Author: J.K. Flynn
FREE
Crime Thrillers

Some pictures are not so pretty…

Detective Sergeant Esther Penman is a bit of a mess. She drinks too much. She sleeps around. She has trouble following orders.

But it’s her tenacity that’s about to get her into the biggest trouble of all…

When a woman is killed in one of Belfield’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, Esther quickly realises it’s no straightforward homicide. The husband has an alibi, but he’s hiding something, and Esther is determined to find out what.

A few days later a man is found hanging in nearby woodland, and her suspicions of a deeper conspiracy begin to grow.

It isn’t long before Esther’s discoveries set her on the trail of forces far more sinister than she imagined…

And put her on a collision course with the man they call the Art Merchant… 🎨

Why I’m including this: Flynn gives us a gloriously flawed protagonist—Esther drinks, sleeps around, and can’t follow orders, making her the opposite of the polished detective archetype. 🍷 That messiness is what makes her interesting: she’s self-destructive but tenacious, which means she won’t let go even when she should. The wealthy neighbourhood murder with a husband who “has an alibi, but he’s hiding something” is classic crime thriller setup—the alibi checks out legally but something’s off, and Esther’s instinct won’t let it go. 🏠 The second body—a man hanging in woodland—escalates from domestic homicide to conspiracy, suggesting these deaths are connected in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. Flynn’s “forces far more sinister than she imagined” promises the investigation will spiral beyond simple murder into corruption, organized crime, or worse. 😱 The title character “the Art Merchant” is menacing—what does he trade? Stolen art? Forgeries? Or is “art” a euphemism for something darker? The collision course setup guarantees confrontation between Esther’s reckless determination and whoever’s behind these deaths. If you’ve loved Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad for flawed detectives, Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects for self-destructive investigators, or any crime thriller where the protagonist’s personal demons make them better at understanding darkness, Flynn delivers similar grit. 🔎

Author: Deborah Garner
FREE
Holiday Fiction

A Christmas novella with cookie recipes included! 🍪

The Timberton Hotel has always provided a perfect Christmas retreat for regular guests, as well as newcomers. But the small town of Timberton, Montana, hasn’t been the same since resident chef and artist, Mist, arrived, bringing a unique new age flavor to the old western town. When guests check in for the holidays, they bring along worries, fears and broken hearts, unaware that Mist has a way of working magic in people’s lives. Old-fashioned time spent together, exquisite food, conversation and a snowball or two offer guests a chance to trade sadness for hope. One thing is certain: no matter how cold winter’s grip is on each guest, no one leaves Timberton without a warmer heart. ❄️💕

Why I’m including this: Garner creates a Christmas sanctuary—the Timberton Hotel in Montana is where broken people go to heal, and chef/artist Mist is the mysterious figure who “has a way of working magic” in their lives. ✨ The ambiguity of whether Mist’s magic is literal or metaphorical (extraordinary cooking + wisdom) is part of the charm. Guests arrive carrying “worries, fears and broken hearts” and leave with “warmer hearts”—this is emotional healing wrapped in holiday comfort. 🎁 The “old-fashioned time spent together, exquisite food, conversation and a snowball or two” formula is simple but effective: connection, nourishment, and play as antidotes to whatever pain people brought with them. The included cookie recipes make this participatory—you’re not just reading about the healing power of food, you’re invited to bake along. 🍪 The Montana setting during Christmas creates that snow globe isolation where transformation feels possible because you’re removed from regular life. Garner’s promise that “no one leaves Timberton without a warmer heart” is the ultimate comfort read guarantee—everyone gets healed, everyone finds hope, everyone goes home better than they arrived. If you’ve loved Jan Karon’s Mitford series for small-town healing, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove books for community comfort, or any Hallmark Christmas movie where a magical inn fixes broken people, Garner delivers similar warmth with recipes. ☕

Author: Rosie A. Point
FREE
Cozy Animal Mystery

It’s going to be a very murder Christmas… 🎅🔪

Holly loves the small town life in Full Fork, New York, especially since she gets to spend most of her time walking the adorable dogs of the town’s elite. Or hanging out at her best friend’s pet cafe. And the first day of Christmas is no exception to the routine.

Until she arrives at her first client’s home to pick up an adorable Dachshund named Dixie and finds a corpse instead. The owner has been murdered! And, as the last person who saw her, Holly’s got a bright red target on her back. She’s got to figure out whodunit before Christmas is ruined.

Can Holly find the real killer with the help of her doggy friends? Find out in the first in this cozy Christmas trilogy. Grab your copy today! 🐾

Why I’m including this: Point delivers cozy mystery comfort food—dog walker Holly has the dream small-town life until she finds her client murdered while picking up an adorable Dachshund named Dixie. 🐶 The “first day of Christmas” timing means Holly has 12 days (presumably) to solve the murder before the holiday is ruined, creating a ticking clock with festive pressure. The setup is classic cozy: Holly’s the last person who saw the victim, putting her under suspicion and giving her strong motivation to clear her name and find the real killer. 🎄 The “help of her doggy friends” means the dogs Holly walks will be involved in the investigation—maybe they witnessed something, maybe they lead her to clues, maybe their owners are suspects. Point’s promise that Holly must solve this “before Christmas is ruined” stakes the investigation to holiday joy—if she fails, everyone’s season is destroyed. 🎁 The “Very Murder Christmas” trilogy branding tells you this is the first of three Christmas-themed murders, so if you fall in love with Holly and Full Fork, you’ve got more holiday mayhem waiting. If you’ve loved Rita Mae Brown’s Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries for animal sleuths, Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series for cozy small-town murder with recipes, or any cozy mystery where pets help solve crimes, Point delivers adorable dogs and holiday murder. 🔎

Author: Wendy Vella
FREE
Regency Romance

An enchanting set of Regency Christmas romances from USA Today bestseller, Wendy Vella. ✨

Christmas Wishes 🎄
Miss Hero Appleby has no patience for noblemen—especially not charming rakes with reputations blacker than soot. But when the orphanage she runs teeters on the brink of ruin, desperate times call for desperate measures. To save her beloved children, Hero must seek the help of the most dangerous man she knows—the devilish Lord Caruthers.

Mistletoe and the Marquess 💋
The Marquess of Harrington never acts on impulse—until the night he sees the captivating woman behind a gilded mask. Her beauty and fire undo him completely, and one stolen kiss isn’t enough. When she vanishes into the night, Harry vows to find her… and unmask the woman who has haunted his every thought since that fateful Christmas Eve.

Rescued By A Rake 🎁
When Miss Ivy Redfern’s brother disappears just days before Christmas—taking the family’s funds with him—she turns to the one man who might help. Mr. Rory Haddon is charming, well-connected, and exactly the kind of rake she swore to avoid. Ivy vows their partnership will be strictly business—find her brother, restore her family’s name, and nothing more.

The Earl From Christmas Past 💔
Lord Gabriel Lockhart wants nothing to do with Miss Madeline Spencer—the spirited girl he once adored has become a woman he barely recognizes. Calculating, and aloof, Maddie’s beauty is now just a façade. But when he finds her in the poorest corners of London, fighting for forgotten children, Gabe realizes how wrong he’s been—and how deeply he still cares.

Why I’m including this: Vella gives you four complete Regency Christmas romances in one collection—that’s a holiday binge-read bonanza. 🎉 Each novella features a different trope: desperate heroine forced to ask rake for help (Christmas Wishes), masked ball mystery woman (Mistletoe and the Marquess), forced partnership to find missing brother (Rescued By A Rake), and second-chance romance with misunderstandings (The Earl From Christmas Past). Hero Appleby running an orphanage and having to swallow her pride to ask Lord Caruthers for help creates the classic “I hate asking you but I have no choice” tension. 🏚️ The Marquess becoming obsessed with a masked woman and vowing to find her is Cinderella-meets-Regency with Christmas Eve magic. Ivy’s brother disappearing with the family funds right before Christmas creates financial desperation plus time pressure—she needs Rory’s connections but can’t afford to fall for another rake. 💸 Gabriel thinking Maddie has become “calculating and aloof” until he discovers she’s actually doing charity work in London’s poorest neighborhoods is the “I completely misjudged you and now I’m an idiot” revelation that makes second-chance romance satisfying. Vella’s Christmas setting adds snow, mistletoe, and holiday parties to create forced proximity and romantic opportunities. If you’ve loved Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series for Regency romance with banter, Tessa Dare’s historical romances for rake redemption, or any Regency collection that lets you sample multiple love stories, Vella delivers four swoony heroes and four strong heroines. 💕

Author: Daphne Byrne
FREE
Historical Regency Romance

“I’ve never been in love before. It’s an insipid emotion that only leads to pain in any case.” 💔

Emma has lost all hope for finding a husband, so she enters the Matchmaker’s shop. And she leaves with a date with a Duke… 👑

Charming and dangerous, Duke Nicholas has been a perpetual bachelor, until he is tricked into finding a bride.

But when Emma flees from him, Nicholas is determined to win the only woman who turned him down. And he has five dates to achieve his goal…and claim her as his own. 🌹

*If you like a realistic yet steamy depiction of the Regency and Victorian era, then Five Dates with the Duke is the novel for you.

An enchanting regency romance of 80,000 words (around 400 pages), written by Daphne Byrne and published by Cobalt Fairy.

No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a strong happily ever after. ✨

Why I’m including this: Byrne sets up a delicious power dynamic—Emma has “lost all hope” and visits a Matchmaker’s shop out of desperation, while Duke Nicholas is a “perpetual bachelor” who’s been tricked into finding a bride. 🎭 The matchmaker pairing a hopeless spinster with a reluctant duke creates instant conflict: neither wants this, both have reasons to resist, but they’re stuck with each other. The “five dates” structure is genius—it’s not instalove, it’s not endless pining, it’s a clear progression where Nicholas has exactly five opportunities to win Emma over. ⏰ Emma fleeing from Nicholas is the perfect twist: she’s supposed to be grateful for a duke’s attention, but she runs instead, which makes Nicholas chase her for the first time in his confirmed bachelor life. His determination to “win the only woman who turned him down” flips the usual courtship—suddenly he’s pursuing someone who rejected him, and that rejection makes her irresistible. 💘 Nicholas’s opening quote about love being “insipid” and leading only to pain shows he’s got baggage—this isn’t just commitment phobia, it’s protection from past hurt, which means Emma has to break through emotional walls, not just social ones. Byrne’s promise of “realistic yet steamy” suggests historical accuracy about social constraints while delivering modern heat levels. The 80,000 words (400 pages) means this is a full novel, not a novella, giving space for the five-date structure to develop slowly. If you’ve loved Tessa Dare’s The Duchess Deal for reluctant duke romance, Sarah MacLean’s marriage-of-convenience historicals, or any Regency where the hero has to work to win the heroine, Byrne delivers a duke who finally meets his match. 🔥

🌍 Author: Christopher Ryan
💰 Regularly $14.99, Today $1.99
Cultural Anthropology

The New York Times bestselling coauthor of Sex at Dawn explores the ways in which “progress” has perverted the way we live—how we eat, learn, feel, mate, parent, communicate, work, and die—in this “engaging, extensively documented, well-organized, and thought-provoking” (Booklist) book.

Most of us have instinctive evidence the world is ending—balmy December days, face-to-face conversation replaced with heads-to-screens zomboidism, a world at constant war, a political system in disarray. 😰 We hear some myths and lies so frequently that they feel like truths: Civilization is humankind’s greatest accomplishment. Progress is undeniable. Count your blessings. You’re lucky to be alive here and now.

Well, maybe we are and maybe we aren’t. 🤔 Civilized to Death counters the idea that progress is inherently good, arguing that the “progress” defining our age is analogous to an advancing disease.

Prehistoric life, of course, was not without serious dangers and disadvantages. 💀 Many babies died in infancy. A broken bone, infected wound, snakebite, or difficult pregnancy could be life-threatening. But ultimately, Christopher Ryan questions, were these pre-civilized dangers more murderous than modern scourges, such as car accidents, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and a technologically prolonged dying process?

Civilized to Death “will make you see our so-called progress in a whole new light” (Book Riot) and adds to the timely conversation that “the way we have been living is no longer sustainable, at least as long as we want to the earth to outlive us” (Psychology Today). 🌱 Ryan makes the claim that we should start looking backwards to find our way into a better future.

Christopher Ryan is a New York Times bestselling author and psychologist whose 2010 book Sex at Dawn challenged conventional wisdom about human sexuality and became one of the most controversial anthropology books of the decade. 📚 Ryan combines academic rigor (he holds a PhD in psychology) with accessible writing that makes complex anthropological concepts understandable to general readers. His work consistently questions whether modern assumptions about “human nature” are actually culturally constructed narratives that serve power rather than truth.

What makes this special: Ryan’s thesis is provocatively simple—what if everything we’ve been told about progress is wrong? What if civilization didn’t save us but trapped us? 🏙️ Most books celebrate human advancement from “primitive” hunter-gatherers to modern technological society as obvious improvement. Ryan flips that narrative, arguing that “progress” has made us sicker, more stressed, more isolated, and less happy than our prehistoric ancestors. The evidence he marshals is uncomfortable: modern diseases (cancer, heart disease, diabetes) were rare or nonexistent in hunter-gatherer populations; mental illness, depression, and anxiety are epidemic in wealthy nations; we work more hours than medieval peasants; we’re lonelier despite being more “connected.” 😔 Ryan’s genius is asking the question nobody wants to face: were prehistoric dangers (infection, childbirth complications, predators) actually more deadly than modern dangers (car accidents, pollution, chronic diseases, suicide)? The answer might be no, which means we’ve traded acute but manageable risks for chronic diseases and psychological suffering. 💊 His argument isn’t that we should abandon technology and return to caves—that’s impossible and undesirable. Instead, Ryan suggests we need to recognize which aspects of modern life are genuinely improvements and which are making us miserable, then redesign society around human needs rather than economic growth. 🌿 The “balmy December days, face-to-face conversation replaced with heads-to-screens zomboidism” opening captures Ryan’s method: presenting evidence we can all see but have been trained to ignore or accept as inevitable. If you’ve loved Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens (human history reassessed), Sebastian Junger’s Tribe (modern isolation vs. tribal connection), or any book questioning whether we’re actually better off than our ancestors, Ryan delivers similar paradigm-shifting analysis. At $1.99 (down from $14.99), you’re getting a New York Times bestseller that might fundamentally change how you view “progress” and modern life for less than a parking meter—though after reading it, you might question why we need parking meters at all.

✨ Author: Chris Colfer
💰 Regularly $7.99, Today $1.99
Children’s Fantasy & Magic Adventure

This #1 New York Times bestseller is the first book in a new series set in Chris Colfer’s Land of Stories universe, perfect for both new and longtime fans!

When Brystal Evergreen stumbles across a secret section of the library, she discovers a book that introduces her to a world beyond her imagination and learns the impossible: She is a fairy capable of magic! 🧚 But in the oppressive Southern Kingdom, women are forbidden from reading and magic is outlawed, so Brystal is swiftly convicted of her crimes and sent to the miserable Bootstrap Correctional Facility.

But with the help of the mysterious Madame Weatherberry, Brystal is whisked away and enrolled in an academy of magic! 🏰 Adventure comes with a price, however, and when Madame Weatherberry is called away to attend to an important problem she doesn’t return.

Do Brystal and her classmates have what it takes to stop a sinister plot that risks the fate of the world, and magic, forever? ⚡

Fall in love with an all-new series from Chris Colfer, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Land of Stories, filled with adventure, imagination, and wonderfully memorable characters both familiar and new. 📖

A #1 New York Times bestseller
An IndieBound bestseller
A USA Today bestseller
A Wall Street Journal bestseller

Chris Colfer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, Golden Globe-winning actor (Glee), and Emmy-nominated writer who has sold millions of books worldwide through his Land of Stories series. 🎭 His ability to create magical worlds that tackle real-world issues (prejudice, censorship, authoritarianism) while remaining accessible to middle-grade readers has made him one of the most successful children’s fantasy authors of the 2010s. Colfer understands that great children’s literature doesn’t talk down to young readers but trusts them to handle complex themes wrapped in adventure.

Here’s what you’re getting: Colfer has created a Harry Potter-style world where discovering you have magic should be wonderful but is instead illegal and dangerous. 📚 Brystal lives in the “oppressive Southern Kingdom” where women are forbidden from reading and magic is outlawed—meaning her very existence as a literate female fairy is triple crime. That setup immediately establishes stakes: Brystal can’t just hide her powers, she must hide her literacy and her gender’s defiance of restrictions. Being sent to “Bootstrap Correctional Facility” (note the darkly comic name suggesting she should have pulled herself up by bootstraps rather than having magic) before being rescued by mysterious Madame Weatherberry creates classic chosen-one rescue dynamics. 🎓 The magic academy setting will appeal to readers who loved Harry Potter or The School for Good and Evil—kids learning magic together, forming friendships, discovering abilities. But Colfer adds urgency: Madame Weatherberry disappears, leaving students to face “a sinister plot that risks the fate of the world, and magic, forever” without adult guidance. 🌟 The oppressive kingdom backdrop (women can’t read, magic is banned) gives this social justice undertones—Brystal must fight not just magical villains but systemic oppression that seeks to control women and eliminate magic entirely. Colfer’s experience as an LGBTQ+ advocate informs his writing: his magical outcasts represent any marginalized group fighting for the right to exist. 🏳️‍🌈 The multiple bestseller lists (New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, IndieBound) prove Colfer has crossover appeal—kids love the adventure, adults appreciate the themes, booksellers can hand-sell it confidently. If your children loved J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil, or any middle-grade fantasy about magical schools and fighting injustice, Colfer delivers similar magic with more explicit social commentary. At $1.99 (down from $7.99), this is exceptional value for a #1 New York Times bestseller that will keep young readers engaged while teaching them about standing up to oppression—and it’s the start of a complete series for kids who devour books.

⛓️ Author: Lila Cain
💰 Regularly $23.80, Today $3.99
African American Historical Fiction

From the brutal horrors of Jamaican plantations to the teeming streets of 19th century London, through lavish manor houses and across dangerous seas, escaped enslaved siblings survive the American War of Independence and arrive in London to seek their fortune in this page-turning, immersive story of survival, betrayal, secrets, and the quest for true freedom.

On a terrifying night in 1768, Daniel and his young sister, Pearl, narrowly escape their brutal life of slavery when a Jamaican sugarcane plantation is torched in a violent uprising. 🔥 In the ashes, Daniel leaves behind the rest of his family—and one powerful love.

More than a decade later in New York City, Daniel anticipates sailing with Pearl, now 15, to a new life promised by Britain’s king to former slaves who fought for the Crown in America’s War of Independence. 🇬🇧 For saving a Major’s life in battle, Daniel is doubly rewarded with the man’s inheritance, to be claimed on the other side of the ocean.

But a king’s promises can be forgotten, and fortunes snatched away by the cruel prejudices of strangers in a new land . . . 💔

Hopeless and homeless, Daniel and Pearl are lured into a dank maze of passageways roiling beneath London’s teeming streets, under the famed Covent Garden, and far below the crypts of St. Giles church. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 A world of unimaginable poverty, where the desperate live as outcasts—the blackbirds of St. Giles.

Lila Cain writes historical fiction that centers Black experiences during periods often whitewashed in mainstream narratives, focusing on the lives of formerly enslaved people who fought for Britain during the American Revolution and discovered that promises of freedom meant little in racist Georgian London. 📖 Her debut novel has attracted readers who want their historical fiction unflinching about racism and exploitation while celebrating Black resilience, agency, and survival against impossible odds.

Why I’m including this: This is essential historical fiction about a period rarely explored—Black Loyalists who fought for Britain during the American Revolution based on promises of freedom, only to discover those promises were worthless in London. ⚖️ Daniel’s story begins with violence (1768 Jamaican plantation uprising) and spans decades, taking him from slavery through military service to London’s underground slums. The detail that “Daniel leaves behind the rest of his family—and one powerful love” in the plantation ashes establishes the cost of survival—he escaped but lost everyone, creating survivor’s guilt and grief that will haunt him. 💔 The American Revolution context is crucial: Britain recruited enslaved people to fight against American colonists by promising freedom, and thousands of Black Loyalists took that deal. Daniel saved a Major’s life and was promised inheritance—but “a king’s promises can be forgotten, and fortunes snatched away by the cruel prejudices of strangers in a new land” captures the brutal reality that legal promises meant nothing when white Londoners refused to honor them. 🏛️ Daniel and Pearl ending up in the underground passages beneath St. Giles (one of London’s worst slums) shows how quickly freedom can become another form of bondage. “The blackbirds of St. Giles”—outcasts living in unimaginable poverty beneath the city—is both literal (they’re hidden underground) and metaphorical (they’re invisible to the society above that refuses to see them). 🐦 Cain’s scope is epic: Jamaica to New York to London, spanning 1768 to post-Revolution, covering plantation uprising, military service, transatlantic travel, and London’s underclass. The “lavish manor houses” reference suggests Daniel will encounter the inheritance he was promised, creating tension between what he’s owed and what he’ll actually receive. 💎 If you’ve loved Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad (Black experience under slavery with speculative elements), Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing (multi-generational Black family saga), or any historical fiction that centers Black voices during periods when they’re usually marginalized in mainstream narratives, Cain delivers similar epic scope and unflinching honesty. At $3.99 (down from $23.80), you’re getting a sweeping historical saga for less than a fancy coffee—and this book will stay with you far longer than caffeine.

🔥 Author: Franklin Horton
💰 Regularly $5.99, Today $2.99
Vigilante Justice Thrillers

Sometimes the story of an apocalypse isn’t one of tragedy, but one of opportunity…

Dan Slaughter’s life is already a slow-motion car crash. 💥 Burned out from a soulless job and still reeling from his wife’s death, he gets a call that sends him cross-country to Boise. His best friend, Carl, a free-spirited musician, is dead—an alleged drug overdose that Dan absolutely refuses to believe.

What starts as a solemn duty to settle an estate quickly spirals into a fight for survival. 🎸 Carl’s house holds more than just old guitars; it hides a dark secret, drawing Dan into a violent underworld and exposing him to Carl’s dangerous associates. Then, when it seemed that things couldn’t get any worse, the world goes dark.

A devastating EMP strike silences engines, cripples technology, and plunges society into chaos. ⚡ Trapped thousands of miles from home in a city teetering on the brink, Dan is forced to embrace the Tennessee boy he’d kept buried for most of his adult life.

Now Dan finds himself on a path of unrelenting vengeance. 😤 But in a world without rules, where justice is a bullet and every step is a gamble, how far will this unlikely avenger go? And can a cynical ex-cop named Holly Turner convince him there’s a life beyond settling scores, even as the city quite literally burns around them?

From Franklin Horton, the bestselling author of The Borrowed World and The Mad Mick series, comes a gripping post-apocalyptic thriller about loyalty, survival, and the dark rebirth of one man’s soul. 🌟

Franklin Horton is a bestselling post-apocalyptic fiction author whose Borrowed World and Mad Mick series have attracted devoted readers who want their survival fiction grounded in realistic scenarios and featuring characters who must navigate both external threats and internal moral struggles. 📚 Horton’s strength lies in combining page-turning action with genuine character development, creating protagonists who aren’t just surviving the apocalypse but discovering who they really are when society collapses.

What makes this special: Horton delivers a two-for-one premise—Dan travels to Boise to investigate his friend’s suspicious death (mystery/thriller) and then an EMP strike happens, transforming the story into post-apocalyptic survival. 💀 That genre pivot midway through creates escalating stakes: Dan can’t just solve Carl’s murder and go home because there’s no electricity, no transportation, no way home. He’s trapped in Boise as society collapses. “Carl’s house holds more than just old guitars; it hides a dark secret” suggests Carl was involved in something criminal or dangerous that got him killed, pulling Dan into an underworld. 🎵 The EMP strike timing is perfect dramatic irony: Dan’s in danger from Carl’s associates, and then suddenly everyone’s in danger from societal collapse. “Dan is forced to embrace the Tennessee boy he’d kept buried for most of his adult life” reveals Dan has been suppressing his true nature—presumably tougher, more rural, more violent—to fit into civilized society. 🤠 The apocalypse forces that buried self to surface, making Dan dangerous in ways his enemies won’t expect. The “path of unrelenting vengeance” combined with “in a world without rules, where justice is a bullet” promises vigilante violence justified by both personal loss (Carl’s murder) and societal collapse (no law enforcement). 🔫 Holly Turner (cynical ex-cop) serving as potential moral anchor creates tension: can she convince Dan there’s more to life than revenge when revenge is literally all he has left? The “city quite literally burns around them” isn’t metaphor—Boise is on fire, adding environmental threat to human danger. 🔥 Horton’s experience writing post-apocalyptic series means he knows how to balance action (survival situations, violent confrontations) with character work (Dan’s grief, guilt over leaving Tennessee behind, choice between vengeance and redemption). If you’ve loved William Forstchen’s One Second After (EMP apocalypse), A. American’s Survivalist series, or any post-apocalyptic fiction where the protagonist must become harder to survive, Horton delivers similar gritty realism with more character depth. At $2.99 (down from $5.99), you’re getting the series starter from a proven post-apocalyptic author for less than a gallon of gas—which won’t help you after the EMP anyway.

💔 Author: Dani Atkins
💰 Regularly $3.99, Today $1.99
Contemporary Women Fiction

Izzy’s eight-year-old son Noah is her whole life. 👦 With his long eyelashes, mischievous grin and boundless energy, he’s got her husband Pete’s sunny outlook and Izzy’s curious mind. When they receive a surprise phone call from the fertility center that helped them have Noah, it’s surely nothing to worry about.

But what they learn from that call sends their dreams for their son crashing down around them. Eight years ago, someone made a terrible mistake at the center, and there’s a possibility that precious Noah isn’t actually their child. 😱

Izzy and Pete know that they will fight to keep their beautiful boy at any cost… but if Noah’s parents are out there somewhere, is it right to keep them from their son? 💕 When a shocking diagnosis brings things to a head, Izzy must decide what’s right for Noah, even if it means sacrificing the person she loves most in the world…

From a million-copy bestselling author comes a heart-wrenching family dilemma inspired by a true story. 📖 If you love Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Kerry Fisher, you won’t be able to put this book down.

Dani Atkins is a million-copy bestselling British author who writes emotionally devastating contemporary fiction about impossible choices, featuring ordinary families facing extraordinary moral dilemmas. 😢 Her novels have attracted readers who want their women’s fiction to make them ugly-cry while forcing them to consider what they would do in similarly heartbreaking situations. Atkins specializes in “no right answer” scenarios where any choice causes unbearable loss.

Here’s what you’re getting: The premise is every parent’s nightmare—the fertility clinic made a mistake eight years ago, and Noah might not be their biological child. 🧬 That “might not be” uncertainty is psychologically torturous: they don’t know for sure, creating agonizing limbo where testing could destroy their family. The moral complexity is immediately apparent: “Izzy and Pete know that they will fight to keep their beautiful boy at any cost… but if Noah’s parents are out there somewhere, is it right to keep them from their son?” ⚖️ That question has no good answer. If they keep Noah, they’re depriving his biological parents of their child. If they give him up, they’re losing the boy they’ve raised for eight years. Either choice causes devastating loss. 💔 The “shocking diagnosis brings things to a head” suggests Noah needs something (bone marrow transplant? kidney donation?) that requires biological family, forcing the issue beyond theoretical ethics into life-or-death urgency. 🏥 Atkins’s “even if it means sacrificing the person she loves most in the world” is deliberately ambiguous—does Izzy sacrifice Noah (giving him to his biological parents) or Pete (if they disagree on what’s right)? The “inspired by a true story” detail adds weight—this isn’t melodramatic invention but something that actually happened, making the impossibility of the situation more horrifying. 😭 Atkins’s comparisons to Jodi Picoult (moral dilemma fiction), Diane Chamberlain (family secrets with devastating consequences), and Kerry Fisher (contemporary women’s fiction with emotional depth) signal this will be heartbreaking but satisfying—readers will cry but feel the emotional journey was worth it. If you’ve loved Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper (impossible medical/family choices), Chamberlain’s The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes (children swapped at birth), or any women’s fiction that asks “what would you do?” and doesn’t offer easy answers, Atkins delivers similar gut-punch emotional impact. At $1.99 (down from $3.99), you’re getting a million-copy bestseller about an impossible choice for less than a tissue box—though you’ll definitely need tissues.

🍕 Author: Catherine Mangan
💰 Regularly $2.99, Today $0.99
Women’s Domestic Life Fiction

Sparkling sea, sun, delicious food and Aperol Spritz – escape to Italy with the perfect summer romance . . . ☀️

Niamh Kelly’s life hasn’t turned out quite as she’d expected. 😔 She’s thirty-three, still living at home and was recently dumped . . . by her boss. So when her sister invites her to tag along on a work trip to the sun-drenched Italian coast, Niamh jumps at the chance, eager to escape into a world of sparkling prosecco, delicious food, and breath-taking beaches.

Upon her arrival, Niamh immediately falls in love with the beautiful Italian town they’re staying in and realises she never wants to leave, deciding instead to stay and open up a quaint coffee shop nestled in charming old town streets – even if she has no idea what she’s doing. ☕ But when a family tragedy and a tricky tourist season threaten her new business, Niamh isn’t so sure she can stick it out.

With help from her new-found Italian friends – and the possibility of romance on the horizon – can she make her new life in the sun a success? 🇮🇹

Catherine Mangan writes women’s fiction about fresh starts, second chances, and the transformative power of changing your location when changing your life. 🌊 Her novels have attracted readers who want their escape fiction to feel genuinely escapist—sun-drenched settings, delicious food descriptions, charming locals, and romance that develops naturally while the heroine builds something meaningful.

Why I’m including this: This is pure wish-fulfillment for anyone stuck in a life that didn’t turn out as planned. 💭 Niamh at thirty-three is “still living at home and was recently dumped . . . by her boss”—that’s double humiliation (living with parents, dating your boss who then dumps you), making her Italian escape both necessary and deserved. The impulsive decision to “stay and open up a quaint coffee shop nestled in charming old town streets – even if she has no idea what she’s doing” is classic romance novel heroine move: leap first, figure it out later. ☕ That “even if she has no idea what she’s doing” is crucial—Niamh isn’t a business expert or experienced entrepreneur, she’s making an emotional decision and will have to learn as she goes, creating both comedy and tension. The “family tragedy and a tricky tourist season threaten her new business” adds stakes beyond romance—Niamh must prove to herself (and probably to doubting family members) that her impulsive Italian escape wasn’t just running away but running toward something real. 🏃‍♀️ Mangan’s “new-found Italian friends” and “possibility of romance on the horizon” promises found family and love interest without overwhelming the core story about Niamh building a life. The setting does heavy lifting: “sun-drenched Italian coast,” “sparkling prosecco,” “delicious food,” “breath-taking beaches,” “charming old town streets”—this is vicarious vacation for readers stuck in gray offices or dreary suburbs. 🌅 Mangan understands her audience wants to taste the Aperol Spritz, smell the espresso, and feel the Mediterranean sun, making the Italian setting character as much as backdrop. If you’ve loved Nicholas Sparks’s Italian settings, any “woman moves to [exotic location] and finds herself” romance, or Eat, Pray, Love-style transformation narratives where geography changes everything, Mangan delivers similar sun-soaked escape. At $0.99 (down from $2.99), this is cheaper than an actual Aperol Spritz and will last longer—perfect reading for anyone fantasizing about quitting their job and moving to Italy.

🌌 Author: Eric von Schrader
💰 Regularly $2.99, Today $1.49
Alternate History Science Fiction

Billy Boustany uncovers a mystery that transforms his sleepy midwestern city into a vibrant metropolis of iridescent skyscrapers, wild parties, and eccentric characters. 🏙️ He has the adventure of a lifetime, but it comes with a perilous secret.

When Billy shares his discovery with his college student daughter, they explore together until they reach a magnificent city of Native Americans at an ancient site. 🏛️ However, they also encounter a formidable foe—the Knights, a secret society bent on keeping outsiders away.

Can Billy and his family outsmart the Knights, or will they be forced to give up their incredible discovery? ⚔️

Eric von Schrader writes alternate history science fiction that uses parallel worlds as lens for exploring roads not taken in American history, particularly focusing on what would have happened if Indigenous peoples had maintained power and developed advanced civilizations. 🌍 His Intersecting Worlds series has attracted readers who want their alternate history thoughtful about colonization’s impact while delivering adventure and mystery.

What makes this special: The premise suggests Billy discovers access to parallel universes where his “sleepy midwestern city” exists as “vibrant metropolis of iridescent skyscrapers”—alternate timelines where different historical choices created radically different present-day realities. 🚪 That transformation from boring to vibrant is immediately appealing: Billy’s ordinary life suddenly has access to excitement and adventure he never imagined possible. The “magnificent city of Native Americans at an ancient site” reveals von Schrader’s alternate history focus: in some parallel universe, Indigenous peoples weren’t colonized but instead developed their own technological advancement. 🏺 That’s powerful speculative fiction—showing what could have been if European colonization hadn’t devastated Native American civilizations. The Knights (secret society keeping outsiders away) adds conspiracy thriller elements: someone knows about the parallel worlds and is actively preventing others from discovering or accessing them. 🤫 Why? What are they protecting or hiding? Billy sharing the discovery with his daughter creates father-daughter bonding through adventure, suggesting this is family-friendly sci-fi where generations work together rather than teen protagonist operating independently. 👨‍👧 The “will they be forced to give up their incredible discovery?” stakes feel modest until you consider what they’re discovering: evidence that history could have gone differently, that colonization wasn’t inevitable, that Indigenous civilizations could have thrived. That knowledge is dangerous to people invested in the current historical narrative. If you’ve loved Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle (alternate history exploration), Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (time travel with historical what-ifs), or any sci-fi that uses parallel worlds to explore historical contingency, von Schrader offers similar mind-bending possibilities. At $1.49 (down from $2.99), you’re getting series-starter alternate history that asks “what if America had developed differently?”—and that’s worth more than the price of admission.

💼 Author: M. S. Parker
💰 Regularly $2.99, Today $1.49
Women’s Romance Fiction

Alec: Lumen is amazing. 💕 She brings out the playful, relaxed side of me, but fate doesn’t seem to agree we belong together. And now, my ex pops back into my life and wants to make a go of it again so our daughter can have a real family. I’m torn between what’s best for my daughter or following my feelings for Lumen.

Lumen: Just when our relationship was going great, Alec basically blows me off the minute his ex is back in town. 😤 He texted that he needs a break while he figures out what’s going on with his family. And to add fuel to the fire, someone told my principal about the massage parlor job I had before I started teaching, like it was something illegal. Who else knew about that job but Alec? I’m crushed. This is why I don’t do relationships.

Third-grade teacher Lumen Browne and multi-billionaire CEO Alec McCrae are an unlikely couple, but they’re willing to defy the odds. 👨‍💼 As they struggle to fit into each other’s lives, they must decide if they’re willing to fight for their love…or walk away.

Don’t miss Breaking Rules, the second book in The Scottish Billionaire, M. S. Parker’s latest romance series. 📚

M. S. Parker writes contemporary romance featuring billionaires, athletes, and alpha males who fall for ordinary women, creating stories where power imbalances and class differences create both tension and transformation. 💰 Her Scottish Billionaires series has attracted readers who want their billionaire romance with actual obstacles (ex-wives, children, career conflicts) rather than just manufactured drama, featuring heroes who must choose between duty and desire.

Here’s what you’re getting: The dual POV immediately establishes miscommunication and external pressure threatening the relationship. 💔 Alec’s ex returning and wanting to reunite “so our daughter can have a real family” weaponizes his guilt—what father doesn’t want his child to have both parents? That’s manipulation disguised as noble sacrifice, forcing Alec to choose between his happiness with Lumen and his daughter’s presumed best interests. 👧 Lumen’s perspective reveals she’s been blindsided: “Just when our relationship was going great, Alec basically blows me off the minute his ex is back in town”—from her viewpoint, Alec abandoned her for his ex without real explanation. The “needs a break while he figures out what’s going on with his family” text is particularly painful—that’s breakup language disguised as temporary pause. 😢 The subplot about someone telling Lumen’s principal about her massage parlor job (implying it was sex work when it wasn’t) adds vindictive sabotage to relationship drama. Lumen’s suspicion that only Alec knew creates trust issues: did he betray her to push her away, or is his ex (or someone else) actively trying to destroy her career? 🔥 The “this is why I don’t do relationships” conclusion shows Lumen’s defense mechanism—she’s been hurt before and this confirms her belief that opening up leads to pain. Parker’s billionaire/teacher pairing creates inherent power imbalance: Alec has resources, status, and options; Lumen is a third-grade teacher whose career could be destroyed by rumors. That inequality makes their relationship harder to navigate because they’re not equals in the world’s eyes. 💪 If you’ve loved Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s billionaire romances, Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series (power dynamics and miscommunication), or any contemporary romance where the couple must overcome both internal doubts and external sabotage, Parker delivers similar angst and ultimate satisfaction. At $1.49 (down from $2.99), you’re getting book two in a series (though it works as standalone) about whether love can survive when everyone else is actively trying to destroy it.