Bernice Dando thought she had the perfect honeymoon planned in sunny Greece with her new husband David—until four days in, she’s faced with a shocking truth that shatters everything. David’s complete lack of interest in intimacy stems from his addiction to porn, and Bernice struggles with the devastating realization that her marriage may be built on a lie. Can she move past this betrayal, or will she be labeled as overreacting, frigid, or worse for refusing to accept her husband’s issue as normal? 💔
When Bernice, a funny and feisty woman in her forties, decides to set off on the adventure of a lifetime—alone—she never imagines how life-changing it will be. From accidentally triggering a Greek fish explosion to spontaneous nude karaoke that would mortify her former self, her wild solo holiday becomes the ultimate escape from heartbreak. Bernice discovers that life offers so much more than settling for a humdrum marriage built on dishonesty and disappointment. 🌅
The novel tackles serious issues with humor and heart, addressing the painful reality many women face when discovering their partner’s porn addiction and the societal pressure to accept it. Bernice’s journey of self-discovery takes her through grief, anger, liberation, and ultimately empowerment as she realizes she deserves better than being made to feel inadequate. Her adventures across Greece become metaphors for breaking free from constraints she didn’t even know she’d accepted. ✈️
But when David shows up begging for a second chance, Bernice faces a life-altering choice that will define her future. Does she return to the familiar comfort of her old life, giving her husband another opportunity to change? Or does she embrace the vibrant, adventurous woman she’s discovered within herself and continue on a path where she’s the main character of her own story rather than supporting player in someone else’s? 🌟
What makes this essential: An anti-romantic comedy that honestly confronts honeymoon disillusionment caused by porn addiction while following a forty-something woman’s journey from devastated bride to empowered adventurer who discovers Greek fish explosions and nude karaoke beat a dishonest marriage every time. 🎭
When Chuck dies and wakes up in a fantasy game-like world, he discovers the real secret to success isn’t heroics or clever tricks—it’s sheer grinding persistence and ruthless optimization. After spending four months hitting a practice dummy until he literally breaks the combat system, Chuck embarks on a methodical quest to obtain the most powerful gear possible through relentless min-maxing. Armed with his evolving practice sword and an unwavering commitment to making his numbers go up, he tackles dungeons, hordes, and social interactions with the same cold efficiency. 🎮
In a world where most adventurers rush headlong into danger seeking glory, Chuck represents the ultimate power gamer—meticulously calculating every copper coin, every experience point, and every decimal place of damage in his single-minded pursuit of perfect stats. His approach treats the fantasy world like a spreadsheet to be optimized rather than an adventure to be experienced. While others form parties and forge friendships, Chuck focuses on frame-perfect rotations and exploit mechanics. ⚔️
The novel brilliantly satirizes both LitRPG conventions and gaming culture’s obsession with optimization over enjoyment. Chuck’s dedication to grinding produces genuinely overpowered results, but at the cost of missing the human (and non-human) connections that make adventures memorable. His methodical approach to elemental dungeons and goblin encounters reads like a strategy guide written by someone who’s forgotten games are supposed to be fun. 📊
Yet there’s something oddly compelling about Chuck’s absolute commitment to the grind—the way he treats a fantasy world resurrection as an opportunity to exploit game mechanics rather than question his mortality. His journey from dead guy to overpowered warrior through nothing but basic attacks repeated ten thousand times becomes a meditation on whether raw persistence can substitute for talent, luck, or charisma. The answer, apparently, is yes—if you’re willing to hit a practice dummy for four solid months. 💪
What makes this essential: A hilarious LitRPG satire about a min-maxing protagonist who breaks a fantasy world’s combat system through four months of hitting a practice dummy, proving that cold optimization and grinding persistence beat heroics every time when you treat life like a spreadsheet. 🎯
Betrayed by her closest friend who murdered her father and seized her kingdom, our protagonist faces an impossible situation when he claims they’re fated to be together despite the blood now staining his hands. Her former confidant has lost his mind, taken over her throne through violence, and somehow believes their destiny justifies his brutal actions. But salvation comes from the most unlikely source—the one man she’s hated her entire life becomes her only hope for survival and reclaiming what was stolen. 👑
Solomon Winett is the noble descendant of barbarian warriors and the absolute bane of her existence—obnoxious, stubborn, and infuriating in every possible way. Yet he’s also the only one who rescued her from a fate worse than death when her friend-turned-betrayer came for her. To reclaim her throne, she must rely on the man she’s despised since childhood, creating an alliance neither of them wanted but both desperately need. Their shared enemy makes for uncomfortable bedfellows in every sense. ⚔️
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic crackles with tension as hatred transforms into something far more dangerous. Solomon and our protagonist must work together while navigating their intense mutual dislike that’s starting to feel suspiciously like attraction. The line between hatred and passion proves dangerously thin when survival depends on trust between two people who’ve spent years antagonizing each other. Once that line is crossed, there’s no going back to simple animosity. 🔥
The romantasy elements blend political intrigue with fated mates mythology turned on its head—what happens when your supposed destiny betrays you and your salvation comes from your sworn enemy? The novel explores themes of trust, redemption, and whether hate can transform into love when circumstances force enemies to become allies. Her journey from deposed princess to warrior determined to reclaim her kingdom becomes intertwined with discovering that the barbarian descendant she despised might be the partner she never knew she needed. 💫
What makes this essential: A scorching romantasy about a betrayed princess who must rely on her lifelong enemy—a stubborn barbarian descendant—to reclaim her throne from a friend-turned-murderer, discovering that crossing the line between hatred and passion leads to a destiny neither could have predicted. 🌙
Hooked: A Thriller (Katrina & Goode Book 1)
When investigative reporter Katrina Chopin and surfing homicide detective Ken Goode lock eyes, there’s an immediate attraction. Sparks fly as they bond over cocktails, sharing their common experiences of being orphans and losing loved ones to suicide. But the next time they meet, it’s from opposing sides of a high-profile case. Two biotech execs, whose company is developing a groundbreaking sexual enhancement drug, turn up dead in the wealthy seaside enclave of La Jolla Farms, where Goode can readily see that the forensic evidence doesn’t add up. 🔍As they work their own angles, sometimes together and sometimes at odds, their growing attraction threatens to cost them their jobs—and their lives. As Katrina and Goode pursue answers behind these mysterious events, a secret stalker taunts Katrina with details of her tragic past, which takes her to the brink of death. But once the duo rips the mask away from this beautiful paradise, the corrupt underbelly behind all that glitters is revealed. 😱
Why I’m including this: Investigative reporter Katrina Chopin and surfing homicide detective Ken Goode lock eyes with immediate attraction, bonding over being orphans and losing loved ones to suicide. But the next time they meet, it’s from opposing sides when two biotech execs turn up dead in La Jolla Farms. As they work their angles, their growing attraction threatens their jobs and lives while a secret stalker taunts Katrina with her tragic past.
It’s 1933, and though the country is stuck in the Great Depression, movies are the ultimate escape. But Hollywood is skilled at selling lies, and nothing is as it seems. Frankie Donnelly is scrappy, smart, and ambitious. Her knack for spinning any story into stellar publicity has made her an invaluable “fixer” at RCO Studios, where she works under the tutelage of powerful Nico Marconi. Frankie’s latest fix is the upcoming marriage of Hollywood royals Jack Sawyer and June Finney, and millions of fans can’t wait to see their favorite silver-screen lovers tie the knot. But Frankie knows the truth: The marriage is an artful cover for Jack and June’s darkest secrets. 🎬When a shocking murder occurs, allegiances fracture, the tabloids go wild, and a devastated public is left reeling. Frankie uncovers new layers of scandal and deception and is forced to choose which Hollywood player to protect and who to destroy. Now, more than ever, the country needs a happy ending—but at what cost? Gian Sardar delivers women’s friendship fiction where 1933 Hollywood fixers spin any story into stellar publicity until shocking murders fracture allegiances leaving devastated publics reeling. 😱
Why I’m including this: It’s 1933 and Frankie Donnelly’s knack for spinning stories into stellar publicity has made her an invaluable fixer at RCO Studios. Her latest fix is the upcoming marriage of Hollywood royals Jack Sawyer and June Finney, but Frankie knows the truth: the marriage is an artful cover for their darkest secrets. When a shocking murder occurs, Frankie uncovers new layers of scandal and is forced to choose which Hollywood player to protect and who to destroy.
Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight. The murder of a retired Los Angeles schoolteacher in 2004 never made the evening news, yet within hours arrests were made, charges filed, and a speedy conviction sent to prison Jimmy Kitlas, an incredibly shy, special needs teenager with no criminal history whatsoever. 20 years after the murder, a woman named Kelley Leigh asked Burl Barer and Frank C. Girardot to investigate. She believed that the case’s rapid resolution concealed a deeper, more troubling narrative—one marked by deception, manipulation, dishonesty, and a profound disregard for truth and justice. 🔍She was right. Of the last three people to see the victim alive, only one had both the motive and the opportunity to strangle him to death, and it wasn’t Jimmy Kitlas. What begins with a dead body on the bed leads to bizarre scheme to steal a fortune in gold, a plot to smuggle MDMA, and an incredible joint effort by the American Mafia and the Russian Mob to defraud the United States Government out of billions of dollars. 😱
Why I’m including this: The 2004 murder of a retired LA schoolteacher never made the evening news, yet within hours arrests were made and Jimmy Kitlas, an incredibly shy special needs teenager with no criminal history, was sent to prison. 20 years later, Kelley Leigh asked Barer and Girardot to investigate. What begins with a dead body leads to bizarre schemes to steal gold, smuggle MDMA, and an incredible joint effort by the American Mafia and Russian Mob to defraud the US Government of billions.