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)
The Merger by Adriana Locke
Crushes are harmless—unless they involve your best friend’s grumpy, off-limits brother.
Gannon Brewer is the epitome of my type. He’s at least ten years older than me, emotionally unavailable, and highly disagreeable—a walking red flag in a tailored suit. But do I listen to that? No. In fact, when his office plants start dying, I convince myself that I can ignore the pheromones and save the philodendron.
Now I’m in his office every week, dodging sinful smirks and heated stares, reminding myself to reach for the watering can—not him. But one “ivy incident” changes everything. Suddenly, we’re sneaking around, indulging in a steamy, forbidden fling that’s supposed to be nothing more than (a lot of) fun.
After all, he swears he’ll never fall in love. I assure him that I only want one thing, and it’s not his heart. But the closer we get, the more lines we blur, and the harder it becomes to keep our promises …
Especially when the secret I’m keeping threatens to shatter everything.
A Santorini Secret by Rose Alexander
Santorini, Greece, 1944. A village nestled in the mountains where children play together beneath the endless blue sky. A cottage once full of the laughter of family and the joy of a new baby. But when the Nazis arrive on the island, a devastating tragedy and an impossible choice will break this family apart…
Present day. Single mother Carrie arrives on the sun-drenched island of Santorini, her adored uncle Sol’s tattered sketchbook clutched to her chest. Heartbroken at his death, Carrie is certain Sol – who refused to speak about how he spent the war in occupied Greece – was hiding secrets all his life: and that the drawings he made of a striking young woman with wavy hair will hold the answers. Tucked away with the sketchbook was a beautiful diamond ring engraved in Greek, and Carrie cannot bear the thought that her uncle never had the chance to give it to his love.
Even as she explores the winding cobbled alleys Sol drew in his book, Carrie is filled with childhood memories. And asking around the close-knit locals, the elderly women Carrie meets speak of a brave young woman named Vassia, and a secret allied mission to rid their beautiful island of German troops. But when pressed, they refuse to say more…
Then she finds a letter written by Vassia herself. She’s shocked to read how Sol was left stranded, fighting for his life, and how Vassia risked everything to save him before a terrible betrayal tore them apart. When Carrie finally unravels the truth, the secrets will shatter the small community, and change the course of her life forever…
Greek Island Memories by Ian Wilfred
Greek Island Memories is an uplifting feel-good story of friendships and new beginnings. Along the way there are secrets, romance and lots of sunshine.
EVANGELINA has made the decision to retire from the family hotel she has run for over fifty years on the Greek island of Vekianos. It is time to hand over the reins to her children.
HELENA is happy to take over running the hotel from her mum; she has worked there all her life and as long as no one interferes, everything will be fine.
VOULA’s life on the island of Rhodes is complicated; it’s time to move on. Perhaps going back to her childhood home on Vekianos is the answer, but will there be a warm welcome from her sister Helena?
MARIOS is the grandson Evangelina adores and all she wants is for him to be happy but that won’t be the case if Natalia returns for the summer.
JENNY had helped her dad Paul get his life back together after her mum left. Now it was time to sort her own life out.
PAUL’s invitation to Evangelina’s retirement party has arrived. He worked at the hotel thirty years ago and Jenny wasn’t taking no for an answer; they are off to Greece to relive memories and create new ones together.
Enticing You by Helen Hardt
Play the ultimate game of love and money!
Four powerful billionaires, bound by their Montana roots and one devastating secret, escape to a secluded tropical island to find love. Eight stunning women, harboring their own secrets, compete for the men’s affections. The Bachelor meets Yellowstone in this high-stakes, pulse-pounding story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Helen Hardt. Heat sizzles among the men and women, but beneath the sun-drenched surface, mysteries simmer, ready to explode.
The Private Isnald by Ali Lowe
New Year’s Eve, Loloma Island, Fiji. At one of the most exclusive island resorts in the Pacific ocean, the champagne is poured, the fireworks are ready, and the countdown to new year is just beginning. It’s set to be a night that no one will forget.
Especially when a body washes up on the shore…
But it’s impossible to find answers when everyone here has a motive.
The billionaire’s daughter, glamorous, untouchable, hungry for her inheritance.
The start-up founder, out of money, and out of time.
The young dive instructor, in way over his head and struggling to stay afloat.
The husband, blinded by desire, in all the wrong ways.
And the lover, hidden in the shadows, where no one can see them….
One person’s holiday of a lifetime is about to be the last they’ll ever have.
Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw
Historical fiction inspired by the story of groundbreaking paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey, FOLLOW ME TO AFRICA is a sweeping, dual-timeline story of intergenerational friendship, a meditation on the beauty of the natural world, and a celebration of the women who pave the way for those to come.
It’s 1983 and seventeen-year-old Grace Clark has just lost her mother when she begrudgingly accompanies her estranged father to an archeological dig at Olduvai Gorge on the Serengeti plains of Tanzania. Here, seventy-year-old Mary Leakey enlists Grace to sort and pack her fifty years of work and memories.
Their interaction reminds Mary how she pursued her ambitions of becoming an archeologist in the 1930s by sneaking into lectures and working on excavations. When well-known paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey commissions her to illustrate a book, she’s not at all expecting to fall in love with the older married man. Mary then follows Louis to East Africa, where she falls in love for a second time, this time with the Olduvai Gorge, where her work defines her as a great scientist and allows her to step out of Louis’s shadow.
In time, Mary and Grace learn they are more alike than they thought, which eventually leads them to the secret that connects them. They also discover a mutual deep love for animals, and when Lisa, an injured cheetah, appears at camp, Mary and Grace work together to save her. On the morning Grace is due to leave, the girl—and the cheetah—are nowhere to be found, and it becomes a race against time to rescue Grace before the African bush claims her.
Family Matters by Mel Sherratt
A deadly party. A vicious attack. A list of suspects.
When Katie Frost is murdered a few metres from home, a family is left in turmoil. Who would kill their beautiful girl? DI Allie Shenton and her team delve into the teenager’s background, bringing many secrets to light – from her acquaintances, neighbours and friends.
No one has a bad word to say about her, but everyone else has things they’re trying to hide, especially after a recent birthday celebration. With limited forensic evidence coming in, Allie’s work is doubled when another girl is attacked. Further investigations reveal she too was at the party.
Can Allie work out the truth hidden within the lies to find out who is wreaking havoc on a family’s loved ones? And, as threats from the past rear their ugly head within her own team, will she be able to keep them safe at the same time?
Set within the gritty streets of Stoke-on-Trent, this fast-paced British detective novel is a dark murder mystery with an emotional pull. Join your favourite Stoke detective in the unmissable latest book in the critically acclaimed detective series.
Rustler Mountain by Maisey Yates
Millie used to play by the rules… until meeting a Wilder!
A cheating fiancé and a cancelled engagement won’t bring librarian Millie Talbot down. As the descendant of Rustler Mountain’s historic Sheriff, she wants to bring back the town’s Gold Rush Days. Thousands of people used to visit for their rodeo, home tours, and the notorious shootout re-enactment between legendary outlaw Austin Wilder and Sheriff Lee Talbot.
But to pull it off, Millie needs to wrangle some help. Enter Austin Wilder, descendent of the Wilder outlaws and a real grumpy pain in the ass. Just the person Millie needs to make her dream a reality!
The Wilders are rumored to be as true to their last name as their ancestors. But Austin is determined to prove there’s more to his infamous family. He’ll say yes to irritatingly charming Millie’s request, but he wants something in return. He intends to clear his family name by writing the true history of his outlaw ancestors and Millie might just hold the key.
Working together isn’t exactly a walk in the park for Austin and Millie… but as sparks start to fly between this bad boy and good girl, will either of them come out of it unscathed?
Boy by Nicole Galland
From critically acclaimed author Nicole Galland comes a vibrant and thought-provoking historical tale of love, political intrigue, and gender-swapping set in the theatre world of Elizabethan London.
Alexander “Sander” Cooke is the most celebrated “boy player” in the Chamberlain’s Men, William Shakespeare’s theatre company. Indeed, Sander’s androgynous beauty and deft portrayal of female roles have made him the toast of London, and his companionship is sought by noblewomen and -men alike. And yet, now at the height of his fame, he teeters on the cusp of adulthood, his future uncertain. Often, he wishes he could stop time and remain a boy forever.
Joan Buckler, Sander’s best friend, also has a dream. Though unschooled, she is whip-smart and fascinated by the snippets of natural philosophy to which she’s been exposed. And while she senses that Sander’s admiration for her is more than mere friendship, Joan’s true passion is knowledge, something that is nearly impossible for her to attain. As a woman, she has no place in the intellectual salons and cultural community of the day; only in disguise can she learn to her heart’s content.
Joan’s covert intellectual endeavors, coupled with Sander’s theatrical triumphs, attract the attention of none other than Francis Bacon: natural philosopher and trusted adviser to Queen Elizabeth. It is through their connection with Bacon—one of the greatest minds of their time—that their lives will be changed forever as they become embroiled in an intricate game of political intrigue that threatens their very survival.
The Salford Sioux by MJ Lee
Some family trees have roots that run deeper – and darker – than anyone could imagine.
When the Walker family receive unexpected DNA results showing Native American ancestry, they turn to genealogical investigator, Jayne Sinclair, to unravel the mystery. Their family tree, all of them were born in the industrial town of Salford in England, shows no hint of such heritage – but DNA does not lie.
As Jayne delves into the family’s past, she discovers a trail leading back to the smog of 1880s Salford, and a tale of forbidden love, desperate choices, and a legacy that crosses both oceans and centuries.
Who was the Native America ancestor and how did he end up living in Salford, thousands of miles away from the open prairies of the Great Plains?
Finding Love at The Forever Home on Muddy Puddle Lane by Etti Summers
One little dog. Two broken hearts. A chance for love…
Cat-lover Gretta Lavern has never been fond of dogs, so when she unexpectedly becomes responsible for a little Frenchie named Bertie, she is far from happy. With her well-ordered life now in disarray and her pampered Persian cat at war with the newcomer, Gretta is soon at her wit’s end. There is only one thing for it – the dog has to go.
Surly Jakob Darrow prefers the company of pups over people, but when Gretta enlists his help to find Bertie a forever home, he feels a spark reignite within him—one he thought had long faded.
And while Gretta is also inexplicably drawn to Jakob, they are total opposites and neither of them is looking for love.
But Bertie has other plans…
As Gretta faces her fear of vulnerability and Jakob confronts his deep loneliness, can the love of a small dog heal their hearts and bring them together, or will their differences tear them apart?
By His Play by Tracy Lorraine
Kieran Callahan is every woman’s fantasy—charming billionaire, star running back, and heartbreakingly handsome.
He’s also my best friend.
When my grandmother’s final wish puts me in an impossible situation, I tell the biggest lie of my life:
Kieran and I are engaged.
I planned to tell him the truth—really, I did.
But before I can come clean, a nosy nurse and a sleazy tabloid blow up my little secret.
Now, the media’s in a frenzy, and instead of setting the record straight, my best friend turned fake fiancé agrees to play along. All for Grams.
But spending so much time together blurs the lines we swore we’d never cross. And I’m seeing him in a whole new light.
Suddenly, Kieran isn’t just my best friend. He’s the man who makes my heart race. The one I can’t imagine my life without.
We only have a few days before everything goes back to the way it was…
But what if I don’t want it to?
His Rules by Piper Stone
What was the saying? If you wanted to get over a lying, cheating jerk, get under a chiseled hunk of a man.
That hadn’t been in my intent when I’d accepted a job interview in my hometown. But that’s what happened. One night with a tall, dark and handsome stranger with muscles of steel and piercing eyes. One night, no names and no contact information before I began my new life.
Since the job listing included ‘taming the savage beast’, I knew I’d have my hands full, but I was up to the task. I was thrilled with the offer, eager to fulfill my dream. Until my new boss waltzed into the room and reality sunk in. The sophisticated, arrogant older man was not only my passionate fling but also my father’s best friend.
We agreed to ignore the incident, determined to forget the past. Only to him, rules didn’t apply. While our days were strictly professional, our nights were unbridled, his domination endless. That’s when he decided not only to taste but to take the forbidden fruit as his own.
Now, I played by his rules.
The Lighthouse Daughters of Puffin Island by Christie Barlow
A blast from her past…
Having narrowly avoided losing everything to her romance scammer ex, artist Delilah Waters is done with men and focused entirely on her quest to buy Puffin Island’s magical lighthouse. It’s a crucial piece of her own family’s history and the perfect space to turn into her home. But then Max Harrington walks through her door.
…puts her future in question.
Her feelings for her former art teacher might have been forbidden at the time, but now he’s back, and single, and there’s no denying that the attraction is mutual! But when something seems too good to be true, it normally is, and Dilly soon makes a shocking discovery that changes everything for her and Max. Now she’ll have to call upon the same fortitude as her beloved lighthouse if she’s to weather the storm headed her way…
No Judge, No Jury by Robert Enright
The sentence is death…
A beloved doctor and loving family man is abducted, taken out to a remote farm in Buckinghamshire and then executed. DS Jack Townsend and the rest of the Specialist Crimes Unit are assigned the case.
But it is only the beginning.
A video surfaces within hours, where a masked man dubbed ‘The Executioner’, promises to release the footage of the murder for the world to see. With a chilling warning that this is all in the name of justice, DS Townsend and the SCU face a race against time to track the killer before the video surfaces.
But there is something bigger at play, and that becomes all too apparent, when an elderly woman is abducted in a car park and a similar warning is sent out. DS Townsend and his team soon realise they are not just hunting a serial killer.
They are hunting an executioner.
The Sweetest Chirp by Toni Aleo
Audrina
I ran.
I left everything I knew, and I didn’t look back.
I have loved my best friend since I the moment I knew what love was. While I adore a good best-friends-to-lovers trope, that was never our story. We danced around each other, skated along the line but didn’t cross it, and I never knew why. Until one night, I took matters into my own hands. Doing a challenge from social media, I thought I had my best friend right where I wanted him.
As mine.
Just when I thought we were going to be together forever in the all the ways I had dreamed of, he pulled the rug out from under me. He broke my heart in a matter of seconds, and I had no choice but to take off.
After three years, I thought I was in the clear; I thought I’d never see him again, and I was finally building a life. Maybe not one I’d wanted, but one I loved.
I should have known better.
Thatcher Orlov would never give up.
He’s found me, and now I not only have to face him, but everything I left behind.
And everything I’ve hidden.
Thatcher
It’s not everyone who can say their best friend was born the same day as they were and slept in the bassinet beside them in the hospital.
But Audrina and I can.
She is all I’ve known my whole life.
Every huge moment, Audrina was there. When I was drafted, when I won my gold medals, and even through all my hockey-related injuries. She had always been my rock, my stable ground when everything felt off-kilter. We spent our whole lives in some kind of limbo where it felt like we were in a relationship, but we weren’t. While the lines were blurred, my feelings for her weren’t.
It took one song to ignite a fire brighter than any I’d ever witnessed, but I ruined it all by letting my jealousy get in the way. She took off, leaving me behind. And in the three years since she left, there hasn’t been a moment I haven’t been looking for her. I need her—not only as my best friend, but as mine.
But now, I’ve not only found her…I’ve found she isn’t alone.
My world is turned upside down in a matter of seconds, and while I’m know for my chirping on the ice, her voice is the sweetest chirp I’ve ever heard.
His Truth Her Truth by Noelle Holten
An anonymous call raises the alarm. Two bodies found as a result of a home invasion. Then the police see the knives.
One in his hand.
One in hers.
Joe and Beth appeared to have the perfect relationship. But there are two sides to every story.
His truth. Her truth. And the actual truth.
In this web of lies, only one person can be telling the truth, can’t they?
The Murder Maze by Jessica Huntley
Four strangers arrive. Only one survives. Who will escape?
Five years ago, Jane Patterson survived a horrifying encounter with a serial killer. Now, all she cares about is supporting her young son and getting her life back on track.
When she receives an invitation to win a life-changing sum of money, she can’t afford to say no, but the invitation comes with a threat. Whoever sent it knows what happened five years ago …
Jane arrives at the mysterious island off the coast of Wales, but three other people are there waiting for her. Their goals are the same.
But there’s a catch. Only one can escape the maze and win.
The longer the strangers spend with each other, the more Jane realises all four of them are not there by chance. They are there for a reason and have more in common than they think.
Can Jane work out the connection before anyone else and escape? Or will the mastermind behind the maze claim all four of them as victims?
The Lost Witness by Eva Sparks
She saw what they did…
When the sole witness to a brutal crime goes missing, FBI Agent Darcy Hunt is called on to find her. But what did the witness really see, and is she really as innocent as everything thinks? The deeper Darcy goes, she’s forced to question where the truth ends and the lies begin.
To make matters worse, every step she takes is clouded by the reality of her sister’s hospital room going up in flames. Some things can be salvaged, but broken dreams can’t be mended.
In the meantime, Toby Parsons is hard at work, preparing the stage for his final blow.
So that’s all for this week.
Happy Reading!
