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)
Crime, Thriller & Mystery
The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincebergs
Their husbands are driving them mad, and murder is on their minds . . . but the men have a plan of their own.
Pam, Nancy and Shalisa once imagined retirement would mean setting aside their worries, picking up their margaritas, and lying back in a hot tub. Right up until their husbands lost all their savings in a reckless investment.
Now, collecting their husbands’ life insurance is starting to sound more appealing than growing old with them. But enlisting the help of the local barber/hitman isn’t merely the most daring thing the friends have ever done – it’s also where the trouble really begins.
Because they don’t realise their husbands have some tricks up their sleeves. And there’s no turning back now . . .
A Lethal Gamble by Eva Sparks
Come all and place your bets,
Be careful not to lose your necks…
After a busy first year with the Bureau, FBI Agent Allie Bishop has finally found her place at the TFO. No longer a rookie, she has proved her aptness time and time again.
So when a recent string of murders shows connections to a local casino, Allie is tapped to investigate. Everything points to meticulous planning—but is it driven by revenge, or is there another motive at play?
In the midst of it all, Allie is still reeling from shocking revelations about her family’s past. The sting of betrayal has hardened into resolve as she pushes forward in her search for answers, no matter where they might lead.
A Death on Corfu by Emily Sullivan
Living in Greece at the turn of the twentieth century, widow Minnie Harper struggles to find her place in a swiftly changing world. But when a local woman is murdered, her resolve is put to the test in a race to shed light on the truth . . .
Minnie Harper isn’t used to putting herself first. Not after she moved away from England only to be left raising two children alone on the Greek Island of Corfu following her husband’s unexpected death. But with her daughter begging to be sent to school abroad and her son grasping at his own independence, Minnie realizes she must prepare for the next stage of her life.
When famous mystery author Stephen Dorian settles into a neighboring villa to escape writer’s block and hidden scandals, she is intrigued at first by the handsome Londoner—until he proves to be nothing more than a boorish grump. Determined to avoid the man as much as possible, Minnie is shocked when he offers her a well-paid job as his typist. She isn’t in a position to turn down work, even from a man she has sworn to hate.
But before Minnie can fully regret her decision to take the job, she makes a horrifying discovery that changes everything. A young maid has been murdered, and local authorities aren’t moving fast enough to bring justice to the terrible crime. Unwilling to allow the death to fade into obscurity like the stories of so many other women deemed unworthy by society, Minnie launches an investigation of her own—and reluctantly accepts Stephen’s help. As she embarks on a dangerous search for answers that reveals another side of Corfu, unsettling questions take shape about her employer-turned-confidant and the culprit who just might do whatever it takes to strike again . . .
The Cornish Castle Murder by Fiona Leitch
The time has finally come for former Met police officer Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker to wed her fiancé DCI Nathan Withers, But their long-anticipated wedding doesn’t quite go to plan…
As their guests descend on a luxurious Cornish castle for a weekend of pre-wedding activities, the happy couple look forward to spending time with friends and family. But celebrations grind to a halt when an arrow flies off-course during the archery session, and they find the body of a young woman floating face down in an ornamental pond.
With the champagne chilling and canapes assembled, and an old London adversary brought in to investigate, it’s up to Jodie and Nathan to uncover the killer, before they strike again.
Could the murderer be on the guest list?
–
Dead End by Matt Brolly
Lambert is back.
When a homeless veteran is found brutally murdered on the cold streets of London, DCI Michael Lambert is dragged into a labyrinth of conspiracy, revenge, and racial hatred that threatens to tear the city apart.
As more bodies appear—each victim tortured and killed in the same meticulous manner—Lambert discovers a dark connection to an overdose case from three years ago. When right wing supremacist insignias begin appearing at each crime scene, what began as a series of homeless killings quickly spirals into something far more sinister.
With London erupting in violent protests and a terrorist threat level rising by the hour, Lambert races against time to find the killer before they strike again.
Deadly Care by by Simon McCleave
Deadly Care
When Annie Taylor witnesses a local GP being gunned down and killed outside his surgery in Dolgellau, she calls her best friend, retired detective Frank Marshal, to help her investigate.
At first, it seems that the murder might be related to a vengeful family member of a patient who had died. However, when there are two more shootings, Frank and Annie struggle to find any link between the victims. Their investigation uncovers the dark past of the victims when they were teenagers that has remained buried for twenty years.
Can Frank and Annie track down the killer before they take their revenge on their next victim?
Vanish by Shelley Burr
People go to the isolated Karpathy farm looking for a new life. Is it a commune? Is it a cult? Or something far more dangerous?
Lane Holland’s crime-solving career ended the day he went to prison. Yet one unsolved case continues to haunt him: the disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago.
Against the odds, Lane finds a lead – a mysterious farm community where Matilda lived briefly, led by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. The farm attracts lost souls. People looking for answers. People hiding from their pasts. People who have nowhere else to go.
But some of those who go to the farm seem to vanish without a trace.
Murder at the British Museum by Magda Alexander
A brutal murder. A brother charged with the crime. Can Kitty Worthington find the killer before he pays with his life?
Kitty Worthington couldn’t be happier. Her marriage to CDI Robert Crawford Sinclair is glorious, her detective agency is thriving, and her brother Richard is on the mend after a close brush with death.
Now permanently home from his archeological excavations, Richard has taken a position at the British Museum. His lectures on Egyptian antiquities and the mummification process draw patrons like moths to a flame. But when he suspects several items in the Egyptian collection were stolen, he confronts the acquisitions curator. Outraged by the accusation, the director of the museum fires him. Days later, the curator’s gruesome remains are found, mummified.
It doesn’t take long for suspicion to fall on Richard. Not only is he an expert on mummification, but he has no alibi for the time of the murder. Fearing what will happen if he’s charged with the crime, Kitty sets out to prove his innocence. Soon, she discovers the curator was not who he seemed. As she stumbles into a world of strange cults and idol worship, she encounters a mesmerizing creature who leads her down a path to darkness. And death.
No Quarter by Pau Finch
Welcome to the Crazyhouse. Where unwilling contestants play the game of death.
The north of England is rocked by two horrifying but bewildering crimes: a £600,000 drugs heist, the couriers and the buyers all slain. And the abduction of an entire stag party, a bunch of strapping young men lured away by two pretty girls, and never seen again.
While northern police forces struggle to cope, go-it-alone Detective Sergeant Mark Heckenburg, still under suspension, is given a stark choice. Infiltrate the Crew, Manchester’s overarching crime syndicate, as an undercover asset, or lose his job permanently.
With the assistance of out-of-favour Manchester cop, Lucy Clayburn, Heck undertakes the onerous task, soon discovering evidence linking the two heinous crimes together. But he has a very serious and pressing problem. The Crew’s ruthless Chairman of the Board, Frank McCracken, is increasingly suspicious and determined to test his loyalty to the max.
Meanwhile, another bunch of guileless young men have gone missing, and are now awaiting their fate in the architectural nightmare that is the Crazyhouse …
Romance
700 Senses of Summer by Maggie Gates
Aurora Whitlock hit rock bottom.
Broke, single, and mourning her career going up in smoke, she decides to kick-start her new life by renovating the bones of an old beach house hidden along the Carolina coast.
What a cliché—inheriting a fixer-upper from a deceased relative. That kind of thing only happens in books.
But beggars can’t be choosers. The Old Whitlock Place, and all its secrets, is home sweet home for the summer.
Jack Wharton didn’t expect to find a summertimer squatting in the dilapidated mansion next door.
As a career firefighter tasked with protecting Cedar Island, North Carolina, he’s seen a thing or two. But he’s never seen anything quite like her.
Painting walls and fixing floors in the middle of summer shouldn’t be that hard to handle. But the temperature isn’t the only thing that’s hot. Can Jack and Aurora’s sizzling romance stand the heat? Or will the secrets they uncover consume them?
The Romance in Duet Collection by Lauren Blakely
In Romance in Duet, you’ll get a fake fiancé/marriage of convenience romance in The Almost Romantic, a boss’s daughter/office romance in Satisfaction Guaranteed, a friends-to-lovers/spicy lessons romance in Best Laid Plans, a rivals-to-lovers romance in A Real Good Bad Thing and a swoony forbidden romantasy set in a magical Paris in The Muse, These five standalones are specially curated for your binge-reading pleasure!
Tropes: Friends to lovers, workplace romance, forbidden romance, spicy lessons, one who got away, rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, beach read/travel romance, office romance, and fake fiancé
Gold Coast Dilemma by Nanna Malone
During an opulent publishing party, Ofosua Addo crosses paths with Cole Drake for the first time. Their flirtatiously witty exchange culminates in a kiss that etches a permanent mark on both their hearts.
But Ofosua’s identity as a Ghanaian heiress comes before Cole. She loves the vibrant traditions of Ghana’s Gold Coast, and her hand is already promised to a man that even her overbearing mother loves. Yet, when her big Ghanaian wedding transforms from a fairy tale into a spectacle, she’s thrust into a whirlwind of heartbreak and self-discovery.
In the midst of it all, Cole enters her life once again, under circumstances far different from their magical first encounter. Can Ofosua and Cole’s rediscovered spark overcome the weight of tradition?
Taming the Heart by Elliott Rose
In this steamy age-gap, forbidden-love cowboy romance for fans of Lyla Sage, Bailey Hannah, and Elsie Silver, a free spirit finds herself working for a former pro bull rider… who has secrets behind those ocean-deep eyes.
Being hired by a ranch for the summer sounds picture-perfect, right? Except your new boss looks a whole lot like every fantasy and daydream you’ve ever had come to life—oh, and he’s already accidentally seen your favorite ‘toy’.
I’ve always been the hyper-independent free spirit. Sage Maloney, the wild child.
The eldest daughter, with my heart locked away safely out of sight. I had a summer of fun ahead of me.
Only, I didn’t count on a former pro bull rider to stride into my life. Beau Heartford. The much older cowboy with a mustache to go weak at the knees for.
He’s a whole package of temptation. Someone who lures me in with glimpses of what it might be like to let my guard down… to be taken care of.
My married boss.
Summer days rapidly turn scorching in this sleepy little town among the mountains. As the temperature continues to climb, we’re both stuck fighting a mutual attraction we can’t ignore.
Sparks fly, and we really should be putting more distance between the two of us.
In this scenario, more is at stake than just crossing a line between boss and employee.
There’s a wedding band on this cowboy’s finger.
Every Heartbeat After by Hannah Bird
A two week beach vacation with a near-perfect stranger.
Tess Monroe has done a lot of crazy things, but this just might top the list.
After years spent trying everything to keep the sadness from her parents’ deaths at bay, Tess has hit a wall. It’s time for a change, and part of that means stopping her annual stays at the resort she’s been visiting since childhood. Hell-bent on making the most of her last trip, she’s thrown for a loop when a man she shared a chance encounter with almost a year ago shows up, crashing her summer vacation.
Kit Llewellyn has a good thing going. He’s a Sheriff’s deputy in a small town with a bachelor reputation that precedes him. But one fateful weekend with Tess left him acutely aware of everything he lacks in life. Namely, her. Try as he might, he can’t get her out of his head. Which is how he finds himself checking into the Carmen, with no better plan than to make himself as unforgettable for Tess as she has been for him.
Two weeks at a resort can’t possibly heal what took a lifetime to break. But when Tess and Kit, who’ve spent years running from their respective problems, finally run into each other, those raw edges stop feeling quite so jagged. It’s got them both wondering what happens next; a question that would take more PTO than either of them has to finally answer.
Fate may have brought them together, but it’s up to Kit and Tess to decide if their stay is worth extending, or if they should check out before any more hearts get broken.
Booked for Summer by Kathryn Freeman
A love story she didn’t see coming…
When book lover Jade Taylor applies to manage the Little Bay Book Shack on Nantucket Island over the summer, the last thing she needs is the distraction of billionaire resort owner, Liam Haven.
But things take an unexpected turn when Liam becomes Jade’s boss – a man who reads nothing but contracts for pleasure…
In a bid to save the bookshop from being absorbed into the Haven resort, Jade is determined to teach Liam that there’s more to life than acquiring real estate. And if she can make him realise happily ever afters do exist, might she be able to save the island’s bookshop in the process?
The One That Got Away by Mike Gayle
Reuben thought he’d spend the rest of his life with Beth, until she broke his heart six months ago. He’s not even remotely over her, so he’s devastated to hear she’s getting married—this weekend.
Now he’s faced with the ultimate question: what should he do on the day of the wedding? Grieve? Disrupt the ceremony? Or do everything in his power to pretend it’s not happening?
Enlisting the help of his friends, Reuben is all set to mark the occasion with distraction on a grand scale: Ferraris, champagne, and a VIP box at the races.
But on the morning of the Big Day, Reuben gets a phone call that not only derails his elaborate itinerary: it may well change his life completely…
His Cowboy Heart by Sloane Kennedy
Jules
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered the small town of Eden, Wyoming, but I can easily say that being accosted by a few thugs in a dirty alley because I had a modicum of fashion sense hadn’t been high on the list of possibilities. Growing up in Manhattan probably should have prepared me better, but it wasn’t like there was a sign posted outside of Eden warning me to ditch my Mongolian wool wrap and dark nail polish. Sure, I knew I’d get some looks of disgust, but I’d always had a snarky remark at the ready. Unfortunately, snarky only worked when you weren’t having the crap kicked out of you.
Enter the kind of hot cowboy I’d been fantasizing about since, well, forever, and within seconds the ignorant bigots were stumbling out of the alley, and I was alone with my gorgeous savior. Only problem was that said savior was under the assumption that he’d been rescuing a damsel in distress.
And I was definitely no damsel. A fact that Hot Cowboy didn’t realize until after he’d kissed me.
Flynn
Eden was supposed to be another small town just like all the others. A place to do some temporary work on one of the local ranches before moving on. It wasn’t a life for most people, but it’d been working for me. With the exception of my horse, I liked being alone.
A dusty, garbage-filled alley changed all of that. Helping someone who was the victim of a serious beating wasn’t a big deal for me. The victim was a big deal. As soon as I locked eyes with the person I assumed was a woman based on the clothes and nail polish, I was a goner. As confused as I was about my attraction to her since I played for the other team, she kissed like a dream. Only she wasn’t a she at all.
The young man in my arms did something to me with that kiss. I was both relieved and disappointed when the guy took off. In the long run, it would be good because the last thing I needed was an intense attraction to someone who clearly didn’t belong in Eden.
Enter Black Hills Ranch and a familiar stranger who wasn’t very happy to see me.
At all.
Jules, a New York city boy, was an enigma but that didn’t matter. I wanted him. Even though we were like night and day, arguing with Jules was just as much fun as kissing him.
It was also very dangerous. For him. For me. The last thing I could afford was to fall for a guy who’d never truly be mine. I had to let him go. It was the right thing to do.
Then why did it feel so wrong?
Pitch for Me by Swati MH
I had a one-night stand with a gorgeous stranger, believing I’d never see him again. Except who did he turn out to be? Troy Winters, starting pitcher for the MLB and the hottest single dad to grace the planet.
What’s worse, he’s now my son’s new baseball coach.
In my defense, Troy and I had agreed to exchange fake names and occupations that fateful night in a seedy Colorado bar. One perfect night of no strings and a quick escape from my busy single mom life. . . Right?
Fast forward to a re-meet-cute that had me diving under a chair, an injury that sidelined him for a year, and now Troy is coaching my son’s team while he recovers.
His smoldering golden-hued gaze makes one thing clear: he’s not letting me disappear again.
But after a highly publicized divorce from a narcissistic pro-golfer, I’m done with the spotlight and athletes. No matter how cute their rear end looks in a uniform.
Yet Troy is relentless. Between his bond with my boy, his tenderness for his daughter, and our scorching chemistry, my walls are crumbling.
So I offer a compromise: a friends-with-benefits situation while he recovers. Once he returns to the MLB, we’ll go back to being just friends.
Simple enough, right?
Except, the more time I spend wrapped in his arms, the less simple everything becomes.
Now, with the MLB calling him back, I have a choice to make: stick to our deal and protect my heart or risk everything for the spotlight I’d vowed to avoid.
Exposed Ink by Nikki Ash
Kinsley
Exposed Ink is my sanctuary, where I can hide behind the needles and ink, shielding my shattered heart from further pain and loss.
Until Shane, a firefighter and single dad, threatens to unravel the carefully constructed walls I’ve built to survive.
First, he saves my life—literally—and then he turns it upside down by making me long for things I can’t have.
He says he wants to get some ink done, but I know he wants something more … something I can’t give him—me.
Shane
As a firefighter medic, I’m used to fixing physical wounds, but Kinsley’s scars run deeper.
To some, her brokenness might be perceived as a weakness, but I can see the strength buried deep.
With each passing day—and mark to my skin—I find myself falling harder for the striking beauty with the sad eyes.
She’s quickly tattooed herself on my heart, and I’m determined to be the one who shows her that love can heal even the deepest wounds.
Total Shutdown by Ruth Stilling
The plan was simple: just me, my boy and hockey.
I’m the unapproachable NHL captain with a reputation for chewing up reporters in interviews, forwards on the ice and shutting down anyone who tries to get close to me. And that’s how I like it—no feelings, no complications, and zero chance of reliving the grief I experienced when my wife passed away seven years ago.
But sometimes the best laid plans go up in flames, and that’s exactly what Collins Mackenzie does when strolls into a bar one post-game night and gives me a taste of the cold shoulder I’ve bestowed on all those around me.
The only person she doesn’t dismiss? My boy. In fact, she lights him up with her pink hair and perfectly winged eyeliner, leaving him fascinated and me infatuated.
There’s only one problem: she’s nine years younger, convinced I’m not her type and doesn’t do relationships. She doesn’t even hang around in the same city beyond a few months. Trouble is, I want her permanence right next to me—on the couch watching movies and in my bed on lazy mornings.
I’m ready to chase her, no matter where she goes or how quickly she hits the accelerator. This girl is a ride I never want to get off.
Revival by AM Wilson
My ex cheated. I kept the honeymoon—and somehow ended up sharing it with the one man I swore I’d never see again.
After catching my fiancé and his assistant on my couch, I escape to what should’ve been our tropical getaway—solo. The plan? Drown my heartbreak in turquoise waves and bottomless mojitos.
Then Spencer Stone walks onto the plane.
He was my first crush. My brother’s best friend. The man who disappeared the morning after we crossed a line we swore we wouldn’t.
Now he’s here, with shadows in his eyes and scars on his skin, taking the seat next to mine and calling me “wife”.
Turns out, he bought my ex’s half of the trip. It doesn’t take long to see he’s not here for a relaxing vacation—he’s here for me.
I should be mad. I swear I am. But one night with Spencer, and suddenly heartbreak doesn’t seem so hard to get over.
So that’s all for this week.
Happy Reading!
