This week’s theme is love freebie. If I valued my sanity, I'd just look at my bookshelves and find ten romance novels I'd like to read sooner rather than later, or that I've read and loved, or something like that. But I don't particularly value my sanity, so instead, I'm going to get on Netgalley, and request 10 new romance novels. Because that's a smart thing for me to do. Let's go!
Author: Daisy Wood
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: April 10, 2025
Request: Pending
Blurb
Berlin, 1933. The night skies are burning bright with huge bonfires of banned books. The Nazi party is swelling in number, Berlin is no longer a safe place for young Freya.
She can only watch on, horrified, as her beloved city falls to fascism – and the usually law-abiding Freya is forced to make a choice: continue being a bystander, or sacrifice herself to save the lives of others…
New York, present day. Maddie commutes home to her family to reset. Struggling to fully turn off from her work, she’s is shocked to come across a pre-war German diary amongst her Grandpa’s things. And when she starts to dig into the diary, Maddie’s shocked by what she finds.
And so begins a journey that will take Maddie beyond America as she searches for the truth about Freya, and how she changed people’s lives across the globe…
Author: Kate Storey
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: April 10, 2025
Request: Pending
Blurb
For three decades, Grace supported her husband Frank’s passion for books, despite not being a reader herself. Since his passing, their shelves echo longingly, and Grace’s heartache has only grown.
When Grace’s grandson suggests joining Frank’s old book club to feel closer to him again, Grace reluctantly agrees. Yet, upon arrival, she discovers this isn’t a typical book club: here, members settle in for an hour of reading… in silence.
Disappointed by the sparse attendance and confused by the lack of chatter, Grace flees. But when fellow member, Annie, convinces her to stay, Grace is determined to ensure that neither Frank – nor his beloved book club – are forgotten.
And as she breathes new life into the group, Grace might just find this is where she truly belongs. Because this next chapter of life could just be the beginning of her story…
Author: Mary E. Roach
Genre: Mythology Retelling
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Request: Read Now
Blurb
In this glittering, sapphic reimagining of Helen of Troy set in modern day mobster Greece, Helen is the daughter of a powerful crime lord and Paris is the woman hellbent on destroying her―if they don't fall for each other first.
They're thrown together in an opulent world of privilege, power, and cover-ups―and the closer they grow, the more the fragile balance of power in the world of crime lords begins to fray.
Because if Helen doesn't choose to abandon her newfound connection with Paris and marry into the alliance her father arranged, they could all go to war.
And Helen and Paris might just be ready to let them.
They're thrown together in an opulent world of privilege, power, and cover-ups―and the closer they grow, the more the fragile balance of power in the world of crime lords begins to fray.
Because if Helen doesn't choose to abandon her newfound connection with Paris and marry into the alliance her father arranged, they could all go to war.
And Helen and Paris might just be ready to let them.
Author: Evelyn Flood
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Author
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Request: Pending
Blurb
It was said that to be loved by a Faeyte was beyond words.
That when the ability to fall in love was ripped from them, they grieved for a loss they could no longer recognize.
And it cost them everything.
***
Selene Amaris is finally going home.
After ten years of enslavement in the red lands of Terrosa, she finds herself chained once more, her wings bound and held in the cargo of a silent ship heading back to her homeland, Asteria.
No one is waiting for her. Her people were wiped out ten years ago before the Great Shift, when the air turned to wind and water in a single violent moment, and the sea became an endless inky starlight.
But the beat of her heart calls her back, and she will answer.
One last time.
***
Callan Edgeborn has one plan.
Survive.
To keep those he cares about safe, he follows orders and transports desperately-needed goods across the Never Sea – a sea made entirely of starlight, where one fall can send a man tumbling into unending night.
He’s the only one with the ability to make it through.
Selene has no patience for a cocky, lazy, irreverent ship captain, and Callan has no time to watch over an emotionless, cold female with infuriatingly captivating eyes.
But as they both know all too well; it only takes a second for the world to shift.
As Selene navigates her return, Callan finds himself risking everything he cares about to keep her safe. And with every passing day, it becomes clear that Selene has been sent back to Asteria for a reason.
One meeting will change their lives forever.
And one Faeyte will tear the heavens apart for a love that was never supposed to exist.
That when the ability to fall in love was ripped from them, they grieved for a loss they could no longer recognize.
And it cost them everything.
***
Selene Amaris is finally going home.
After ten years of enslavement in the red lands of Terrosa, she finds herself chained once more, her wings bound and held in the cargo of a silent ship heading back to her homeland, Asteria.
No one is waiting for her. Her people were wiped out ten years ago before the Great Shift, when the air turned to wind and water in a single violent moment, and the sea became an endless inky starlight.
But the beat of her heart calls her back, and she will answer.
One last time.
***
Callan Edgeborn has one plan.
Survive.
To keep those he cares about safe, he follows orders and transports desperately-needed goods across the Never Sea – a sea made entirely of starlight, where one fall can send a man tumbling into unending night.
He’s the only one with the ability to make it through.
Selene has no patience for a cocky, lazy, irreverent ship captain, and Callan has no time to watch over an emotionless, cold female with infuriatingly captivating eyes.
But as they both know all too well; it only takes a second for the world to shift.
As Selene navigates her return, Callan finds himself risking everything he cares about to keep her safe. And with every passing day, it becomes clear that Selene has been sent back to Asteria for a reason.
One meeting will change their lives forever.
And one Faeyte will tear the heavens apart for a love that was never supposed to exist.
Author: Emma Hamm
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Request: Pending
Blurb
A princess murdered at the altar makes a deal with the god of death for vengeance and to save her people in this first in a unique romantasy trilogy from USA TODAY bestselling author Emma Hamm.
Jessamine was raised to be a leader for her people, but when the land is overrun by an incurable plague, she must enter a political marriage to save them all. A union that should have brought hope only brings death as her new husband murders her at the wedding altar and seizes the throne.
But her death is just the beginning. Her spirit is met by the Deathless One, a god of death yearning to return to the mortal plane, and he needs her help. The two of them make a deal—her life and the return of her kingdom in exchange for his resurrection. But the Deathless One is a known trickster, and a deal with him is one made in blood.
Jessamine knows the Deathless One is a dangerous ally, but the longer they work together, the more she wants him and the less she can stay away. As their connection deepens, soon she wonders if she even wants this contract to end. Perhaps the more appealing throne is the one by his side, but she’d have to turn her back on her people to get it.
Jessamine was raised to be a leader for her people, but when the land is overrun by an incurable plague, she must enter a political marriage to save them all. A union that should have brought hope only brings death as her new husband murders her at the wedding altar and seizes the throne.
But her death is just the beginning. Her spirit is met by the Deathless One, a god of death yearning to return to the mortal plane, and he needs her help. The two of them make a deal—her life and the return of her kingdom in exchange for his resurrection. But the Deathless One is a known trickster, and a deal with him is one made in blood.
Jessamine knows the Deathless One is a dangerous ally, but the longer they work together, the more she wants him and the less she can stay away. As their connection deepens, soon she wonders if she even wants this contract to end. Perhaps the more appealing throne is the one by his side, but she’d have to turn her back on her people to get it.
Author: Maria Z. Medina
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Request: Pending
Blurb
An epic and romantic debut adventure fantasy, where a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister gets embroiled in bigger, world-ending plans instead
Necromancer Azul del Arroyo only wants one thing: to steal her sister back from Death by reclaiming her sister’s bones. But the Emissary of the Lord Death will do anything to stop her, no matter how alluring he finds her . . .
As their paths collide, they’re drawn into a deadly game of pawns and power with a scheming court, a faceless witch, and the fate of the lands hanging in the balance.
For long ago the gods raised the continents, binding them with their own bones to keep humanity alive. But in an era when the gods’ sacrifice has been forgotten, Death might not be the only resentful god Azul must defy.
Swashbuckling, grand, and tragically romantic, Mistress of Bones is a can't-miss debut about love, loss, and, of course, death.
Necromancer Azul del Arroyo only wants one thing: to steal her sister back from Death by reclaiming her sister’s bones. But the Emissary of the Lord Death will do anything to stop her, no matter how alluring he finds her . . .
As their paths collide, they’re drawn into a deadly game of pawns and power with a scheming court, a faceless witch, and the fate of the lands hanging in the balance.
For long ago the gods raised the continents, binding them with their own bones to keep humanity alive. But in an era when the gods’ sacrifice has been forgotten, Death might not be the only resentful god Azul must defy.
Swashbuckling, grand, and tragically romantic, Mistress of Bones is a can't-miss debut about love, loss, and, of course, death.
Author: Caroline O'Donoghue
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Walker Books US
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Request: Pending
Blurb
Set in a universe where time is key to power and privilege, this dazzlingly inventive, genre-defying fantasy romance is the first in a duology by best-selling author Caroline O’Donoghue.
Margo is a troubled schoolgirl. After the death of her father, she’s on her way to a new boarding school in a new city.
Moon is a salesman. He makes his living traveling through a series of interconnected worlds on a network of barely used train lines.
They never should have met. But when Margo suddenly appears one day on Moon’s train, their fates become inextricably linked. If Margo wants to survive, she has to pass as a traveling salesman, too—except it’s not that easy.
Move north on the train line and time speeds up, a day passing in mere hours. Move south and time slows down—a day can last several weeks. Slow worlds are the richest ones: you live longer, your youth lasting decades. Fast worlds are sharp, cruel, and don’t have time for pleasantries. Death is frequent. Salesmen die young of skipshock. That is, if they’re not shot down by the Southern Guard first.
As Margo moves between worlds and her attachment to Moon intensifies, she feels her youth start to slip between her fingers. But is Moon everything he seems? Is Margo?
Told through the eyes of both naive Margo and desperate Moon, the unforgettable realm of Skipshock will shake the way you think about love, time, and the fabric of the universe. The first in a planned duology from the best-selling author of the Gifts series, this utterly original epic is a must-read.
Margo is a troubled schoolgirl. After the death of her father, she’s on her way to a new boarding school in a new city.
Moon is a salesman. He makes his living traveling through a series of interconnected worlds on a network of barely used train lines.
They never should have met. But when Margo suddenly appears one day on Moon’s train, their fates become inextricably linked. If Margo wants to survive, she has to pass as a traveling salesman, too—except it’s not that easy.
Move north on the train line and time speeds up, a day passing in mere hours. Move south and time slows down—a day can last several weeks. Slow worlds are the richest ones: you live longer, your youth lasting decades. Fast worlds are sharp, cruel, and don’t have time for pleasantries. Death is frequent. Salesmen die young of skipshock. That is, if they’re not shot down by the Southern Guard first.
As Margo moves between worlds and her attachment to Moon intensifies, she feels her youth start to slip between her fingers. But is Moon everything he seems? Is Margo?
Told through the eyes of both naive Margo and desperate Moon, the unforgettable realm of Skipshock will shake the way you think about love, time, and the fabric of the universe. The first in a planned duology from the best-selling author of the Gifts series, this utterly original epic is a must-read.
Author: Jess McFarlane
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Ravens Ink Press
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Request: Approved
Blurb
She was ice, born amidst it, and she was Fáelben, bathed in the blood of wolves.
The peace treaty between the five chieftains has been broken.
MacMaol has declared himself ruler of Eryn, joined by two other traitors. When Muirne Arasgain’s brother and father ride out to stop his tyranny, she is left behind to defend her home.
With news of an unexpected tragedy, Muirne is forced to become chieftain of Inbiur, the territory in which the Arasgain family has ruled for centuries. But when an otherworldly stranger arrives, suspected of being a spy and giving only his name: Riagan, Muirne’s home is infiltrated, and the life she knows is gone forever.
Having lost her home and her family, Muirne must fight to get it all back. Escaping MacMaol’s prison, she finds Tolmach, the last chieftain of the alliance. Reluctant to assist, he points her in the direction of a mercenary group on the east coast of Eryn, who operate under no chieftain’s rule, bound by sword and coin.
But who leads these mercenaries? Can they be trusted to aid her in ending MacMaol’s terror and restoring her territory? Or will Muirne’s world fall apart when she discovers the only person who can help her get everything back is the one who took it all to begin with?
The peace treaty between the five chieftains has been broken.
MacMaol has declared himself ruler of Eryn, joined by two other traitors. When Muirne Arasgain’s brother and father ride out to stop his tyranny, she is left behind to defend her home.
With news of an unexpected tragedy, Muirne is forced to become chieftain of Inbiur, the territory in which the Arasgain family has ruled for centuries. But when an otherworldly stranger arrives, suspected of being a spy and giving only his name: Riagan, Muirne’s home is infiltrated, and the life she knows is gone forever.
Having lost her home and her family, Muirne must fight to get it all back. Escaping MacMaol’s prison, she finds Tolmach, the last chieftain of the alliance. Reluctant to assist, he points her in the direction of a mercenary group on the east coast of Eryn, who operate under no chieftain’s rule, bound by sword and coin.
But who leads these mercenaries? Can they be trusted to aid her in ending MacMaol’s terror and restoring her territory? Or will Muirne’s world fall apart when she discovers the only person who can help her get everything back is the one who took it all to begin with?
Author: Logan Karlie
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Release Date: August 12, 2025
Request: Pending
Blurb
Beauty and the Beast meets Labyrinth in this YA romantic fantasy about a deadly dream world and the shadow-cursed girl who must venture its depths to save her family, all while she falls in love with the prince of darkness.
The Kingdom of Noctis is plagued by Corruption: a curse that spreads through dreaming. The Shadow Bringer rules from his castle in the Dream Realm, stealing souls one dreamer at a time. Only an elixir, taken every night before sleeping, can ward off the dreams and halt Corruption. But for some, the allure of the Dream Realm proves too strong. Esmer Havenfall desperately wants to escape her dreadful village. When her sister, Eden, succumbs to Corruption and their elixir-dealing parents are accused of a horrific crime, Esmer’s life unravels into a nightmare. Then she dreams of the Shadow Bringer and learns that his sinister magic might be a part of her, too. Enticed by the prospect of ending her kingdom’s curse and avenging her family, Esmer follows him deeper within the Dream Realm. But the prince of darkness has a haunted past, one that might change the fate of Esmer’s kingdom–and her heart–forever.
Lush and vividly imagined, this seductive gothic fantasy is filled with magic, secrets, and dreamy shadow-haunted romance.
The Kingdom of Noctis is plagued by Corruption: a curse that spreads through dreaming. The Shadow Bringer rules from his castle in the Dream Realm, stealing souls one dreamer at a time. Only an elixir, taken every night before sleeping, can ward off the dreams and halt Corruption. But for some, the allure of the Dream Realm proves too strong. Esmer Havenfall desperately wants to escape her dreadful village. When her sister, Eden, succumbs to Corruption and their elixir-dealing parents are accused of a horrific crime, Esmer’s life unravels into a nightmare. Then she dreams of the Shadow Bringer and learns that his sinister magic might be a part of her, too. Enticed by the prospect of ending her kingdom’s curse and avenging her family, Esmer follows him deeper within the Dream Realm. But the prince of darkness has a haunted past, one that might change the fate of Esmer’s kingdom–and her heart–forever.
Lush and vividly imagined, this seductive gothic fantasy is filled with magic, secrets, and dreamy shadow-haunted romance.
Author: Alexandra Thomashoff
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Last Unicorn Press
Release Date: March 31, 2025
Request: Approved
Blurb
“In the world of shadows, safety is a fleeting illusion. A gift can become a dangerous burden.”
A dark, immortal angel.
A savage world on the brink of war.
A sinister prophecy. And a girl who holds the power to change it all forever.
In a world where destiny is a cruel captor, Melody has never known freedom. Her life has been a prison, shackled by a ruthless magic harvester hungry for her rare gifts. She has been a pawn in a game she cannot win—until one fateful night when she manages to escape.
But her fleeting hope is crushed when the mesmerizingly beautiful fae warrior Riven captures her and drags her into the shadowy Court of the Two Moons, ruled by the Dark Lord Caryan, a fallen angel cloaked in icy cruelty.
Enslaved and with her destiny now in Caryan’s unforgiving hands, Melody begins to unravel the harrowing truths behind her captivity. Little does she know, she is ensnared in a treacherous web of lies and longing, caught between her deep, rippling attraction toward Riven and the otherworldly allure of Caryan, whose very essence is everything she fears—and desires.
When her own slumbering powers awaken, they bind Melody helplessly to Caryan’s unholy magic, and to a sinister prophecy that cleaves her soul into pieces.
As mighty armies clash and shadows threaten to consume this world, she must make a decision that could cost her everything.
Who can kill an immortal angel?
Only a silver elf.
And Melody just happens to be the last.
Author: Hayley Gelfuso
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: August 12, 2025
Request: Approved
Blurb
For fans of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library, a sweeping, unforgettable novel moving from pre-WWII Germany to Cold War-era America to the mysterious time space, a library filled with books containing the memories of those who bore witness to history.
Nuremberg, 1938: On the night of Kristallnacht, eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy is hidden by her father from approaching forces in a mysterious place called the time space, a library where all the memories of the past are stored inside of books. When her father doesn’t return for her, she becomes trapped, spending her adolescence walking through the memories of those who lived before. When she discovers that living timekeepers are entering the time space to destroy memories and maintain their preferred version of history, Lisavet sets about trying to salvage the past, creating her own book of lost memories. Until one day in 1949, when she meets an American timekeeper named Ernest Duquesne, who is intent on keeping her from her task. What ensues sets her on a course to change history and the time space itself forever.
Boston, 1965: Amelia Duquesne is mourning the death of her uncle and guardian, Ernest, when she’s approached by Moira, the enigmatic head of the CIA’s highly secretive Temporal Reconnaissance Program. Moira tells her about the existence of the time space—accessed only by specially designed watches whose intricate mechanisms have been lost to time—and enlists her help in recovering a strange book her uncle had once sought. But Amelia quickly realizes that the past—and the truth—are not as straightforward as Moira would like her to believe.
A sweeping, cinematic love story, this feat of imagination explores memory, time, and the lengths we will go to in order to protect the existence of those we love.
Nuremberg, 1938: On the night of Kristallnacht, eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy is hidden by her father from approaching forces in a mysterious place called the time space, a library where all the memories of the past are stored inside of books. When her father doesn’t return for her, she becomes trapped, spending her adolescence walking through the memories of those who lived before. When she discovers that living timekeepers are entering the time space to destroy memories and maintain their preferred version of history, Lisavet sets about trying to salvage the past, creating her own book of lost memories. Until one day in 1949, when she meets an American timekeeper named Ernest Duquesne, who is intent on keeping her from her task. What ensues sets her on a course to change history and the time space itself forever.
Boston, 1965: Amelia Duquesne is mourning the death of her uncle and guardian, Ernest, when she’s approached by Moira, the enigmatic head of the CIA’s highly secretive Temporal Reconnaissance Program. Moira tells her about the existence of the time space—accessed only by specially designed watches whose intricate mechanisms have been lost to time—and enlists her help in recovering a strange book her uncle had once sought. But Amelia quickly realizes that the past—and the truth—are not as straightforward as Moira would like her to believe.
A sweeping, cinematic love story, this feat of imagination explores memory, time, and the lengths we will go to in order to protect the existence of those we love.
I realize you might be counting to yourself and thinking, "But Katie, that's 11 books!" And you're absolutely right. I had the read now already added to the post when I realized it wasn't actually available for request, and counting a read now book as an approved request just feels shady to me, so I had to find an extra book.
What upcoming romance releases are you looking forward to reading? How many of these books do you think I'll get approved for (my average is 60% approval)?
If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out your love freebie list. - Katie
We Are the Match looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteHere is our post: https://www.longandshortreviews.com/miscellaneous-musings/top-ten-tuesday-love-freebie/
The Book of Lost Hours has a cool cover.
ReplyDeleteHere is my post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-platonic-relationships/
It IS always smart to request more books from NetGalley. LOL!
ReplyDelete