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
The Putney Bridge Killer by Biba Pearce
A brutal murder. A deadly secret. A killer who’s done this before . . .
DCI Rob Miller is called to a murder scene in the early hours of the morning. A young woman’s body has been discovered under Putney Bridge.
This was a particularly brutal attack. DCI Miller hasn’t seen such an unspeakable MO since the Surrey Stalker — a sadistic predator he took down five years ago.
But the Surrey Stalker is dead.
And he took the shocking truth about what he did to his victims to the grave. But this killer isn’t just copying the past — They know things only the original murderer could have known. They know police secrets and crime scene details that were withheld from the press.
With the media circling and a mole inside the force leaking information, Miller must untangle a deadly web of deception before the killer strikes again.
But as the body count rises and the noose tightens, one question haunts him:
Did he catch the wrong man all those years ago?
Twisted Bones by Helen Phifer
Moonlight shines over the cottage by the river, casting a shadow over the frozen water. Silk fabric rustles in the reeds, moving ever so slightly to reveal five thin bones…
When Detective Morgan Brookes is urgently called to her Aunt Ettie’s cottage, hidden in Covel Woods, she rushes to the scene. Panicked Ettie is shaken having discovered the chilling remains of a woman in the river, one skeletal hand reaching out from the deep water.
The unknown woman was dressed to walk the rugged trails of the Lake District, so Morgan’s team assume she fell in the water and was taken by the current. But thin diagonal bruises on her neck suggest something far more sinister. A faded red rose tattoo helps Morgan identify her as a homeless woman who went missing seven years ago, and Morgan is horrified to discover Martha stole nappies and baby formula just before she disappeared. Did she have a child? Where is the poor baby now?
Desperately searching through cold case files, Morgan discovers that schoolteacher Aria Burns went missing from the same busy area. But her horror quickly turns to hope when she sees the autopsy results from Martha’s frozen remains. She was killed recently; if Aria was taken by the same killer, she could still be alive.
Morgan is certain a twisted individual is stalking Rydal Falls, and Martha’s body was dumped to signal the beginning of his cruel game. But just as she finds a clear suspect in a visitor with links to the area where Martha and Aria went missing, another body surfaces. Can she uncover the truth about Martha, and find Aria alive? Or is she already too late?
Murder in the Making by Sonia Parin
Evie and Tom, complicit in murder?
After a lengthy search for the right artist, Evie and Tom have come to town to sit for their first official portrait. At least, that is the cover they are employing. In reality, they have been trying to catch an art forger.
When the artist they engaged suddenly disappears and is replaced by another one, it’s obvious they have a different case on their hands. The situation is made worse when the new artist suddenly dies.
Evie and Tom follow a trail that leads them to a possible smuggling ring. Just as they discover a solid lead, they are accused of complicity and murder. Now they must prove their innocence but, in order to do so, they must stay alive.
General/Contemporary Fiction
Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan
You’re invited…to a delightful modern comedy of manners about two moms, the best-laid plans, and one very memorable wedding.
Penelope and Chase make a lovely couple. She’s a bubbly Southern California girl with killer work ethic. Chase is smart and charming and has political aspirations. They’re planning a spectacular California wedding, wrapped in peonies and thousands of little white lights, soaked in custom cocktails and romantic hashtags. Everyone’s excited about Penny and Chase’s wedding—except their mothers.
The Mother of the Bride, suave Greek-born Alexa Diamandis, doesn’t understand why any woman would get married. Ever! Raised in Athens and now perfectly situated in sun-splashed Montecito, California, she raised Penny as single mother by choice, supported by Lord Simon Fox, her old college friend who just happens to be an English aristocrat, and a wealthy circle of lady friends who call themselves the Merry Widows.
The Mother of the Groom, Abigail Blakeman, is a garden club stalwart firmly planted in coastal Connecticut. She thinks the whole enterprise would be so much easier if the wedding was at their golf club. Especially because the Blakeman’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse—not that you would ever know it by looking at Abigail. Keeping up appearances is exhausting, but it is everything.
But when a sudden twist of fate calls them into action, these two very different women are forced to take over the wedding planning. Despite their differences, Alexa and Abigail charge in to save the day. How far will two moms go to make their children’s dream wedding a reality?
Historical
The Paris Promise by Suzanne Kelman
Paris, 1943:Keeping her eyes fixed on the Nazi officer, Antoinette slowly reaches under the pillow for the knife hidden there. Her hands are shaking, but she knows what she must do to save her husband and child…
When the Nazis invade Paris, Antoinette Valette’s world shatters overnight. In an instant, she goes from being a celebrated violinist, to fearing for the life of her Jewish husband and son. With nowhere to flee, hiding in plain sight is her family’s only choice.
But when their secret is discovered and her beloved husband is torn from her arms, Antoinette’s heart breaks. She knows she must act quickly if she is to save her son from the same fate. Desperate, she asks the Resistance to secure him a place on the last train leaving Paris. Holding him tightly against her chest, she promises she will find him again. But is it a promise she can’t possibly keep?
Alone and with nothing left to lose, when the Resistance ask her to use her musical talent to spy on high-ranking Nazis, Antoinette doesn’t hesitate. Playing her violin at elaborate dinner parties each night gives her the opportunity to listen to their conversations. And although she risks her life every day, it is the only way to get her family back.
But when a Nazi commander makes advances towards her, Antoinette realizes that she will have to make a dangerous and impossible choice. Can she find the strength to do the unthinkable, in the hopes that it will save her family, and countless other innocent lives?
The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris
She came from a lineage known for good fortune…by those who don’t know the whole story.
Oregon, 1888. Amid the subterranean labyrinth of Portland’s notorious Shanghai Tunnels, a woman awakens in an underground cell, drugged and disguised. Celia soon realizes she’s a “shanghaied” victim on the verge of being shipped off as forced labor, leaving behind those she loves most. Although well accustomed to adapting for survival—being half-Chinese, passing as white during an era fraught with anti-Chinese sentiment—she fears that far more than her own fate hangs in the balance.
As she pieces together the twisting path that led to her abduction, from serving as a maid for the family of a dubious mayor to becoming entwined in the case of a goldminers’ massacre, revelations emerge of a child left in peril. Desperate, Celia must find a way to escape and return to a place where unearthed secrets could prove deadlier than the dark recesses of Chinatown.
Romance
Right with You by Claire Cain
As owner of Silverton’s donut shop, I’ve surrounded myself with sugar, spice, and all things nice. Which is perfect, because donuts and friends never let a girl down. Unlike men.
I might’ve struck a line through relationships past and future, but when my no-good ex tries to ruin my present, the last thing I expect is for a man to step in. He’s the mysterious, gorgeous half-French member of the Saint Security team, and somehow, now my boyfriend…?
Jean-Luc Doux needs a fake girlfriend, and I fit the bill, apparently. Actually, he needs a fake fiancee. The last thing I’m signing up for is a relationship, but since this is all pretend, I’ve got a guardrail keeping my heart safe in this ridiculous fantasy.
Until lines blur thanks to our growing friendship and an only one bed situation. This man makes me feel things I assumed I never would again. More than anything, he makes me feel safe.
Suddenly, I’m not so sure my battered heart isn’t at risk of falling for him. He’s solid and gentle and real in a way I never expected, and I’m in greater danger than I ever realized when I agreed to this deal.
Axe-ing For Trouble by Daphne Elliot
On the run, injured, and out of options, I had no choice but to go back to him.
Back to the one place I swore I wouldn’t—because staying away was the only way to keep him safe.
Jude Hebert.
My one-night stand turned unexpected protector.
A rugged, guitar-playing lumberjack with broad shoulders and blue eyes that could light up the darkest Maine night.
And the man determined to keep me safe.
When we’re forced to hide out in his cozy cabin, we make the best of it by playing Scrabble and sharing stolen laughter, pretending the world outside isn’t closing in. He carries me like I weigh nothing, cleans my wounds with gentle hands, serenades me with his guitar and makes heat bloom beneath my skin with every stolen glance.
He insists I take the bed every night. Eventually, I ask him to stay.
The way Jude looks at me—like I’m worth protecting—breaks down my defenses. Soon, he’s my protector and confidant, and in these stolen moments, I begin to imagine a life I’d long ago given up on having.
But the danger I’m running from is catching up. Though the answers I’ve been chasing are within reach, so is the threat that could destroy us both.
In the depths of the Maine wilderness, love can be wild, unexpected, and terrifying.
And sometimes it takes a burly, stubborn lumberjack to help a woman find her way home.
Renegade Rift by Hayden Locke
She’s his wife. He’s my step-brother. But I saw her first.
Juliet is the reason I volunteered to be drafted to the Renegades baseball team.
That, and the enormous guilt I harbor for failing to fix things with Tyler before he died in the crash that took the lives of his team.
Which is why I vow to honor his legacy and do the next best thing. Protect and provide for his wife.
Only Juliet doesn’t want a damn thing to do with me. Or anyone for that matter. She disappeared off the face of the earth.
After nearly a year of searching for her, it’s only when my teammates hire a cleaning service for my apartment that I find her—topless and looking far more gorgeous than I remember.
But not everything is as it seems, and the more time I spend with her, the more I learn Juliet has secrets. The kind not even money or my persistent optimism can fix.
But she’s determined, and I’ll do anything to help her. Even teach her to move on.
The only question, is my guilt enough to stop me from falling in love with her? Especially when this time there’s no one standing in my way.
Regretfully Yours : Ansel by Maya Alden
She wasn’t just an assistant—she was his greatest asset.
Ansel Tyler has the perfect assistant—smart, dedicated, and secretly in love with him. But when jealous colleagues whisper in his ear, he makes a cruel mistake, deciding to let Neha Rao go once he secures his promotion.
Neha never expected forever, but she didn’t expect disrespect, either. When she overhears Ansel saying he intends to fire her once he gets his shiny new Vice President title, she refuses to wait for the inevitable and resigns.
Ansel is good at crunching numbers, but losing Neha doesn’t add up, and he quickly realizes the depth of his mistake. Now, career be damned, he’ll do whatever it takes to win Neha back—not as his assistant, but his partner in life.
The Situation by Adriana Locke
Someone should tell Tate Brewer that one-night stands aren’t supposed to come with a sequel.
I’ve learned the hard way—don’t be reckless with anything, least of all my heart. But after one too many vodka sodas, saying yes to a much younger, devastatingly smooth stranger for one wild night seems like the perfect way to forget my brutal divorce. I even gave him a fake name. What could go wrong?
You’d be surprised.
Because instead of being my spicy little secret, Tate is now the chief marketing officer at my new job. He’s determined to prove our night together was only the beginning—and he has the tools to do it.
Chiseled jaw. Washboard abs. Effortless charm. He knows exactly how to get under my skin, melt my defenses, and keep me coming back for more.
I wanted a one-night stand. Instead, I got a full-blown situation. I should run and protect myself. But when he looks at me like I’m his whole world, I’m not sure I remember how.
The Faking Game by Olivia Haye
West Calloway is rich, arrogant, and my brother’s best friend. Now we’re faking a relationship in public… while he gives me dating lessons in private.
When a stalker forces me out of my apartment, my brother insists I stay somewhere safe—in his best friend’s legendary estate. With the tall, handsome, frustrating man I once had a silly crush on, while he never liked me.
But then West suggests we fake date to send a message: I’m taken and well protected. I agree on one condition… he helps me practice real dating.
I don’t know how to date, and West doesn’t do love. It’s perfect. Soon, we’re practicing it all in secret. Dates. Kissing. Sleeping in the same bed. The only rule? My brother can never find out.
West learns what I like, buys me gifts, praises me, and helps me to stop people-pleasing. Maybe I’ll even ask him to help with my virginity, too…
But the way he’s looking at me now? It’s not part of any lesson. And when he touches me, it feels like he’s forgotten this is just practice…
So that’s all for this week.
Happy Reading!
