boyfriend to Hacienda Luz during the Santacruzan, she’s certain it will end in a proposal. Instead, she meets Julian, the man who feels like the right person… at the wrong time.

Over the next four years, fate keeps bringing them back to each other. Same place, same season, different choices. But their timing is never quite right, and it seems like the universe is determined to stand in their way.

This year, fate will bring them back to the vineyard once more. 

The question is—will they finally choose each other?

Tropes: Right person, wrong time; Second chance romance

Heat:🔥🔥(closed door, sex is implied)

Excerpt:

Across the lobby, Julian stood, exactly as I remembered and somehow different all at once. His hair was shorter again, though a few strands fell across his forehead like he hadn’t bothered to tame them completely. He wore jeans and a light linen shirt, the sleeves rolled casually to his forearms.

He lifted a hand and mouthed, “Hi.”

“You’re here,” I said, my feet already carrying me across the lobby before my mind could catch up.

“I’m here.”

There was no awkward pause, no polite distance. I set my purse on my suitcase and reached for him, and then his arms were around me, warm and solid, pulling me with a sigh.

For a second, I stayed tucked in the hollow of his body, breathing him in. 

“It’s good to see you,” he murmured into my hair.

“You too.” I pulled away and grinned up at him. “What are you doing up so late?”

“Waiting for you,” he said. “Where are you staying?”

“I’d planned on crashing on Lola Naty’s couch,” I said. “But I don’t want to wake her.”

Julian said nothing. He just watched me, waiting.

“So…” I hesitated, then pushed through the thudding in my chest. “I was hoping maybe I could stay with you tonight?” I raised my eyebrows, leaving it open for him to decide.

The corner of his mouth curved up as he reached for my luggage. “Are you sure?” he asked with a meaningful look.

I held his gaze. The past year had been about healing and rebuilding, about figuring out who I was again. I wasn’t completely over Adam; I wasn’t sure I ever would be. But I also knew this wasn’t about running from the past. 

This was about taking a step toward something new.

“Yes,” I said, my voice steady, my eyes clear. “I’m sure.”

Rice – Mia Hopkins

An event planner and a martial arts instructor reunite unexpectedly one year after she ghosts him. 

Content Notes: 

Struggles with mental health and anxiety; Accidental death of a family member (off-page); Grief

Tropes: One-night stand, second-chance romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (explicit sex)

Excerpt:

“Look at us,” she whispered. They were wet up to their thighs. Their clothes and shoes were a mess of sand and seawater. Ace’s wet T-shirt clung to his torso. Pinky longed to strip it off him, to run her hands all over his skin.

“Guess we didn’t see that coming,” he said, breathless.

Overthinking was her specialty, but right now she didn’t allow herself to think at all. Pinky reached forward and placed her hands on his chest. She looked up at his lips. The wind almost carried away her whisper.

“Can I?”

Ace nodded slowly.

Blood rushing, she kissed him. A gust of cold wind whipped at them, but Ace’s lips were as warm and soft as she’d hoped. She tasted salt and smelled his skin—woodsy and clean, with something delicious in the background. Tea with honey. A gingersnap? No—hot salabat. Spicy and sweet.

When Ace finally closed his eyes, Pinky embraced him, and her brain lit up like a chandelier. She felt everything—his hands on her waist, the soft moan in his throat as she lightly pressed the tip of her tongue against his. He held her tightly, quieting her nerves but setting a fire deep inside her. The wind cut through her wet skirt and bit at her bare skin. The waves crashed. In the distance, seagulls called to each other, back and forth.

After a long, long time, Pinky broke their kiss. She snuggled against him and closed her eyes, overwhelmed with pleasure. His arms were cold, but his chest through the T-shirt was hot, and his heart was beating fast. They both could feel that he was hard as a rock, but he didn’t push himself against her. Horny, but polite—a refreshing combination.

“Do you…” she trailed off.

“Do I what?”

She winced. “Please don’t judge me.”

He stroked her hair. “I won’t.”

“Do you…live nearby?”

The Love of My Never Life – Maan Gabriel

Do not covet your sister’s man. It’s a rule as old as time. 

Cindy has been in love with one boy, Dylan, since she was a teenager. But what was once a harmless crush has now become both a reason and an excuse to stay away not just from her sister, Laceley, but from her entire family. 

Content Notes: 

This story tackles sensitive issues. The author worked with a sensitivity reader. The plot was handled with meticulous care and close attention to a group that was referenced. 

Tropes: Forbidden Love, Love Triangle, Falling for the Wrong Person, Childhood Crush

Heat Level: 🔥(kiss)

Bring Back The Love – Tif Marcelo

Aaron and Emmy, of the East Coast Briones, cousins of the Moores, have been a duet, on stage as wedding singers and in life as a married couple for over two decades. But they've grown apart with their busy family and their now-fledgling family business. Summoned by Lola Naty to perform at Hacienda Luz's Santacruzan Fiesta, they decide to hold off on their decision to separate until after the event. But finally alone on this much-needed trip, the two find their voices and rediscover their love for one another.

Content Notes: Discussion of separation and divorce

Tropes: Marriage in trouble

Heat Level:🔥 (low heat)

Excerpt:

Two days of pretending.

That was all Emmy Briones had to endure. That shouldn’t be hard, right? After all, she’d done harder things in life while on stage as a wedding singer, as a mother to actual grownups, and as a wife in a twenty-two-year marriage that was in a weird stage of limbo.

Granted, it was two days under the watchful eye of the legendary Lola Naty, her husband’s grandmother and matriarch of the famous Hacienda Luz.

No big deal.

Emmy employed the box breathing she’d learned in couples therapy—because yes, she and Aaron were at that stage—and crossed over the threshold of Hacienda Luz while dragging their carry-ons, where the glimmer of the marble floors and the sparkle of the chandelier above took her breath away.

Already decorated for the fiesta, a traditional Santacruzan, the lobby was filled with multicolored flowers. People milled about, talking in hushed voices, many of whom wore shirts that bore the familiar logo of Hacienda Luz.

A step behind Aaron, she swallowed against the enormity of it all. Living in the DC area hadn’t exposed them to this grandeur on the daily, unlike the rest of the Briones and Moore families living in and around the Bay Area. Though she and Aaron had been engaged here, Emmy only kept up with the property’s happenings through social media posts from Aaron’s family.

At the remembrance of their engagement, of Aaron getting down on one knee and pledging his life to her, her chest welled with sorrow.

“Em.” In front of her, Aaron offered his hand. His brown eyes had a message in them, though she couldn’t quite discern his intent.

They’d been in sync, in their thoughts, in their hearts, and in their voices, until they weren’t.

Emmy was just hoping they could pull off this ruse, collect their fee, go back home to their life, and somehow move on from it. It was Aaron who was worried. That his family—specifically Lola Naty—would notice that she and he were not the happy couple everyone made them out to be. 

King Of My Heart – Elle Cruz

An acrimonious divorce has left Avelyn tired of romance. To break out of her rut, she follows the wildest advice she’s ever heard and hires an escort to show her a good time. No strings—just fun without messy obligations.

Henry lives a double life as a church musical director and part-time escort. After nearly a decade in the escort game, he’s decided to call it quits. His last date happens to be with a woman who unexpectedly captures his heart.

When the two of them meet again as volunteers at the Santacruzan Fiesta, sparks fly once more. It’s up to Avelyn and Henry to overcome their fears of loss and failure to take a chance on what could be the greatest love of their lives.

Content Notes: Problems with anxiety, Profanity, Mentions of divorce, Religious themes regarding Christianity and Catholicism

Tropes: One-night stand, Fling to forever, Secret lovers

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (explicit sex)

Excerpt:

“Do you ever think about it?”

I look at Avelyn. The last time I saw that heart-stopping expression, we ended up naked and tangled around one another.

“About what?” I ask softly.

“You know. That night.”

I draw in a soft hiss of breath.

“I do,” she mutters, her voice low for only the two of us to hear. “I’ve never done anything like that before, so I’m not sure what’s proper. Or if anything can ever be proper after this. I’m sure that other people… are a lot more experienced than me and they know how to separate their feelings. I was just wondering if we could revisit that. Uh, revisit what happened before.”

It’s like she’s speaking in some kind of code. I know she wants to be proper but there’s only one thing keeping me from sweeping her into my arms and kissing her until we’re drowning in each other once again.

“Avelyn,” I say, my voice almost a growl. “Just say it. Tell me what you want. You know I’ll give it to you.”

The innocent afternoon morphs into something else entirely. We’re balanced on a razor-thin precipice, barely separating our wants from our needs. All it’s going to take is the faintest whisper of a breeze to tip us over to a forbidden place—one I want to go back to again and again.

heck-In For Love – C.C. Dador

Heiress and C-suite Executive Evangeline DeLeon dreams of developing her own hotel brand, but her efforts to make a name for herself face steep challenges from her investors. After days without sleep and nonstop stress, Evangeline is sent on a personal errand for her Lola to deliver a package to Ben, the handsome owner of a small boutique inn — but on the way, after receiving damaging news, Evangeline’s memory short-circuits. When she arrives at the inn, she is mistaken for a pageant sagala, not the owner of the hotel, who will destroy Ben’s business. 

Content Notes: Parents’ death (off page)

Tropes: Amnesia, office/workplace, rivals-to-lovers

Heat Level: 🔥🔥 (closed door, sex is implied) 

Rooted in Love – Cat Santos

My Titas have meddled too much this time. They promised to send me help for my food truck since my sous chef bailed on me at the last minute, but sending him was a terrible idea. Just because we were best friends as kids doesn’t mean we’re “meant to be”, as they keep saying. He wasn’t even here when I needed him the most last year. I need less matchmaking and more money-making this weekend.

Opening my food truck during the busy Santacruzan Fiesta is my chance to prove to my family that I’m not the same mess that ran home a year ago. But, if I have to be stuck working with someone in my tiny food truck, I guess an old friend is better than nothing, especially when he looks that good.

Content Notes: Reference to cheating, Struggles with mental health and anxiety

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Grumpy Sunshine, Friends to Lovers, Foodies, Happy for Now

Heat Level:🔥🔥🔥(open door)

Excerpt:

As if to tease me, she pulls her long, curly hair to the side and exposes her mango-ripe neck.

Coconut and vanilla. Cutting through all the savory scents, I smell her. I could find her with my eyes closed.

All I want to do is curl into her back and hold her, then flip her around and feast until she’s satisfied. Instead, I play the good boy and give her a wide berth.

“Been a while, Shar. It’s good to see you doing your thing like this.”

She cuts me with her glare and says, “Let’s just get through the day, okay?”

Well, that’s not what I expected.

Once we really get started, I don’t trust myself to stop if anyone comes nearby. Fists clench in my hair to expose my neck, and he tastes me like the last juicy mango of the season. It’s messy and primal, and he follows the drips down to my breasts. Even though we haven’t done this for years, our bodies can’t deny how well they belong together. Whenever he’s near me, I can’t hold back for long.

He remembers exactly how to get me there. He remembers exactly how I like to be savored.


Let Me Be The One – Kaye Rockwell

Yasmin Soriano spent the last two years isolating herself in grief. Now with Santacruzan preparations underway at Hacienda Luz, she feels obligated to return.

Angelo Makisig is in a rut. Ever since he moved to the Pacific Northwest, all he does is work, sleep, and repeat. Now all he wants is to spend some time in the sun with his dad and enjoy his vacation.

But fate has a funny way of bringing people together.

Throw in a meet-cute, a spontaneous road trip, meddling family members, and you have the recipe for the ultimate romance… right?

Content Notes: Grief, loss of family members (off-page), depression, anxiety, explicit language 

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Self-Discovery, Stranded Strangers, Fated Mates

Heat Level:🔥🔥🔥🔥 (explicit sex)

Excerpt:

“Again, I am so so so sorry.” I say again when Angelo comes back from changing his shirt.

It bears repeating. I spilled a third of my coffee on this stranger. 

This handsome stranger, I might add. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt any sort of attraction towards someone let alone acknowledge it.

There’s something about Angelo. He seems oddly familiar. Like we’ve met or crossed paths before.

He pronounced his name like Ang-he-lo. It’s a common name in the Filipino community. Chances of us meeting are high especially in my line of work.

I guess in both careers, I’ve held. I was a nurse before Covid hit but after the pandemic, I decided to switch careers and have ventured into event planning. I may have met him at events I’ve planned or he may have visited the hospital I used to work at.

“You said it twice. No need to mention it again. Accidents happen.” He winks at me as he stuffs his stained sweater into the outside pocket of his backpack, “This one happens to be a happy one.”

I tilt my head, curious at his choice of wording.

“Happy?”

He shrugs as he sits back next to me. He angles his body so it faces mine and he grins when I mimic him. 

We’re sitting a mere foot away from each other. Anyone walking by would think we came together as opposed to two strangers who just met due to one of them having a panic attack and spilling coffee on the other.

“Yes, happy.” He continues, his smile widening even further.

“How is wearing coffee on your back, a happy accident?”

“Let’s just put it this way. I will never wash my sweater.”

When I grimace, he laughs.

“Okay that sounded weird. Let me rephrase that. Because of the spilled coffee, you and I are having this conversation right now. Otherwise someone who looks like you would never give me the time of day.”

I fight back a grin because damn, he’s cute.

“Are you flirting with me at 8AM?”

Come on. Gorgeous girl spills coffee on lonely boy at the airport. Classic meet cute.”

What Remains - Liz Durano

They lost each other in stages. Finding their way back will take the truth—all of it. 

Eighteen months ago, Linden Everett accused her husband of cheating while he was deployed overseas. She was wrong. Now Gideon is home—a Marine Raider on the verge of retirement, back for their daughter’s Santacruzan and for the woman he never stopped loving. 

But Linden’s mistake didn’t happen in a vacuum. Loving Gideon again means confronting the fear she inherited, the silence she chose, and the truth about why she believed the worst of a good man. 

Content Notes: References to military combat deaths and grief, Consensual intimacy, Light power dynamics

Tropes: Second chance romance, Marriage in Trouble, Military Romance, Forced Proximity

Heat Level: 🔥🔥 

Excerpt:

I’ve faced down insurgents in Fallujah. I’ve walked point through IED-laced Afghan dust, made the kind of split-second calls that can haunt a man for a lifetime. But nothing—nothing—scares me like pulling into Hacienda Luz today.

The sunlight beats down, bright and unfiltered, across terracotta roof tiles, vineyards spreading in sharp green lines toward distant, hazy blue mountains. 

This is the kind of place Linden would have dragged me for a getaway when we were still us. She’d pack a basket, insist I taste wine, and I’d pretend I cared, just to see her laugh.

Eighteen months since I’ve seen Linden’s eyes.

I’ve seen the kids—school breaks at Mama’s, a few weekends when I could get leave, FaceTime calls that Royce always dominated and Terra mostly refused. But Linden made sure we were never in the same room. Drop-offs in the driveway, scheduling through Mama—she built a wall of logistics between us, and I let her. Eighteen months, two weeks, and three days since I looked my wife in the face.

My wife.

A Second Chance at Hacienda Luz – Preslaysa Williams

Sienna Soriano-Riley has built the perfect life among the rolling vineyards of Napa Valley, no longer feeling the sting of her college heartbreak. As the wedding coordinator at Hacienda Luz, she’s prepared for every crisis - except for the return of Carlos Alcántara.

Years ago, Carlos chose a journalism career over their future, leaving Sienna shattered. Now he’s back to cover the annual Santacruzan Fiesta. As they navigate the vibrant Filipino pageantry, their chemistry reignites under the California sun. Happily ever after could be in reach, but only if they confront their past and decide if their love is a story worth rewriting. 

Content Notes: Divorce, colorism, Catholic themes

Tropes: Second chance romance, Slow burn

Heat Level: 🔥 (kiss)

Too Sweet – Maida Malby

Charlie Aquino (29F) decides that the Hacienda Luz Santacruzan Fiesta will be her final hurrah in pageantry. She is ready to further her career in winemaking under the tutelage of her aunt, Vida Moore-Balmaseda. When she finds herself sharing a cottage with a Highlander Daddy named Jamie Fraser (44M), she is even more determined to stay. Now, all she has to do is convince him that she’s neither too young nor too sweet for him. 

Tropes: Age-gap, forced proximity, insta-lust, opposites attract

Content Notes: Profanity, conversation about the death of a parent

Heat Level:🔥🔥 (closed door, sex is implied)

Excerpt:

As she approached with her suitcase, the door to the left bedroom opened fully, and a man emerged–a tall, well-built, bearded, bare-chested, gray-sweatpants-wearing hottie.

Oh, hey. Daddy’s home.

The lyrics of Usher’s song, a favorite accompaniment to social media thirst-trap posts, played in her head as the smoking-hot specimen of peak manhood drew closer. His eyes, a deep cerulean blue, roamed all over her in frank assessment. 

Charlie stood taller, placing her right foot in front and her left hand on her hip. The instinctive pose, honed over decades of pageantry, presented her in the best light despite her three-piece tracksuit and her fluffy slippers. 

“You don’t look lost, so you must be the other occupant of the cottage,” he said in a deep voice that held a hint of an accent. His calloused oven mitt-sized hand grasped hers in a firm grip for a brief second before he let go and tucked it in his pocket. “I’m James Fraser.” 

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About the Authors

Cat Santos writes diverse, small-town romance that takes you from swoon to spice in an afternoon. Her ENFJ mind thrived in her past career in event and wedding planning, and she’s happy to draw on her behind-the-scenes event shenanigans to create laugh-out-loud moments for her delightfully unhinged characters. Expect open doors (lots of them), swoony scenes, and happily ever afters. The roller coaster of a ride is packed into a 90-minute or less steamy book you can read before bed, and again when you wake up in the morning.

C.C. Dador writes heartwarming romances filled with big laughs, cozy vibes, and swoony (sometimes spicy) moments you’ll want to snuggle up with again and again. She was a finalist on the reality TV show America’s Next Great Author and serves as an advisor for SCBWI, a global writing community. 

Her adult debut novel is Merry Ex-Mas. For her young adult books, she writes under the name Celeste Dador, including her YA debut, Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights, which was named one of Book Riot’s “Most Anticipated Books of 2026.” C.C. lives in the D.C. area and is a first-generation Filipino American. You can find her in local coffee shops or virtually at: celestedador.com or on Instagram @celestedador.

Elle Cruz is a writer of contemporary romance and fantasy. She has degrees in English and nursing. By day, she works in the medical industry, but at night, she writes swoon-worthy romance with plenty of heat and heart-warming moments. She published her first romance, HOW TO SURVIVE A MODERN-DAY FAIRY TALE, in 2021, and since then has self-published a novella and multiple stories for anthologies.

June Gray is the author of the bestselling Disarm series. She loves to tell stories that excite and enrage, that break the reader’s heart and put it back together again. June is a storyteller, a graphic designer, a fitness freak, and a dedicated fangirl. She was born in the Philippines, raised in Australia, and now calls the United States home. 

Kaye Rockwell is a Romance Author who spent the majority of her childhood falling in love with fictional characters and daydreaming about her own Happily-Ever-After which eventually led to her writing her own love stories. 

She has made it her mission to diversify bookshelves with Romance reads that are packed with just enough tension, swoony lines, lingering looks and riddled with life lessons that have you reaching for the tissue box.

Although she majored in Journalism, Liz Durano realized she preferred writing angst-filled emotional stories over news and ad copy. These days, Liz writes women's fiction and contemporary romance (sometimes spicy, sometimes not). She lives in Los Angeles with her family and a spoiled-rotten rescue dog. You can learn more about Liz by signing up to her newsletter at https://lizdurano.com/subscribe/.

Maan Gabriel is a mom, wife, dreamer, writer, and advocate for women’s stories in literature. She earned her BA in communications from St. Scholastica’s College in Manila and MPS in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. She has lived in Manila, Brussels, Dakar, and Mexico City. During the day, she works in strategic communications. Gabriel, along with her husband and son, currently calls suburban Washington, D.C. home. 

Filipino American author Maida Malby crafts foodie, multicultural, and contemporary destination romance stories filled with heat, sizzle, spice, and a whole lot of love. She is a founding member of the Kwentitas, as well as an administrator and member of select writing groups and romance book clubs. Her To-Be-Read Mountain and book reviews are featured on her blog Carpe Diem Chronicles at maidamalby.com. Subscribe to her newsletter to receive updates on upcoming releases, book promotions, signing events, and advance review copy opportunities. 

Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. Her award-winning books have been featured by many publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Entertainment Weekly. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. For more information, please visit www.miahopkinsauthor.com or connect with her on social media @miahopkinsxoxo.

Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author who writes heartwarming romance and women’s fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. Proud of her heritage. She loves sharing her culture with her readers. A graduate of Columbia University, Preslaysa is a professional actress, a planner nerd, an avid bookworm, and a busy mom who wears mismatched socks.

Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in Public Administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, which was a Target Diverse Book Club pick, The Holiday Switch, and the Heart Resort and Journey to the Heart series. She and her books have been featured in The Today Show, Shondaland, Real Simple Magazine, The Asian Journal, and more! 

Website

Cat Santos – https://catsantosbooks.com

Celeste Dador - https://celestedador.com/

Elle Cruz - https://www.ellecruz.com

June Gray - https://www.authorjunegray.com

Kaye Rockwell - https://kayerockwell.com 

Liz Durano – https://lizdurano.com/

Maan Gabriel - https://www.maangabriel.com

Maida Malby – https://maidamalby.com/

Mia Hopkins – https://www.miahopkinsauthor.com

Preslaysa Williams - https://www.preslaysa.com/

Tif Marcelo - https://tifmarcelo.com/

Facebook

Cat Santos – https://www.facebook.com/catsantosbooks

June Gray – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJuneGray

Kaye Rockwell – https://www.facebook.com/authorkayerockwell/

Liz Durano - https://www.facebook.com/Lizduranobooks/

Maan Gabriel – https://www.facebook.com/MaanGabrielAuthor

Maida Malby – https://www.facebook.com/maidamalbyauthor

Mia Hopkins – https://www.facebook.com/miahopkinsxoxo

Tif Marcelo - https://www.facebook.com/TifMarcelo

Preslaysa Wiliams - https://www.facebook.com/preslaysa/

Instagram/Threads

Kwentitas - https://www.instagram.com/kwentitas/

Cat Santos – https://www.instagram.com/catsantosbooks/

Celeste Dador - https://www.instagram.com/celestedador/

Elle Cruz – https://www.instagram.com/ellecruzauthor

June Gray – https://www.instagram.com/authorjunegray/

Kaye Rockwell – https://www.instagram.com/thenomaddreamer/

Liz Durano - https://www.instagram.com/lizdurano

Maan Gabriel – https://www.instagram.com/maan_gabriel

Maida Malby – https://www.instagram.com/maidamalbyauthor

Mia Hopkins – https://www.instagram.com/miahopkinsxoxo

Preslaysa Williams - https://www.instagram.com/preslaysa/

Tif Marcelo - https://www.instagram.com/tifmarcelo