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Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
Fans of Casey McQuiston, Christina Lauren, and Abby Jimenez will love this scrumptious and sweet romantic comedy from the "dizzyingly talented writer" of Boyfriend Material (Entertainment Weekly) Publishers Weekly Summer Reads Top 10 Staff Picks
Oprah Daily Most Anticipated Romance Novels of 2021
Buzzfeed Must-Read Spring Romance Novels
Goodreads Sexy Spring Romances
LGBTQ Reads: Most Anticipated Adult LGBTQAP Fiction 2021
We Are Bookish: Spring Releases to Have on Your Radar Following the recipe is the key to a successful bake. Rosaline Palmer has always lived by those rules--well, except for when she dropped out of college to raise her daughter, Amelie. Now, with a paycheck as useful as greaseproof paper and a house crumbling faster than biscuits in tea, she's teetering on the edge of financial disaster. But where there's a whisk there's a way . . . and Rosaline has just landed a spot on the nation's most beloved baking show. Winning the prize money would give her daughter the life she deserves--and Rosaline is determined to stick to the instructions. However, more than collapsing trifles stand between Rosaline and sweet, sweet victory. Suave, well-educated, and parent-approved Alain Pope knows all the right moves to sweep her off her feet, but it's shy electrician Harry Dobson who makes Rosaline question her long-held beliefs--about herself, her family, and her desires. Rosaline fears falling for Harry is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Yet as the competition--and the ovens--heat up, Rosaline starts to realize the most delicious bakes come from the heart. -
The Romance Recipe: An LGBTQ+ Romcom
A LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST
"The feelings in this one are dialed up so high you almost can't look at them directly: It would be like staring into the sun... Like Rosie Danan or Kate Clayborn, Barrett has a way of making palpable the full journey of a relationship" -New York Times
"Simply put, The Romance Recipe is a treat." -USA TODAY
Amy Chambers: restaurant owner, micromanager, control freak.
Amy will do anything to revive her ailing restaurant, including hiring a former reality-show finalist with good connections and a lot to prove. But her hopes that Sophie's skills and celebrity status would bring her restaurant back from the brink of failure are beginning to wane...
Sophie Brunet: grump in the kitchen/sunshine in the streets, took thirty years to figure out she was queer.
Sophie just wants to cook. She doesn't want to constantly post on social media for her dead-in-the-water reality TV career, she doesn't want to deal with Amy's take-charge personality and she doesn't want to think about what her attraction to her boss might mean...
Then, an opportunity: a new foodie TV show might provide the exposure they need. An uneasy truce is fine for starters, but making their dreams come true means making some personal and painful sacrifices and soon, there's more than just the restaurant at stake.
Carina Adores is home to romantic love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.
Book 1: Hot Copy
Book 2: The Romance Recipe
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The Dawn and Its Light
An addictive fantasy romance from TikTok sensation Piper CJ, and the explosive finale to The Night and Its Moon. Nox and Amaris must fight once and for all to protect their people, their future, and each other.
All that remains...
If Nox and Amaris are ever to have the life together they've always hoped for, they will have to use all the power and strength within them to protect their continent. When powerful enemies from Sulgrave wielding unspeakable access to magic threaten to shatter their world for good, they must join with Raascot's military, the reevers, and an unlikely ally from the mountains to have any hope of saving their kingdoms. Together, their forces press north across deadly wastelands, facing unknowable threats, impossible battles...and new questions of what their fate truly holds.
Their entire lives have been building toward this moment. Caught between faith and frenzy, questions and identity, love and lust, past and present, Nox and Amaris must fight once and for all to protect their people, their future, and each other.
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The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes
Cat Sebastian returns to Georgian London with a stunning tale of a reluctant criminal and the thief who cannot help but love her.
Marian Hayes, the Duchess of Clare, just shot her husband. Of course, the evil, murderous man deserved what was coming to him, but now she must flee to the countryside. Unfortunately, the only person she can ask for help is the charismatic criminal who is blackmailing her--and who she may have left tied up a few hours before...
A highwayman, con artist, and all-around cheerful villain, Rob Brooks is no stranger to the wrong side of the law or the right side of anybody's bed. He never meant to fall for the woman whose secrets he promised to keep for the low price of five hundred pounds, but how could he resist someone who led him on a merry chase all over London, left him tied up in a seedy inn, and then arrived covered in her husband's blood and in desperate need of his help?
As they flee across the country--stopping to pick pockets, drink to excess, and rescue invalid cats--they discover more true joy and peace than either has felt in ages. But when the truth of Rob's past catches up to him, they must decide if they are willing to reshape their lives in order to forge a future together.
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Sold outYour Love Is Not Good
Longlisted for the 2024 Republic of Consciousness PrizeAn artist of color becomes
obsessed with a white model in a novel with the glamor of Clarice Lispector and
the viscerality of Han Kang. At
an otherwise forgettable party in Los Angeles, a queer Korean American painter
spots a woman who instantly controls the room: gorgeous and distant and utterly
white, the center of everyone's attention. Haunted into adulthood by her Korean
father's abandonment of his family, as well as the specter of her beguiling,
abusive white mother, the painter finds herself caught in a perfect trap. She wants
Hanne, or wants to be her, or to sully her, or destroy her, or consume her, or
some confusion of all the above. Since she's an artist, she will use art to get
closer to Hanne, beginning a series of paintings with her new muse as model. As
for Hanne, what does she want? Her whiteness seems sometimes as cruel as a new
sheet of paper. When
the paintings of Hanne become a hit, resulting in the artist's first sold-out
show, she resolves to bring her new muse with her to Berlin, to continue their
work, and her seduction. But, just when the painter is on the verge of her long
sought-after breakthrough,
a petition started by a Black performance artist begins making the rounds in the
art community, calling for the boycott of major museums and art galleries for their
imperialist and racist practices. Torn
between her desire to support the petition, to be a success, and to possess
Hanne, the painter and her reality become more unstable and
disorienting, unwilling to cut loose
any one of her warring ambitions, yet unable to accommodate them all. Is it any
wonder so many artists self-destruct so spectacularly? Is it perhaps just a bit
exciting to think she could too? Your
Love Is Not Good
stuffs queer explosive into the cracks between identity and aspiration, between
desire and art, and revels in the raining debris.Sold out -
Sold outThe Weavers of Alamaxa
Following up on one of the most exciting fantasy debuts, The Daughters of Izdihar, Hadeer Elsbai concludes her Alamaxa Duology--inspired by Egyptian history and myth--with a tale of magic, war, betrayal, sisterhood, and love.
The world is on fire...but some women can control it.
The Daughters of Izdihar--a group of women fighting for the vote and against the patriarchal rule of Parliament--have finally made strides in having their voices heard...only to find them drowned out by the cannons of the fundamentalist Ziranis. As long as Alamaxa continues to allow for the elemental magic of the weavers--and insist on allowing an academy to teach such things--the Zirani will stop at nothing to end what they perceive is a threat to not only their way of life, but the entire world.
Two such weavers, Nehal and Giorgina, had come together despite their differences to grow both their political and weaving power. But after the attack, Nehal wakes up in a Zirani prison, and Giorgina is on the run in her besieged city. If they can reunite again, they can rally Alamaxa to fight off the encroaching Zirani threat. Yet with so much in their way--including a contingent of Zirani insurgents with their own ideas about rebellion--this will be no easy task.
And the last time a weaver fought back, the whole world was shattered.
Two incredible women are all that stands before an entire army. But they've fought against power before and won. This time, though, it's no longer about rhetoric.
This time it's about magic and blood.
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The Evergreen Heir
From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the fourth book in the Five Crowns of Okrith fantasy series, following a bookish heir's fight to save their mother and kingdom when an unexpected romance blossoms. The crown is calling their name, yet can their head bear the weight when passion sets hearts racing? Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sue Lynn Tan, and Jennifer L Armentrout.
A court of revelry. A bookish heir. An impending marriage. And a dark new power rising in the world...
If allowed, Neelo Emberspear would never leave the library. Reluctant to take the throne despite their mother's faltering health, the neurodivergent bookworm craves escape from their arranged marriage to charming fae warrior Talhan Catullus. But they know their duty can be put off no longer when their mother, the drug-addled queen, disastrously lights the castle on fire.
Fighting to save their mother's life and keep her on the throne, Neelo is astonished when bonding over the written word brings them closer than ever to their cavalier, soon-to-be husband. But the non-binary heir's growing affections may be cut short with witch uprisings threatening to topple the entire continent.
Can Neelo claim both love and dominion before their court is reduced to ash?
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Sold outEllipses
Set in the glossy world of New York City media, this sharp and witty debut novel follows a young woman caught in a toxic mentorship with an older, powerful executive as she grapples with career, belonging, and the complexity of modern relationships in the digital age. Named a Best Book of 2024 So Far by Vogue, Elle, and Electric Lit When cosmetics mogul Billie rolls down her town car window and offers Lily a ride home from a glitzy Manhattan gala, Lily figures this could be a useful professional connection. She's heard of Billie's storied rise as a business titan, the product of white New England privilege and one of the few queer women in a corner suite. Billie could be just the jolt Lily needs to manifest her next step. A magazine writer, Lily interviews influencers, actresses, and fashion designers for her publication's stylish pages, all while navigating office microaggressions. Stalled at work, she worries that her dream print career will soon succumb to the rise of social media. She is at a standstill, too, in her relationship with her girlfriend Alison. And Lily feels unable to voice her authenticity when others' sliding perceptions of her mixed race and bisexual identity repeatedly drown her out. Charming and hyperconfident, Billie seems invested in mentoring Lily out of her slump, from the screen of her phone. But their text exchanges and Billie's relentless worldview begin to consume Lily's life. Eager to impress her powerful guide, Lily is perpetually suspended in an ellipsis, waiting for those three gray dots to bloom into a new message from Billie. Ellipses explores one woman's struggle for wholeness, in a world shaped by digital half-lives and aspirational fantasies. In the end, this stunning debut novel reveals the rewards and challenges of forging an uncharted path on one's own terms.Sold out -
The Daughters of Izdihar
From debut author Hadeer Elsbai comes the first book in an incredibly powerful new duology, set wholly in a new world, but inspired by modern Egyptian history, about two young women--Nehal, a spoiled aristocrat used to getting what she wants and Giorgina, a poor bookshop worker used to having nothing--who find they have far more in common, particularly in their struggle for the rights of women and their ability to fight for it with forbidden elemental magic
As a waterweaver, Nehal can move and shape any water to her will, but she's limited by her lack of formal education. She desires nothing more than to attend the newly opened Weaving Academy, take complete control of her powers, and pursue a glorious future on the battlefield with the first all-female military regiment. But her family cannot afford to let her go--crushed under her father's gambling debt, Nehal is forcibly married into a wealthy merchant family. Her new spouse, Nico, is indifferent and distant and in love with another woman, a bookseller named Giorgina.
Giorgina has her own secret, however: she is an earthweaver with dangerously uncontrollable powers. She has no money and no prospects. Her only solace comes from her activities with the Daughters of Izdihar, a radical women's rights group at the forefront of a movement with a simple goal: to attain recognition for women to have a say in their own lives. They live very different lives and come from very different means, yet Nehal and Giorgina have more in common than they think. The cause--and Nico--brings them into each other's orbit, drawn in by the group's enigmatic leader, Malak Mamdouh, and the urge to do what is right.
But their problems may seem small in the broader context of their world, as tensions are rising with a neighboring nation that desires an end to weaving and weavers. As Nehal and Giorgina fight for their rights, the threat of war looms in the background, and the two women find themselves struggling to earn--and keep--a lasting freedom.
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The Sun and Its Shade
An addictive fantasy romance from TikTok sensation Piper CJ. In the enthralling follow-up to The Night and Its Moon, bestselling author Piper CJ redefines love and trust through an authentic fantastical portrayal of queer experiences, found family, and the gray areas that define us all.
I love you...
Nox's tear-filled words echo across the sand as she and Amaris are torn apart. They've battled fiercely to find each other again, and have barely reunited when Amaris is taken away by the queen's dragon.
Injured and desperate, Amaris is forced to navigate her new surroundings with the help of Raascot's enigmatic general if she hopes to stay alive. At the same time, across the land and running out of options, Nox forms a partnership with the continent's league of peacekeeping assassins, begging their help to find Amaris and forge some stability between the kingdoms.
As wounds heal and new relationships blossom, Nox and Amaris must confront impossible obstacles and stretch their magic to its limits if they are ever to create a world that might finally reunite them for good. The odds are narrow, the stakes are high, and one question remains: Is it fate, love, or something else entirely that binds these two women together?
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Sold outFeast of Sparks
The second book in the spellbinding Thornchapel Quartet . . .
I'm an outcast and a loner, named for death itself. Fate wasn't supposed to have plans for me.
But then she came back--the girl I once kissed in a thorn-covered chapel in the woods. She came back, and I could no more resist her than I could pry out my own heart. And by some trick of fate, she wants me as much as I want her. The only problem? She also wants the man who owns Thornchapel, Auden Guest.
And so do I.
Eight years ago, I did something to Auden, something terrible. He hurt me back the only way he knew how, and so here we are: our hatred seasoned with pain and my loneliness seasoned with longing. The only thing we can agree on is Proserpina Markham, and she wants us to find a way to be together--all three of us.
If Auden wants to earn her as his submissive, then he has to earn me as well.
But with the discovery of bones behind the altar and the carnal revel of Beltane fast approaching, it's becoming clear that Thornchapel's secrets are much deeper and older than any of us could have ever guessed. And no matter how bright and merry a feast of sparks may be, it's always followed by ashes.
And darkness.
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The Gloom Between Stars
An addictive fantasy romance from TikTok sensation Piper CJ. In the third book of The Night and Its Moon, bestselling author Piper CJ uncovers old scars, self-acceptance, and queer love as Nox and Amaris learn to grow into who they were meant to be.
All I've ever wanted...
Nox and Amaris learn their dreams of reunion come at an unspeakable cost. Passion and politics collide as the two young women learn to navigate an unknown future in the kingdom of Raascot. With new titles thrust upon them, Nox and Amaris find themselves more uncertain than ever of who they are meant to become--both to their people and to each other.
Humans, fae, and monsters are on the precipice of war, and time is running short in their search for answers. Victory will take more than just battles as alliances shift and new threats emerge. To have a chance at stopping their enemies, securing the continent's succession, and uncovering the truth of their bond, the two women must find a way to break the curse on Raascot's fae and face their fate once and for all...and hope that they survive it.
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Trick Shot: A Spicy Christmas Novella
Leo McKnight, identical twin to a famous hockey player, finds himself caught up in a case of mistaken identity on Christmas Eve.
When Leo unexpectedly bumps into the captivating Riley at the airport, he's both amused and intrigued by her assumption that he's his renowned brother. Embracing his mischievous side, Leo decides to play along, relishing in their flirty banter and clever exchanges.
But as fate would have it, their flight gets canceled, and Leo seizes the opportunity to spend more time with Riley. With a devilish glint in his eye, he invites her to spend the night at his penthouse. With an intriguing woman, his best friend Jace, and a whole night of possibilities ahead of them, Leo has all the ingredients for what promises to be a memorable Christmas Eve.
In "Trick Shot," a spicy MMF Christmas novella, Leo, Riley, and Jace embark on a passionate and unconventional romance that challenges societal norms. As they navigate their desires and explore the boundaries of their connection, they discover that love knows no bounds, especially during the enchanting holiday season.
So snuggle up with a cozy blanket, indulge in a cup of steaming hot cocoa, and allow the magic of Christmas to transport you into this sexy novella.
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The Night and Its Moon
An addictive fantasy romance from TikTok sensation Piper CJ, now newly revised and edited. Two orphans grow into powerful young women as they face countless threats to find their way back to each other.
Farleigh is just an orphanage. At least, that's what the church would have the people believe, but beautiful orphans Nox and fae-touched Amaris know better. They are commodities for sale, available for purchase by the highest bidder. So when the madame of a notorious brothel in a far-off city offers a king's ransom to purchase Amaris, Nox ends up taking her place -- while Amaris is drawn away to the mountains, home of mysterious assassins.
Even as they take up new lives and identities, Nox and Amaris never forget one thing: they will stop at nothing to reunite. But the threat of war looms overhead, and the two are inevitably swept into a conflict between human and fae, magic and mundane. With strange new alliances, untested powers, and a bond that neither time nor distance could possibly break, the fate of the realms lies in the hands of two orphans -- and the love they hold for each other.