Daughter of the Drowned Empire is a new adult high fantasy/romantasy by Frankie Diane Mallis; it is book one in the Drowned Empire series. It follows Lady Lyriana, who is third in line to the Seat of Power in Bamaria, but her position is not one of safety. Her cousin is gone, her sisters need protection, and now so does she. With her plans shaken and on the threat of having to leave her home, she has to take the only option available to her: training to be a Soturion warrior in only seven months. But sheβs not alone; Lord Rhyan, an outsider in Bamaria, has to prove himself by helping Lyr get through training. However, this isnβt their only trial because Bamaria is under threat, so are Lyr and her family, and Lyr needs to be strong enough to fight for not just herself and her family but for her countryβshe cannot fail.
The Next Best Fling is an adult contemporary romance by Gabriella Gamez. Marcela has been pining over her best friend for years, and itβs only when he gets engaged that it finally hits her that she needs to move on. Former NFL player Theo has been longing for his childhood best friend, and on the night of his little brotherβs engagement party, he is going to confess his feelings for the bride until Marcela stops him. And in doing so, she is presented with an opportunity. Theo is in love with the bride, and Marcela is in love with his brother, but he needs help to hide his feelings, and she desperately needs a distraction from this terrible situation they are both in. But one kiss shared between them opens them up to both craving more, until the distraction descends into something more headier and perhaps, maybe, something more real than either of them were prepared for.