Only for the Holidays by Abiola Bello

 “City girl Tia Solanké is dreading the festive season. She and her boyfriend are on a break and the last thing she wants is to spend Christmas away from London. Dragged to Saiyan Hedge Farm by her mother, Tia takes an instant disliking to the countryside estate. She falls in horse manure, is chased by sheep and the Wi-Fi sucks. How can she stalk her ex and concoct a foolproof plan to win him back from here?

Country boy Quincy Parker and his family run the farm, and this year they’ve been selected to host the biggest event in the town’s calendar—the Winter Ball. Preparations are underway, and Quincy is working around the clock to make it a success. The only problem is, he’s told everyone he has a date to the ball, when in reality that couldn’t be further from the truth.

At first, Tia and Quincy don’t see eye to eye, until they realize they both have something to gain by pretending to be a couple. But when a snowstorm threatens to cancel the Winter Ball, their fake relationship is put to the test. Will Tia and Quincy be able to keep up appearances and save the day, or will real feelings get in the way?” - taken from Goodreads.

Tia is unhappy to be spending the Christmas holidays in the countryside, away from her boyfriend who wants to take a break from their relationship. A true city girl, she struggles at the farm much to her chagrin. Determined to find a way back to London for her boyfriend’s party, even though he is distant, she strikes up a deal with super cute Qunicy. She will be his fake girlfriend for the town’s winter ball if he will take her to London for the party. What starts as a sham between them soon turns into something more. Will Quincy and Tia’s Christmas wishes come true? 

Visit Abiola Bello’s website.

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma (Immortal Dark book 1)

 

“It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.

Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her—the very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.

To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University—where students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos—even as he does everything he can to drive her away. It doesn’t matter that Susenyos’s wickedness speaks to Kidan’s own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs.

When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat—and June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love—and the blood it requires.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book does start off slow as there is a ton of backstory and world building to start off this trilogy. Kidan Adane is alone in this world as the only family she has left has passed. Her twin sister June has disappeared. The only clue she has to her disappearance is the name of her family's vampire, Susenyos Sagad. Brought to Uxlay University to lay claim to her family's house, she must live with Susanyos and pass a class in order to inherit. The only cute that Kidan has about June’s disappearance is that she was taken by Susenyos. Kidan must find her way in the Uxlay world as an outsider while living under the same roof as Susenyos. 

As the story unravels, reader's will be anxious to discover who the real monsters are and what secrets lie at Uxlay's gate.

Book two is due to be published on Sept. 11, 2025.

Visit Tigest Girma’s website.

Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello

 

“Charming, handsome Trey Anderson balances the pressures of school popularity with a job at his family’s beloved local bookshop, Wonderland.

Quirky, creative Ariel Spencer needs tuition for the prestigious art program of her dreams, and an opening at Wonderland is the answer. When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of being shut down by a neighborhood gentrifier, they team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline—and embark on a hate-to-love journey that will change them forever.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a cute Christmas romance that takes place in a London bookshop. Ariel needs tuition money to attend the same art school that her father did. She walks into Wonderland hoping for a position. Enter Trey, Ariel’s secret crush whose family are the longtime owners of the store. He has to tell her that they aren’t hiring. When Trey’s father falls from a ladder and breaks his leg, his mother hires Ariel to help out. It’s not long before Trey and Ariel realize that the bookshop is in financial trouble and must work together to save the business before Christmas Eve and discover love along the way.

Visit Abiola Bello’s website.

That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams (The Forge & Fracture Saga book 1)

 

“Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. Joan’s skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal—an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn’t involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae’s body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.” - taken from Goodreads.

A historical fantasy that centers around the reign of King James I, it is up to Joan and her friends to stop the wayward Fae from taking over London before it is too late.

Book two, Saint-Seducing Gold, is due out April 30, 2024.

Visit Brittany N. Williams’ website.