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
Viper in the Nest by Georgina Clarke
London’s streets are sinister. But what if the real danger lies closer to home?
London, June 1759. When a charmless civil servant takes his own life, few are interested in his death. But Lizzie Hardwicke, who plies her trade in the brothels of London whilst also working as an undercover sleuth for the magistrate, can see no reason why a man who had everything to look forward to would wish to end his life.
Lizzie’s search for answers takes her from the smoke-filled rooms of fashionable gambling houses, where politicians mix ambition with pleasure, to the violent streets of Soho, ready to erupt with riots in the sultry summer heat. All the while, she is navigating her complicated feelings for the magistrate’s trusted assistant, Will Davenport, and a disturbing situation at home.
Then a gambling house owner is brutally murdered, and Lizzie finds herself tangled in a chaos that she cannot control. The darkest of secrets threatens to turn Davenport against her forever; its exposure will send her to the gallows.
Always the Quiet Ones by John Carson
When teenager Heather Ross disappears in rural Fife, it evokes dark local folklore about the Shadow Watchers—figures that supposedly guard buried secrets in the Scottish hills. DCI James Craig catches the case, and it quickly becomes clear this is no ordinary missing persons investigation. With DS Leanne Chalmers newly assigned to his team, the pressure to solve it intensifies quickly.
Craig’s Major Investigation Team uncovers more than they anticipated. Significant money is involved in local land deals, stolen artefacts appear in unusual places, and individuals are prepared to kill to keep old sins hidden.
His evolving relationship with pathologist Dr. Annie Keller offers a fresh perspective on the investigation. Her forensic expertise uncovers vital details about the case, while their personal connection provides Craig with stability amidst the turmoil.
As people begin to die and the Shadow Watchers appear more fact than fiction, Craig realises he is running out of time. An ancient and dangerous force is awakening in the hills.
General/Contemporary Fiction
Historical
Between Hope & Hereafter by Jonathan Cullen
For the families waiting back home, time is just another casualty of war.
After a year and a half of war, Americans are tired but optimistic. The Allies have been bombing German cities day and night, and in the East, the Japanese are in full retreat. But thousands of young men have been killed, and ten million more are serving overseas. On the home front, the shortages continue, and rationing has only gotten worse.
In East Boston, life for the Nolan family goes on despite the hardships. Abby has finally chosen a career path, but with her boyfriend in the Army, she has no one to celebrate with. After a rash of antisemitic incidents, her brother Thomas starts having second thoughts about being a police officer. Then the U.S. invades Sicily and sends all their Italian neighbors into a panic.
With the arrival of summer, the Nolans return to their cottage on Point Shirley. And while they try to make the best of it, everyone is anxious. No one doubts their country will win the war, but they know many more will die before it ends. All anybody can do now is wait.
Romance
Ireland by Sylvia Day
Ireland Vidal is the third generation to control Vidal Records, and she’s on track to lead the recording company to greater heights. She’s the youngest of an affluent, prominent family headed by her eldest brother, Gideon Cross — one of the richest men in the world. Despite her siblings’ outsized shadows, Ireland has carved her own identity. But the clever, stunning beauty with fierce tenacity and a heart of gold has yet to find a man with whom to share her life — someone who doesn’t need her connections to be successful.
Then a chance meeting with Ronan Boudreaux sparks an irresistible attraction. He has it all: wealth, charm, a wickedly provocative talent for seduction, and he can hold his own against her powerful family. He offers Ireland everything she’s ever wanted, but at what price?
Waiting in the wings, someone from the distant past bides his time until he can unleash his vendetta against the Vidals. He’s got old scores to settle and when he sets his plans in motion, everything and everyone Ireland loves is in his crosshairs.
Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham
She lives her life on the fly. His heart is double-knotted to home. Can two different souls create a life together?
Popular travel writer and podcaster Katie Campbell roams the world collecting other people’s stories. She’s built a career as “Miss Adventure,” known for saying yes to anything new–country, food, or experience–and predictably finding those adventures taking a downward turn into misadventures.
Offered the chance to explore her ancestral roots through a three-week Edwardian experience, Katie finds herself immersed in the beauty and eccentricity of Scotland. In her period attire, with traditional foods and activities, the opportunities for misadventures are endless, especially with the presence of a maniacal macaw, a jealous co-worker, and an all-too-surly Scotsman.
Reclusive and protective Graeme MacKerrow doesn’t venture far from his island home. A stoic Scotsman, Graeme’s comfort zone has always been family, and after his sister’s death, he’s even more determined to save the MacKerrow ancestral home and keep those he loves close. The sudden intrusion of a six-foot-one American lass, famous for her traveling misfortunes, was far from his plan.
As this world of folklore, community, and woodworkers-in-kilts tempts Katie to discover her own story, could this one grand series of misadventures lead her directly to where she belongs? And would a settled-in-Scot ever risk loosening his grip on what’s familiar to allow a wanderlust writer a home in his heart? How could their very different worlds share the same page of life’s story when “home” is in two very different places? But maybe home–and the future–isn’t quite what either one imagined it would be. Maybe home is less about a place . . . and more about a person.
Can We Try? by Kaylee Ryan
Maggie
One wild night to lose myself… instead, I accidentally found myself a baby daddy.
After my ex spent years tearing me down, convincing me I wasn’t enough, the idea of trusting anyone feels impossible. But Lachlan comes into my life and almost makes me believe I’m worth it… and that he’s worth the risk.
He’s so patient and steady, showing up at my door for midnight cravings and morning sickness. Determined to be a part of our child’s life, even if we’re not together.
I’m so tired of being alone, and having someone feels too good to be true.
So when he asks “can we try?” I want to say yes and believe him.
Lachlan
From the first moment I met Maggie, I knew she was one of the good ones.
But it wasn’t until I heard the life-altering news that she was carrying my baby, that I knew I’d support her no matter if we were “together” or not.
I’m all in—for her and the baby. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about doing the right thing.
I don’t just want to be a part of my child’s life. I want to be part of hers. Not just for nine months. Or eighteen years. I want forever.
And I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that I’m man enough to be what she needs. For both of them.
Teasing by Bella Matthews
Falling for the grumpy, single dad next door wasn’t on my summer to-do list.
Did I mention he’s also a football god? A really hot one? Because he is.
Becoming said baller’s new nanny?
Yeah, I definitely didn’t see that one coming.
But nothing about Maverick Beneventi was ever what I expected.
He’s the embodiment of every broody book boyfriend I’ve ever loved, wrapped in deliciously sexy muscles and covered in beautiful black ink. All scowls and sharp edges, I was sure he hated me.
Until one mischievous puppy, one rainy night, and one unexpected job offer changed everything.
Now, my days are filled with bedtime stories and butterfly kisses, all thanks to the one person who can bring Maverick to his knees—his little girl, Rosie.
He doesn’t do complications. Or fun. Or anything that could make him smile. But somewhere between late-night talks and lingering touches, stolen glances and quiet moments . . . something changes, and I did the one thing I swore I wouldn’t.
I fell in love.
With Maverick. With Rosie.
With the life I was sure I’d never have.
And with summer slipping away and my heart on the line, I have to decide—stay and fight for the family I never saw coming . . . or walk away before I destroy it all?
Vengeful Vows by Shandi Boyes
Mara
The rich powerful men I work for never associate with the help, so I’m shocked when the latest resident of Myasnikov notices me, and even more astounded that he pays enough attention to decipher that my stutter is a fear-based reaction.
Arkadiy Orlov is the epitome of wealth and power. He’s politically successful, handsome, and has the funds to buy anything he wants.
Except the wife his campaign manager insists he needs to reach the top of the political ladder he’s been climbing for the past two decades.
I could have been the Cinderella of his story if our dark pasts hadn’t collided with dire consequences.
Our union could destroy Ark’s campaign for presidency before it even begins. But with our attraction hotter than the inferno we barely survived in our childhoods, will we risk everything for the chance of love?
Or are not all fairytales meant to have a happy ending?
Arkadiy
My life was meticulously planned. Individual success in the private sector, wealth beyond imagination, and then the ultimate power—domination of the political world.
Then I saw her, the maid with a stutter and a bucket load of secrets in her pretty eyes.
There was something about Mara that drew me to her. I feared it was because a victim knows a victim, but I could have never predicted the similarities of our childhoods.
We faced the same pain, endured the same heartache, but Mara’s life proves that not all secrets need to be shared.
Sometimes burying them is the only way you can move past them—both physically and mentally.
On Guard by Kels & Denise Stone
The bad boy of professional fencing meets Hollywood’s favorite good girl in this sexy sports romance set against the backdrop of a high-stakes blockbuster.
DANTE HASTINGS
You might have heard of me.
I was the defending Olympic champion—until I used my fist instead of my sabre during a match. Needless to say, I was suspended. Which means no competing for a year…and cleaning up my image.
So, instead of continuing to dominate the fencing world, I’m working on a film that’s poised to be next year’s blockbuster action flick.
The upside? Working with Reese Sinclair, my celebrity crush whose poster was on my wall growing up. Spending time with her will help wash the tabloids of my suspension and convince the league that I’m reformed.
But America’s sweetheart is nothing like I imagined. She’s stubborn, ambitious, and struggling to prove herself in a role that no one thinks she can handle. Still, her determination runs red-hot, and I can’t help but admire her.
When our late-night training sessions turn into something more, I start to realize that I’m outmaneuvered by feelings I never saw coming.
REESE SINCLAIR
The girl next door. The best friend. The love-struck heroine.
I’ve played them all.
But with thirty creeping closer, I need to prove to myself that I can be more than Hollywood’s darling. And this movie is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, the project I can use to break out of my typecasting.
The problem? I’m not cut out for action-packed stunt work.
Enter: Dante Hastings. He’s hedonistic, insufferable, infuriatingly gorgeous—and my last shot at making this career move work.
I should stay away. His reputation alone could sink mine. But the more time we spend together, the more I see past all his tabloid exploits and rule-breaking. He knows what it means to fight for something.
But a leading lady doesn’t simper over her co-workers, right?
Yet as much as I try to resist, part of me wants to let Dante put the sin in Sinclair.
So that’s all for this week.
Happy Reading!
