Author: Jennifer L. Hart
FREE
Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
FINAL STRAW
Dishing out bad news is Jackie Parker’s job until her boss grabs her assets one time too many and she serves him her notice and hopes he chokes on it. There must be a better way for a certified process server to make a living in Miami than working for a lousy lecherous lawyer. Whatever Jackie decides, her number one priority is spending time with her husband, Luke, preferably without his brother Logan—AKA the Dark Prince.
FINAL WARNING
Despite Logan’s objections, Luke asks her to join forces in their own property management team, Damaged Goods. Drawing the line between professional and personal lives proves challenging though, especially with Logan serving her an ultimatum—tell Luke the truth about what really happened the night they first met or he will. Sexual harassment is looking better and better.
FINAL NOTICE
Fester Gomez is three months behind on his rent for his pricey South Beach condo and Damaged Goods is on the job. Either they convince the tenant to pay up or he’ll face eviction. The simple task turns deadly when the team discovers Gomez missing and a Jane Doe slowly decomposing in his bathtub. Serving a killer up to justice, wrestling family secrets—it’s just another day on the job for Damaged Goods.
Jennifer L. Hart writes cozy mysteries with an edge, creating amateur sleuths who stumble into murder investigations through their decidedly unglamorous day jobs. Her Damaged Goods series combines the humor and relationship dynamics readers expect from cozies with grittier Miami settings and genuine stakes. Hart’s process server background gives her mysteries authentic procedural details that most amateur sleuth novels lack.
What makes this special: Jackie Parker is a refreshingly different amateur sleuth—she’s a process server turned property manager, which means she already has experience tracking people down and dealing with situations that could turn dangerous. The Miami setting provides sun-soaked noir atmosphere rather than the typical cozy mystery small town. The family drama adds soap opera appeal: Jackie is working with her husband Luke and his brother Logan (the “Dark Prince”), who’s threatening to reveal secrets about how Jackie and Luke actually met. That subplot creates tension beyond the murder mystery, making this feel more like a complete story rather than just a puzzle to solve. The decomposing Jane Doe in the bathtub of a tenant who owes rent transforms a mundane eviction into a murder investigation, showing how ordinary situations can spiral into something deadly. Hart’s structure (Final Straw, Final Warning, Final Notice) creates satisfying escalation. If you’ve enjoyed Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, Jana DeLeon’s Miss Fortune mysteries, or Gemma Halliday’s comedic mysteries, this delivers similar humor and amateur sleuth energy with a distinctly Miami flavor. And it’s free, making it an easy introduction to whether the Damaged Goods team becomes your next mystery obsession.
❄️ Author: Meg Easton
FREE
Sweet Small Town Romance
All either of them wants for Christmas are some jingle bells, to deck the halls, and for everyone to stop finding them dates.
Macie Zimmerman would love to get married and start a family. But after so much searching, she’s sick of having hope that something will work out. All she needs is a good six months of no dating— time she could spend building her business, Paws and Relax, and hanging out with the animals who show her all the love she needs— to be able to face it again. If only she can keep everyone in town from trying to find her a husband.
High school teacher Aaron Hall plans to never get married. He got engaged once, and it turned out as awful as his parents’ marriage had. But that doesn’t stop all his married friends from trying to convince him otherwise. And worst of all, his students are now determined to find him a wife before the end of the school year.
This Christmas, Macie and Aaron are teaming up to make everyone believe they’re dating each other so they’ll quit trying to line them up with others. But as this fake relationship takes them to holiday parties, events around town, and his school’s winter formal, and “fake” starts to feel “real,” can they overcome the obstacles in their way?
Meg Easton writes sweet small-town romances that emphasize community, clean content, and the kind of meddling neighbors who make fake relationships necessary. Her Nestled Hollow series has attracted readers who want their romance genuinely sweet, their heat level appropriate for all ages, and their small-town settings full of quirky locals who have opinions about everyone’s love life. Easton specializes in fake relationship plots that feel both organic and inevitable.
Here’s what you’re getting: The fake relationship trope is romance catnip, and Easton sets it up perfectly—both Macie and Aaron are being harassed by well-meaning matchmakers, giving them legitimate reason to team up. Macie runs “Paws and Relax” (presumably a pet-related business), which means adorable animals will feature prominently and provide comic relief. Aaron being a high school teacher whose students are trying to find him a wife is delightfully specific and creates built-in comedy as teenagers deploy their particular brand of romantic chaos. The fact that Macie actually wants marriage someday while Aaron has sworn it off creates real conflict—this isn’t just “will they realize they’re perfect for each other” but “can he overcome his trauma to give her what she needs?” The Christmas setting with holiday parties and a school winter formal provides romantic set pieces where fake couple behavior (holding hands, dancing together, strategic mistletoe) can blur into genuine feelings. If you’ve loved Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series, Brenda Novak’s Silver Springs novels, or Carolyn Brown’s small-town Texas romances, Easton delivers similar comfort-read energy with the added appeal of fake dating that becomes all too real. And it’s free, making it the perfect holiday treat for readers who want their romance sweet, seasonal, and satisfying.
Author: Erica Ridley
FREE
Regency Christmas Romance
A heartwarming, second chances, reunion romance from a New York Times bestselling author:
Due to the terms of an estranged relative’s will, the Duke of Silkridge must revisit the cold, unforgiving mountains where he lost everything he once loved. As soon as he restores his family legacy, he’ll return to London where he belongs. He definitely won’t rekindle the forbidden spark crackling between him and the irresistible spitfire he’d left behind…
Noelle Pratchett is immune to charming scoundrels like the arrogant duke. He stole her heart, stole a kiss, and then stole away one night never to return. Now he’s back—and they both know he won’t stay. But how can she maintain her icy shields when every heated glance melts her to her core?
The Twelve Dukes of Christmas is a laugh-out-loud historical romance series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Erica Ridley is a New York Times bestselling author who has mastered the art of making Regency romance accessible, fun, and genuinely romantic. Her 12 Dukes of Christmas series has become a holiday favorite among historical romance readers who want their dukes charming, their heroines spirited, and their settings draped in snow and festive cheer. Ridley’s strength lies in creating chemistry that sizzles despite the formal constraints of the Regency period.
Why I’m including this: Second-chance romance in historical settings hits differently because social strictures make reunion more complicated than just saying “I’m sorry.” The Duke of Silkridge returning to cold, unforgiving mountains (both literal and metaphorical) to fulfill a will and restore his family legacy creates built-in stakes beyond the romance. Noelle being called an “irresistible spitfire” promises she won’t make his return easy, and the fact that he “stole away one night never to return” suggests a painful history that needs unpacking. The heroine’s name being “Noelle” in a Christmas romance is perhaps a bit on-the-nose but also completely delightful—this is historical romance that knows what it is and delivers with joy. The promise of twelve dukes across the series means interconnected stories set in this snow-covered village, creating a Regency Christmas universe readers can immerse themselves in. If you’ve loved Tessa Dare’s Castles Ever After series, Sarah MacLean’s Hell’s Belles, or Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels, Ridley offers similar sparkling dialogue and romantic tension with extra holiday charm. And starting the series free means you can discover whether these twelve dukes become your annual holiday reading tradition.
Long Time Dead (Detective Sheridan Holler Book 1)
Author: T.M. Payne
Regularly $4.99, Today $2.49
Police Procedurals
A cold case that’s no longer cold. A suspect who’s been murdered. A silenced witness.
“A brilliant debut.” —Steve Cavanagh
“True fans of Val McDermid will love Payne’s writing.” —A.J. West
“One of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction.” —Kia Abdullah
DI Sheridan Holler is used to solving crimes on Liverpool’s streets, but after a decayed corpse turns up in a cemetery, she finds herself reopening not one but two cold cases. Seven years earlier, two women were gunned down and the only suspect, small-time drug dealer John Lively, was never seen again. Case closed. Until the body in the cemetery is identified as his.
Holler needs to work out if Lively was killed out of revenge, or was just a victim of the criminal world he inhabited. When shocking evidence is revealed about the murder weapon, Holler’s cold case starts to look hopeless once more.
But defeat is not an option. Driven by the unsolved and traumatic murder of her brother when they were children, DI Holler’s pursuit of justice is relentless. As old wounds are reopened, the police close in on the killer, but the threat of them striking again is all too real. Can DI Holler put the pieces of the puzzle together before anyone else winds up dead?
T.M. Payne debuts with Long Time Dead, earning immediate comparisons to Val McDermid from established crime writers who recognize authentic police procedural work when they see it. The endorsements from Steve Cavanagh and Kia Abdullah—both respected voices in crime fiction—signal that Payne is a debut author worth paying attention to. Her Liverpool setting and focus on cold cases that refuse to stay buried suggest a writer interested in how the past never really releases its grip on the present.
Why I’m including this: The setup is ingenious—a cold case where the prime suspect vanished seven years ago suddenly reopens when that suspect’s body turns up, revealing he was murdered too. This transforms the investigation from “did he do it?” to “who killed them all?” The revelation about the murder weapon (tantalizingly unspecified in the description) apparently upends everything Holler thinks she knows, creating the kind of twist that keeps readers guessing. What elevates this beyond standard procedural is Holler’s personal motivation: her own brother’s unsolved childhood murder drives her relentless pursuit of justice. That backstory adds emotional weight and suggests this isn’t just about solving cases—it’s about Holler working through her own trauma by ensuring other families get the closure she never had. The Liverpool setting provides gritty urban atmosphere, and the cold case structure allows Payne to move between past and present, gradually revealing how seven years ago connects to today. If you’ve loved Val McDermid’s Wire in the Blood series, Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels, or Peter Robinson’s DCI Banks mysteries, Payne offers similar British police procedural excellence with a protagonist whose personal demons make her both vulnerable and unstoppable. At $2.49, this is an affordable way to discover whether DI Sheridan Holler becomes your next favorite detective—and with the series launched, you’ll have more cases waiting if Payne’s debut hooks you.
Author: Karen MacNeil
Regularly $9.99, Today $3.99
Wine Tasting
It’s America’s bestselling wine book, now fully revised, updated, and in color!
Beloved and trusted by everyone, from newcomers starting their wine journey to oenophiles, sommeliers, restaurateurs, and industry insiders, The Wine Bible is comprehensive, entertaining, authoritative, beautifully written, and endlessly interesting. Page after page grounds the reader deeply in the fundamentals—vineyards and varietals, climate and terroir—while layering on passionate asides, tips, anecdotes, definitions, illustrations, maps, labels, and over 400 photographs in full-color. Plus this completely updated 3rd edition offers: New chapters on Great Britain, Croatia, Israel. A new section called In the Beginning… Wine in the Ancient World. New fully revised Great Wines section with recommended bottles to try for each country and region. Expanded chapters on France, Italy, Australia, South America, and the U.S. A deeper grape glossary including 400-plus varieties, and an expanded Mastering Wine Section incorporating latest science on taste and smell.
Karen MacNeil is one of the most respected wine educators in America, serving as chair of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America and earning numerous James Beard Awards for her wine writing. The Wine Bible has been the definitive American wine reference since its first publication, achieving bestseller status by making wine accessible without dumbing it down. MacNeil’s gift is explaining complex concepts with clarity and enthusiasm, making readers feel like they’re learning from a knowledgeable friend rather than being lectured by a snob.
What makes this special: This isn’t just a wine reference book—it’s an argument that understanding wine enhances your appreciation of geography, history, agriculture, chemistry, and culture. MacNeil takes you from ancient wine production through modern viticulture, from famous French regions to emerging wine countries like Croatia and Israel. The 400+ full-color photographs transform this from a textbook into something beautiful you’ll want to browse even when you’re not actively researching a specific question. The expanded grape glossary (400+ varieties) means you can finally understand what you’re drinking whether it’s a mainstream Cabernet or an obscure Portuguese varietal. The updated science on taste and smell reflects how much our understanding has evolved since previous editions. What sets MacNeil apart is her ability to convey passion without pretension—she wants you to love wine as much as she does, and she’s willing to put in the work to make that happen. If you’ve been intimidated by wine culture or felt lost in wine shops, this is the book that will give you confidence. At $3.99 (down from $9.99), you’re getting America’s bestselling wine reference for the price of a single glass of decent wine—and the knowledge you’ll gain will enhance every glass you drink afterward.
Author: Jenny Proctor, Emma St. Clair
Regularly $2.99, Today $1.49
Holiday Clean & Wholesome Romance
Getting over your childhood crush is never easy. Especially when your family is full of meddling matchmakers.
I’ve tried my whole life to curb my feelings for Liam, who is NOT my cousin, even if our family is like, well, family.
After he brought a girlfriend home for the holidays last year, I decided it was high time for my crush to finally die. And since we haven’t run into each other at all since then, it’s been easy. (If not altogether effective.) Even our family stopped trying to push us together.
But then Liam walks into my office just before Christmas and I find out he’ll be working here as a consultant. Oh—and he got special permission from my boss to have me directly under him.
Then, when my building suddenly (and somewhat suspiciously) has to undergo emergency fumigation and I need a place to stay, Liam offers me his guest bedroom.
Oh, joy and holiday cheer.
But finding out Liam is single and not practically engaged—it changes everything. Is it possible I just might get my longest-held Christmas wish?
Jenny Proctor and Emma St. Clair co-write the Oakley Island Romcoms series, specializing in clean and wholesome contemporary romances set in a small island community where everyone knows everyone’s business. Their collaborative style delivers the banter, humor, and emotional payoff that rom-com readers crave while keeping content appropriate for readers who prefer closed-door romance. The series has built a devoted following among readers who want romantic tension and satisfying relationships without explicit content.
Here’s what you’re getting: The childhood-crush-who’s-not-quite-family setup is romance gold because it combines familiarity with forbidden feelings. Izzy has been fighting her attraction to Liam forever, and just when she thinks she’s finally moved on, fate (or suspiciously convenient plot developments) throws them together with maximum forced proximity: he’s her workplace supervisor AND her temporary roommate. The “somewhat suspiciously” emergency fumigation is a nice self-aware touch—this is a rom-com that knows exactly what tropes it’s deploying and has fun with them. The holiday setting adds seasonal charm and a ticking clock (Christmas wishes must be fulfilled by Christmas, right?). The meddling family members who used to push them together but suddenly stopped creates an interesting dynamic—did they give up, or are they running a more subtle matchmaking scheme? For readers who love Christina Lauren’s workplace rom-coms, Emily Henry’s contemporary romances, or Hallmark movie energy in book form, this delivers comfort-read satisfaction with genuine romantic tension. At $1.49, it’s cheaper than a seasonal latte and provides significantly more feel-good entertainment—perfect for readers who want holiday romance that’s sweet, funny, and genuinely romantic without needing content warnings.
… See the rest of today ‘s Book Picks here on page 3Page 3