Cozy Romance
Her Name Is Blue
Author statement: “Florencia-Blue is an introverted dreamer. Enter James Murray: sweet, albeit grumpily so, with a heart encased in metaphorical stone. Until, that is, a shy New Yorker with a captivating dimpled chin gently unravels his defenses, weaving the concept of love into a tangible tapestry they both begin to cherish.”
The Library at the Edge of the Wood
Author statement: “This is the second standalone book in the Cozy Cottage series. I wrote this book to give space not only to romantic relationships, but to found family ones as well! When I write, I try to make my cozy fantasy as optimistic, comforting, and heartwarming as I can, alongside our characters’ low-stakes struggles of building something new!”
More to Life
Author statement: “Retired school teacher Colette Corbyn goes kicking and screaming into assisted living. As she begrudgingly settles into Shady Meadow, she thinks she is done with romance until she meets cute, happy-go-lucky Harry. Most romances have much younger characters, but we seniors also need to see people our age find love and companionship.”
Whispers of Her Memories
Author statement: “Mallory O’Neill moves to Anahera Bay, New Zealand, after inheriting her grandmother’s seaside cottage. While uncovering long-buried truths, Mallory forms a romantic connection to handyman Cameron Quinn. Setting the novel in Anahera Bay allowed me to use the landscape in a purposeful way, with the lighthouse representing stability, direction, and the possibility of finding one’s way.”
The Shopkeeper’s Daughter
Author statement: “Agnes Cole has lived her life bound by duty, until a winter storm, a strange tin of tea, and a mysterious young man named Malcolm alter everything. My good friend gave me a tea tin shaped like a house. It was extraordinary. The tin was adorned with the image of a little shop—warm, inviting, full of promise. I loved it instantly. And almost immediately, I knew there was a story in it.”
Romantasy and Mystery
The Heart of War
Author statement: “Ares, god of war, sits alone and brooding on his secluded Greek isle when his boredom is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Alena MacLeod. From the Celtic moors to Mount Olympus, their bond sparks betrayal, awakens buried secrets, and forces Ares to choose between his pride and the woman who claimed his heart.”
The Valentine Lines
Author statement: “The Valentine Lines originated as my master’s degree thesis, exploring the impact of dating apps on modern relationships. In the story, Cupid—a minor god weary of mortals’ endless swipes and dating woes—descends to Earth to champion true connection. Yet, as he discovers, no romance can flourish until people first learn to know themselves.”
The Oxford Affair
Author statement: “Directing the summer travel-study program for UC Berkeley is indeed a dream job, but like any experience, it can get overly familiar. Writing this novel gave me the gift of seeing this magical place with new eyes. I get to share my insider’s knowledge of Oxford custom and lore and create a fictional version of myself who solves a mystery while unexpectedly falling in love.”
The Thirteenth Cagebreaker: A Cantara Academy Series Novel
Author statement: “My novel is YA dark academia romantasy with enemies-to-lovers tension, found family, and the slow burn that satisfies. The romance isn’t about a boy saving my protagonist. It’s about someone finally looking at all the parts she was taught to hide. I wrote the story my 15-year-old self needed. The one that says you were never too much. You were just in rooms that were too small.”
To Love Like Venus
Author statement: “Are you ready for love? An astrologer looking at my chart for the first time remarked: ‘Your chart is so Venusian.’ This intrigued me, because what does that mean? To Love Like Venus is a literary novel in a near-future setting that’s all about love, relationships, and how we cope with its heights and disappointments—whether partner, ideals, or the symbols that become our children.”
Stormy Relationships
The Making of a Storm
Author statement: “I wrote The Making of a Storm to explore what happens when love isn’t the gentle thing people expect it to be—when it’s complicated, inconvenient, and shaped by past wounds that don’t disappear just because two people want each other. This is a romance about emotional resilience, second chances, and learning how to stand in your own power.”
North of Always: An Enchanted Rock Romance
Author statement: “North of Always is a contemporary, new adult, M/F, deeply emotional, slow-burn college romance set in Texas full of second chances, healing love, and the kind of connection that only grows stronger through the storm.”
Historical and Regency Romance
The Long Flight Home
Author statement: “In 1967, a 15-year-old girl from a small coal-mining town in Kentucky wrote to a pirate radio station. A reply to her request for a pen pal came from a 16-year-old boy living more than 4,000 miles away. What followed was nearly two years of deeply personal letters that forged an extraordinary bond between two teenagers—us. After reuniting, decades later, we wrote The Long Flight Home together, each of us recounting our separate journeys and perspectives.”
Trees Long for Rain
Author statement: “On my first visit to Venice I was fortunate to attend a ‘concerto delle donne,’ a recreation of 17th-century women-only concerts from a time when women weren’t supposed to sing or perform music in public. In Trees Long for Rain, the hero is a young orphan girl trained at the Ospedale della Pietá (before Vivaldi) who will do anything to sing with Monteverdi’s choir; her efforts lead her to love and murder.”
The Gentlewoman Companion
Author statement: “Louisa craves freedom; Lord James is bound by duty. Neither seeks love, yet neither can resist. But when family secrets surface, James questions Louisa’s loyalty. In a storm of betrayal, will their bond break? If you read the previous book in the series, you know that Louisa made a great blunder. I loved writing about a young woman who comes to learn that mistakes do not have to define us.”
Rom-Coms
Bro Amazing
Author statement: “Writer Clarissa refuses to give up on her dream. She takes a questionable job that will solve all her problems. Hopefully. Bro Amazing is a nerdy why-choose sports romance featuring an e-sports gaming team. I’m familiar with gaming culture, so that felt like a natural way to start my series. The other installments also focus on less mainstream sports. I’ve conducted a lot of research, but all of it is completed with passion.”
People Pleasers
Author statement: “I wanted to write a romantic comedy about an amateur pole dancer because I couldn’t find many books on the market like that. Since then, I’ve had an incredible outpouring of love from other dancers around the world and messages from readers who were inspired to start taking classes too. They have also been moved by the message about finding self-love after a bad break up and learning to let go of other people’s expectations.”
Roped into Paradise
Author statement: “McKade thought he was visiting his grandmother in Florida—not boarding a cruise. Add a forbidden attraction to the ship’s horticulturist, and his grandmother’s birthday turns into the adventure of a lifetime. Last year, I received an email from my cousin, who was enjoying a month of tropical cruises. His message simply read: ‘Any chance you might write a romance about a cowboy on the high seas?’ ”
Rules for Starting Over
Author statement: “My slow-burn romantic comedy features Chloe, a woman rebuilding her life after heartbreak and loss, and James, the charming man she least expects to trust. As they navigate grief, guarded hearts, and undeniable chemistry, their relationship becomes a story of healing, resilience, and the courage it takes to open your heart again.”
Shibby Magee
Author statement: “Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Shibby Magee throws her heart into finding her place in the world. At its heart, Shibby Magee is about a woman yearning for marriage, a child, and stability, and the uneven path she takes before finally recognizing real love and accepting it.
Waiting for a Girl Like You
Author statement: “Gwen is an undercover bridesmaid at her first love’s wedding. Duncan is the yacht rock–obsessed wedding singer who can make any bridesmaid fall at his feet. Music often inspires my writing. During the pandemic, my husband and I had makeshift date nights in our backyard while our children watched a movie inside. We ended up taking a deep dive into yacht rock and became huge fans. We all deserve a love story and to sail into the sunset. On a yacht.”
