This feature essentially looks at titles that are being released in eBook format without an accompanying hardback or paperback. Sometimes it’s a release ahead of those formats, sometimes it’s a release after and sometimes it’s only being released in eBook format. At the minute I have one reliable (free) source (not Amazon, which doesn’t work for this). So lets give it a go and see whether this idea has legs!
Just a reminder as I don’t see any advance copies, my choices are based on the cover, blurb, gut instinct and what takes my fancy at the time. Essentially that’s how I decide on my own purchases.
(NB This post features Affiliate links from which I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases)
Index
Crime, Thriller and Mystery (includes Historical Crime/Mysteries)
Historical (I tend to take this as pre 1960’s ie not in my lifetime!)
Crime, Thriller & Mystery
What Dreams May Come by Christina Dodd
With a boldly refreshing premise and a daring heroine to match, this delightful mystery series features the eldest daughter of the not-so-ill-fated Romeo and Juliet—20-year-old Rosie Montague, a young woman possessed of an irreverent wit, an independent spirit—and a penchant for sleuthing . . .
Gentle reader, I, Rosie Montague, present you with the tumultuous events of my recent months: despite my goal to remain a spinster, I fell instantly in love with Lysander of the House of Beautiful; suffered an unhappy betrothal to a duke, which ended in death for him and almost for me; am now entrapped by a compromising deceit plotted by the enamored Prince of Verona himself, Escalus . . .
Not only am I failing on the spinster front, but I have also failed to set an example for my seven siblings (soon to be eight, thanks to my parents’ embarrassingly undying passion.) Specifically, 13-year-old Katherina, along with her friend, Princess Isabella. In their desire to honor my romance (now ill-fated) by commissioning a sonnet, they imitated my own youthful folly and dressed like well-born young males, complete with stuffed codpieces, and swaggered into the night. Their poetic mission accomplished, they celebrated, landed in scandalous circumstances—and the princess was robbed of her mother’s priceless ring . . .
With our fates and family names at stake, I must save the day. What ensues will require that I visit a brothel, infiltrate the thief’s debaucherous lair, and dodge Escalus. I can only hope to keep intact my virginity—and my life. The latter especially, should my parents find out . . .
General/Contemporary Fiction
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
Margaret Ryan never really meant to start a book club . . . or a feminist revolution in her buttoned-up suburb.
By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman’s dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia–one of Northern Virginia’s most exclusive and picturesque suburbs. She has a standing invitation to the neighborhood coffee klatch, and now, thanks to her husband, a new subscription to A Woman’s Place–a magazine that tells housewives like Margaret exactly who to be and what to buy. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn’t that feel like enough?
Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia’s newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte’s orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women–Bitsy and Viv–to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they’d been sold isn’t all roses and sunshine–and that their secret longing for more is something they share. Nicknaming themselves the Bettys, after Betty Friedan, these four friends have no idea their impromptu club and the books they read together will become the glue that helps them hold fast through tears, triumphs, angst, and arguments–and what will prove to be the most consequential and freeing year of their lives.
Historical
No Greater Love by Margaret Dickinson
A troubled family. A young woman seeking refuge . . .
Derbyshire, 1904. After a family tragedy and a broken engagement dramatically alter her circumstances, Lady Elizabeth Ingham seeks employment by training to be a nanny. Known only as Lizzie, she secures a post at Alstone-in-the-Dale Manor to care for a four-year-old boy, Charlie Spendlove, who badly needs her kindness and understanding.
When Lizzie arrives at the manor, she is appalled at Charlie’s condition. He is a little wild thing; his hair is a tangled mass of ringlets, and he does not speak but screams and kicks most of the time. The family and staff are at their wits’ end and no one expects Lizzie to stay long.
But with patience and love, Lizzie soon brings a change and the attitude of the staff towards her alters. As Charlie gradually improves, Lizzie begins to feel at home at Alstone-in-the-Dale Manor, and new love enters her life when she meets James, the master of the house’s brother.
But as the First World War looms and young men from the village begin to enlist – can Lizzie’s new-found happiness withstand the hardships of war?
Romance
North by Sawyer Bennett
New to the Pittsburgh Titans but no stranger to relentless ambition, North Paquette knows exactly how to put in the work to ensure the win. But this time, the stakes are personal because the game isn’t just on the ice.
Life as a member of the Pittsburgh Titans is pretty freaking fantastic. I live in one of the best cities around, get paid to play the game I love and enjoy all the perks of being a professional hockey player. While many of those perks are because of who I am, one in particular is because of who I know.
Farren Abrams wasn’t on my radar until she came to town to visit her brother Rafferty. She’s smart, sarcastic, sexy as hell and can talk hockey like a pro. So when a night out with the team became a drunken hookup with Farren, there were zero complaints from yours truly. We had our fun and then she went back home—no harm, no foul. Now she’s moved to Pittsburgh permanently and while she’s still looking for some fun, I’m starting to look for more.
The more time I spend with Farren the more I like her, but to say she’s relationship averse is an understatement. Something in her past has caused her to head for the hills whenever someone gets too close, but she shuts down whenever I push for details. When she rejects my attempts to take this thing to the next level, I’m forced to seek help from none other than Rafferty, who has no idea I’m banging his little sister. With his assistance, I set out to do the one thing none of those chumps in Farren’s past have taken the time to do—help her face her demons and give her something worth staying for.
Puck Sweat Love by Lili Valente
The NHL’s grumpiest goalie just met his biggest weakness—his sunshine-y, totally off-limits yoga instructor…
After clawing my way back from a rough few years, I’m finally getting my second chance in the league. The only thing standing between me and a legendary comeback? My own cantankerous attitude—and the blood pressure to match.
Enter Stephanie Love—yoga guru, human ray of sunshine, and the last woman I should be thinking about kissing. She’s here to help me chill the hell out before training camp.
Instead, she’s making it impossible to keep my cool.
One downward dog, and I’m done for. It’s the way she moves, the way she laughs, the way she sees right through my broody bullshit.
I can’t afford distractions, especially not a big-hearted woman who deserves better than a broken goalie with a bad reputation.
But the more I fight it, the clearer it becomes—this game was rigged from the start.
She’s my new dream, now…and I’m about to break every rule to make her mine.
Mr Charming by Piper Rayne
Three years ago, I swore to myself we were done.
Since then, Tweetie Sorenson has embraced the professional hockey player bachelor lifestyle—his social media is a highlight reel of clubs, friends, and a never-ending stream of different women.
It’s hard to believe he’s the same man who stole my heart the very night we met. With him, everything felt wild, spontaneous, and absolutely perfect. I thought he was my forever.
Then, he broke my heart. Or maybe we broke each other’s. Either way, it was over.
I’ve moved on—new city, dream job—until my boss throws me back into Tweetie’s world. I’m sent to Chicago to manage the Falcons’ social media, which means working alongside the one man I never truly let go of. FML.
If You Stayed by Brittainy Cherry
There once was a man who loved me, until he forgot every memory we’ve ever shared…
Gabriel Sinclair would forever be my first. My first best friend, my first kiss, my first love…and my first heartbreak. The accident that nearly took his life ripped the memory of me from his grasp—and for the last decades, I’ve let the guilt of that one terrible night keep us apart.
It took me years to make peace with the fact that he would no longer be in my life, so when he shows up as the architect for my new home, my world’s tossed upside down. Now, I’m trapped in a loveless marriage, raising a child, while Gabriel stirs up feelings I thought long buried. It feels like my soul is waking up after years of being in a deep slumber—and my controlling husband will do whatever it takes to keep us apart.
I know I should push Gabriel away to protect him from the shadows surrounding me. Yet, I can’t deny the hope that blooms whenever he’s near—the chance that he might remember me, that we could reclaim the chapters of our story that we’ve lost.
Nothing good could come from us, but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if this time…he stayed.
There once was a man who loved me… And now he’s my only hope for tomorrow.
The Persistence of Thornes by Micalea Smeltzer
Hawthorne Mills is supposed to be my chance to start over with my brothers. Becoming their guardian wasn’t the plan, but I’ll do anything it takes to keep them from being put in the system. Even if it means raising two teenage boys when I’m only twenty-three.
There’s one thing I don’t expect.
Caleb Thorne.
He’s literally descended from the founding family of the town and practically royalty here.
And also my new neighbor.
Which makes him privy to every screw up I make trying to navigate being a parental figure to my younger brothers.
It should be easy enough for me to avoid him but he’s annoyingly persistent in wanting to help me. I call it pity even if he insists it’s not.
The worst part is there’s undeniable chemistry between us and the more time we spend together the harder it becomes to resist.
But nothing good in my life has ever lasted so I fully expect Caleb to be another of those temporary things.
Especially when my past demons finally catch up with me.
Buckled in Barbwire by Harloe Rae
Rules can’t be broken if they don’t exist…
Paisley
I’d considered myself carefree and content until I met my best friend’s older brother.
Brody Benson has a way of wrecking my composure with a single glare.
He’s broody and crass and far too attractive.
As if that isn’t enough, he earns more money in a month than I’ll likely make in my lifetime.
We couldn’t be more different. That’s why I settle for catching quick glances of him in passing. Meanwhile, he prefers to pretend I don’t exist.
But then the unthinkable happens.
Brody
The death of my mother rocks the foundation that our rustic empire is built on.
After the funeral, my sister flees to find comfort and peace. Dad shuts down, leaving me to keep the business running. That undertaking is made more challenging by Paisley Keaton.
Now I’m constantly crossing paths with the sunny cowgirl my sister left in charge of the barn. She tries to be helpful, which only agitates my animosity. I don’t miss an opportunity to tell her where to stick that overly positive attitude.
The fact that Paisley is the last woman I’d ever date promotes her to a permanent position at Benson Manor. One that needs to be filled to guarantee my ownership of the company.
Paisley will be my wife, but the only thing she’ll get from me is my last name.
Sunrise Arrows by Taylor James
Tinsley Jacobs is a global phenomenon. Her songs are all over the radio. Her concerts sell out within minutes. And her latest album is shattering records.
An album she wrote about the summer we shared together.
It’s been easy to pretend those months never existed. That I didn’t wake up one morning to a note telling me if she didn’t leave now, she never would. That my heart hasn’t been broken since I decided to let her go without a fight, knowing she was destined for more than me and this town.
But for the first time in ten years, she’s back in Berry Falls, and from the moment we run into each other, I can’t keep my distance. And neither can she.
It’s as if no time has passed as we surrender to the pull between us, spending days on the lake and nights dancing in the fields under a sky full of stars.
The history that broke me feels like it’s repeating itself.
I know how this will end.
But I also know what life without her is like, and even though losing her all over again will destroy me, I still want every minute of her time.
One last summer before I say goodbye for good.
Dare to Love Me by Rosa Lucas
Edward Cavendish is the embodiment of British elite—composed, controlled, and permanently unimpressed.
Born into old money and even older expectations, he carries the weight of generations of stiff-upper-lip tradition and emotional repression.
A world-renowned surgeon.
A ruthless perfectionist.
A man who does not tolerate chaos.
Which is unfortunate.
Because I am chaos.
He grew up in a sprawling 120-room manor with chandeliers in every hallway and bidets in every bathroom.
I grew up in the staff quarters, peeking through the hedges at his world.
He has every reason to frown disapprovingly at me. And trust me—he does. A lot.
- I’m his little sister’s best friend—the bad influence.
- I had a disastrous fling with his younger brother.
- His ice-queen mother loathes me.
- My mum scrubs her floors.
- I sell gardening tools on a late-night shopping channel… in a pleated miniskirt, no less.
We’re opposites in every way that matters.
He’s Savile Row; I’m thrift-store chic.
He’s vintage champagne; I’m corner-shop wine in a can. And honestly? I’m not even mad about it.
And now, thanks to an unfortunate turn of events, the most intimidating man in Britain has caught me in his bed.
Uninvited.
In a situation that’s… let’s call it compromising.
This isn’t just a disaster.
This is the disaster.
Sawyer by Jessica Peterson
Dirty dancing leads to a chance at forever in this sizzling single parent, found family, small town romance by Jessica Peterson.
As a recently divorced single mom, I have zero interest in flirting with guys while on a rare girls’ weekend away with my sisters. I just want to have fun, celebrate my new job, and listen to live music at a honky tonk.
But when I literally stumble into the most gorgeous guy ever on the dance floor, those plans go up in smoke. Growing up on the barrel racing circuit, I’ve seen my fair share of sexy cowboys. But this particular one is hot as hell: Sawyer’s got a mustache, tattoos, and a very filthy mouth.
Needless to say, we end up naked in his swanky hotel room. It’s the best sex of my life. And the way Sawyer treats me like a queen? A girl could get used to that kind of adoration.
Good thing he’ll only be a one-night stand I can look back on with a smile. I’m rebuilding my life from scratch, and I need to focus on my three-year-old daughter and the dream job I just landed.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I move to Hartsville and run into a tattooed cowboy with an adorable daughter of his own. Now, Sawyer wants more than the occasional playdates between our girls. But the closer we become, the more determined this sexy single dad is to keep me forever.
As much as I’m falling for Sawyer, I’m terrified. I’ve been down this road before with my ex, and I wonder if I can trust this cowboy. Will he rope the moon for me? Or is my heart destined to be trampled all over again?
The Passion Parameter by Ana D’arcy
Andy is desperate to move on, but working alongside Lex makes forgetting him impossible. When she learns the truth, she grants him one last chance—and passion alone won’t be enough this time.
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
Drowning in unrequited feelings, Andrea can’t move on. She’s too close to the man who used to worship her body, only to break her heart. Maybe she should walk away. New city, new job, and, most of all, new boss. Anything to stop craving Lex’s touch.
Letting her go was Alexander’s hardest decision, but it was the right thing to do. When meddling friends expose his secret, Andrea barges in like a storm of fury and freckles, demanding answers he isn’t ready to give. Now that she knows her feelings aren’t one-sided, she grants him one last chance at regaining her trust—and maybe her heart. He shouldn’t take it, but her unwavering strength and fierce beauty remind him of why he so helplessly wants her.
Because burning nights of passion aren’t enough anymore, Lex will have to give all of himself to someone for the first time. That’s the price he has to pay for shattering their blossoming love. Andy wants to believe it will be enough. Lex is desperate to prove her right.
But sometimes, what broke can never be put back together, can it? Especially when every step forward feels like another cruel twist of fate.
The Devil’s Torment by Tracie Delaney
Days after my sister’s funeral, my parents dropped a bombshell: I’m to marry her fiancé.
Nicholas De Vil was the man I loved in secret for years, the unattainable heir to a dynasty cloaked in power and privilege. But when duty called, he chose my sister, leaving me to the well-worn role of second best once again. Now, with her gone, I’m the substitute bride in an arranged marriage he never wanted.
At first, Nicholas is consumed by a relentless quest to uncover the truth behind my sister’s murder. But as we’re forced to share a life—and a home—his measured control begins to slip, revealing a man whose intensity and passion sets my soul ablaze and destroys every belief I once held sacred.
As we’re beginning to build the life I always dreamed of, a devastating revelation threatens to shatter our fragile bond, forcing us to confront the lies, betrayals, and secrets tying us to the past.
Can I finally win his heart and leave the position of “runner-up” behind, or will unearthing the truth cost me everything I’ve ever wanted?
Yours Until Forever by Nina Levine
She’s finally standing on her own, determined never to let a man control her again. He’s the man who makes the world kneel.
Gage Black is a dangerous man.
Not because of his billion-dollar empire. Not because he built a global intelligence firm that makes world leaders sweat. And not even because of the secrets he holds, the kind that could ruin reputations with a single phone call.
No, Gage is dangerous because once he wants something, he doesn’t stop until it’s his.
And right now?
He wants Amelia Sinclair.
She’s his opposite in every way.
Soft where he’s sharp, controlled where he’s reckless, and determined to handle life on her own terms, without a man by her side.
But Gage doesn’t do maybe. He doesn’t do we’ll see. And he sure as hell doesn’t do denial.
She thinks she can keep running from the heat between them, but when you’ve caught the attention of a ruthless billionaire whose moral compass only points to protect what’s mine at all costs…
Well, the game was rigged from the start.
Because when someone comes after her, when whispers turn to headlines and manipulation threatens to take everything from her, she learns that Gage Black doesn’t just protect what’s his.
The man who’d burn down empires to protect his family has finally found the woman he’ll burn the entire world down for.
Hot Shot by Staci Hart
Never thought I’d agree to a marriage of convenience to my hot, firefighter ex boyfriend.
Especially after he casually informs me we’ve been married for ten years.
Ten years ago, Wilder and I were so in love that we got married in Vegas for one night only before leaving for college on different sides of the world. He was supposed to mail the annulment papers.
Problem is, he didn’t.
Worse? He didn’t tell me.
Not even when I came back to town to marry another man.
But now he needs my help, and I can’t say no. All I have to do is have to pretend in front of the whole town like we’re married. Hold hands. Kiss. Not throw myself at him when he looks at me like I’m the only woman in the world.
My body might remember him, but the rest of me isn’t ready. Because I’m just learning how to find myself, and if I get wrapped up in Wilder’s world, I’ll lose more than my heart—I’ll lose everything.
Again.
The Hearts We Fumble by Brooke O’Brien
Football rules everything in our small town. Under the stadium lights of the Gridiron, no one plays under more pressure than Zane Kinnick—the hometown legend and future NFL star who’s spent his life proving he’s built for the spotlight.
And me? I’ve always been the one risk he wasn’t willing to take.
I’ve loved Zane for as long as I can remember. My next-door neighbor. My brother’s best friend. The boy who swore I was off-limits.
For years, he kept me at a distance—until the night we finally gave in.
Then he walked away like it never happened.
Now, he’s done pretending. The stolen glances have turned into lingering touches. The tension we ignored is finally snapping. And for the first time, he’s tearing down all the walls he’s built between us.
But we aren’t the only ones holding on to the past. His rival is out for blood, using me and the people he loves to get inside his head, feeding him lies, and twisting the truth.
Because this rivalry? It’s not only about football.
It’s about secrets that refuse to stay buried. And when the truth finally comes out, it won’t just change the game—it’ll shake up his world.
Rebound by Sadie Kincaid
They say love is all you need.
They’re wrong.
Sometimes, no matter how much you want to stop it from happening, you have to watch the person you love most in the world slip through your fingers. Even when it feels entirely wrong, you can still find yourself sitting in a lawyer’s office with your spouse, negotiating the terms of your divorce.
It doesn’t matter that she’s the only woman I’ve ever loved. Or that we both meant it when we promised each other forever. It matters even less that she can still make my knees weak with nothing more than a smile. None of that is enough to fix the things we’ve spent a lifetime together breaking.
We were meant to be together but destined to be apart. So we’re doing just that—separating our joined lives into two distinct, single ones. An amicable uncoupling. Or so it appears on the surface.
Only it’s not so easy to extricate yourself from someone who’s been a part of your life for two decades. It’s even harder to deny the physical attraction that’s still there, simmering underneath the surface. If only we didn’t have so much baggage, maybe we could enjoy some no-strings fun to take the edge off the whole divorce situation.
That thought is exactly how I wind up doing the unthinkable: having an affair.
With my wife.
Knee-deep in lawyer negotiations, we’re sneaking around behind everyone’s backs. Secret hotel meetups, burner phones, lying to my family, the works. And despite the physical attraction—and the way she still moans my name—the divorce is going ahead. We’ve made too many mistakes to fix them now.
Or have we? Because what’s happening between us seems like it surpasses the boundaries of a physical affair. What if this is our chance to fix everything we got so very wrong the first time around?
With my family on one side and my wife on the other, I’m torn between what I should do and what I want to do. Torn between my head and my heart.
No matter what I decide, one thing is for certain: There is no such thing as no-strings-attached when the object of your infatuation is also the love of your life.
Ruin Me by LA Gallagher
AVERY:
I’m a psych graduate turned glamour model, but it’s not as glamorous as it sounds when I’ve got a stalker leaving black calla lilies in my bedroom with little love notes that say, “I’m coming for you.”
Cue my worst nightmare: needing a bodyguard. But not just any bodyguard—Killian Beckett, the infuriating CEO of a global security empire, former soldier, and certified grouch.
Killian’s all hard muscle, military precision, and absolutely zero charm. The guy radiates disapproval—of my job, my dates, my wardrobe. You name it, he’s judging it.
Unfortunately, Mr Control Freak also looks like he was sculpted by the gods, and smells like temptation itself.
Sleeping with my bodyguard?
Bad idea.
Falling for him?
Absolutely fatal.
KILLIAN:
Babysitting a spoiled celebrity wasn’t how I planned on spending my days, but when it comes to Avery Williams, I can’t say no, even if she’s trouble wrapped in taffeta.
Avery is everything I can’t stand: reckless, loud, and she lives for attention. Day and night, her smart mouth tests my patience, and her curves increasingly test my control.
I don’t even like the woman, but my God, do I want her. But I can’t cross that line. Instead, I watch, I wait, and I fight—both the outside threats and the escalating pull between us.
But the battlefield I learned to survive on is nothing compared to the war Avery stirs up inside me.
Getting involved with a client is the ultimate risk in my world, but when it comes to her, I’ll risk it all.
Even if it ruins me…
So that’s all for this week.
Happy Reading!
