The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Romance

Where Shadows Bloom by Catherin Bakewell

Bakewell writes fantasies that leave me feeling charmed, comforted, and optimistic. Where Shadows Bloom is as much a love letter to the power of storytelling as it is a fantastical romance between its two lovelorn leads. Compassion and sensitivity leaps off the page. A marvelous read for younger YA readers.

Where Shadows Bloom by Catherin Bakewell, (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063359086, February 2025)

Reviewed by Isabel Agajanian, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

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King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair

Vampires that are kings, a mortal who is becoming his queen who he worships at her feet even though she doesn’t trust him. Everything you could want and expect from Scarlett St. Clair when it comes to spice, romance, and an easy to follow fantasy. I was hooked and ready to fall down at King Adrian’s feet from the start, and my love was solidified as the book went on. Isolde is a princess who was raised to be a queen and she is no docile pet either, she has an attitude and is a warrior first before you is a queen. She keeps getting these visions that feel like she was there before, of her and King Adrian, but she most definitely wasn’t there, or was she? As she comes to terms with what King Adrian is and her place as a queen she also has to face a deadly mist of magic that is taking over their lands and killing people by the hundreds. Will these two come to trust each other in every way and overcome what is set out to tear them apart?

King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair, (List Price: $18.99, Bloom Books, 9781464239601, January 2025)

Reviewed by Kelli Dynia, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

This book is absolutely delightful. I had some great laugh-out-loud moments while reading. Tia Williams is becoming one of my favorite authors by far!

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams, (List Price: $17.99, Grand Central Publishing, 9781538726716, February 2025)

Reviewed by Anastasia Williams, The Bottom in Knoxville, Tennessee

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The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

The Broposal was a wild ride from start to finish. Alejandro (Han for short) has been best friends with Kenny since they were 8. Now, at 23, they are still inseparable. When Kenny learns that Han lost his job that was meant to sponsor his visa, he comes up with the idea of fake-marrying Han for his citizenship instead. Although their plan seems foolproof, Kenny’s ex Jackie continues to cause trouble for the two. This book has the fun romance trope of fake relationships while also showing the struggle of an undocumented person in America. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, and hope for their happily ever after.

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes, (List Price: $17.99, Forever, 9781538766682, January 2025)

Reviewed by Gabriela Warner, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

Where to even begin with this book other than wowza. I was not expecting to be given the most thrilling sapphic monster romance in the entire world. But Not Too Bold gave me goosebumps, and I fear that’s all you really need to know about how incredible it was.

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo, (List Price: $24.99, Tordotcom, 9781250376633, February 2025)

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Book Buzz: I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

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Kimberly Lemming, photo by the author

I was just desperate for a bit of fun. The world is dark and terrible enough as it is. When I wrote the first book, I just wanted to take myself on a fun little adventure where I knew everything was going to be ok in the end….Imagine you’re minding your business as an animal researcher and then out of nowhere you get attacked by a lion. Rude right? Now imagine you and that lion get abducted by aliens and brought onto a ship with a bunch of freaky looking birds trying to poke and prod at you. You manage to fight your way to freedom, steal an escape pod and crash land onto a planet populated by taller, hotter aliens and dinosaurs. Also, the lion talks now. So, there’s that.

― Kimberly Lemming, Interview, Parnassus Books

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

What booksellers are saying about I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com

  • Kimberly Lemming’s stories are pure joy. They’re comforting and cozy, while also being funny and bringing the spice and heat. I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com is all of that and more. It’s a wonderful start to a new series and Kimberly does a wonderful job at complicated world building and making us believe everything that happens to Dorothy Valentine is possible. I laughed out loud so many times and could not put the book down. I can not wait to read more Cosmic Chaos and see more of Dotty, Sol, Lok, Toto, and Cupid. There is so much to be explored!
      ― Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia | BUY

  • I am a sucker for alien romances in general, but I have to say that Ms Lemming has done an amazing job with this one! I’ve read her previous works and it’s amazing how much you can see her growth as an author! I immediately fell in love with Dorothy and Toto, they made me grin like a fool as I read. This is also a fun “why choose?” novel that does the trope well. Most of the time it feels almost too cheesy for me to believe, but Lemming knocks it out of the park with Sol and Lok, creating a perfect foil between the two that still manages to be balanced. I eagerly look forward to the next Cosmic Chaos book! If you need a break from reality with some spice and cuddly lions that adopt you into their pride, this is the one for you!
      ― Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia | BUY

  • Sure, Lemming brings the hilarity, but she also brings the sweetness and the spice! Dory is SO close to getting her PhD when she’s abducted by aliens and plopped down on a new world. All she wants is to figure out a way home, but her new BFF, Toto the lion, and her new love interests, Sol and Lok, are making her feel more at home every day. But she’ll have to fight her way through the terrain of this new planet and defeat or befriend the wildlife before she can even attempt that. As a wildlife biologist, that shouldn’t be too hard. Key word: shouldn’t.
      ― Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia | BUY

About Kimberly Lemming

Kimberly Lemming is a USA Today bestselling author who is on an eternal quest to avoid her calling as a main character. She can be found giving the slip to that new werewolf that just blew into town and refusing to make eye contact with a prince of a far-off land. Dodging aliens looking for Earth booty can really take up a girl’s time. But when she’s not running from fate, she can be found writing diverse fantasy romance. Or just shoveling chocolate in her maw until she passes out on the couch.

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Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

I hardly know where to start…I loved everything about this book! Ramona is spectacular in her extraordinary ordinariness ( and I mean that in the very BEST way). She is every girl – sure of herself until she isn’t – and struggling to find her way back while remaining true to herself. Her cast of supporting characters are the kids we encounter every day. They are gay, straight, black, white, struggling, privileged, confident and questioning and they are NOT “issues.” They are just regular kids, and their stories are spectacular. This is the perfect addition to the #WNDB [We Need Diverse Books] canon and exactly what bookstore shelves should be filled with!

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy, (List Price: $11.99, Balzer + Bray, 9780062418364, May 2018)

Reviewed by Laura Donohoe, Spellbound Children’s Bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina

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Spotlight on: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

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Lana Ferguson, author image credit the author

I love having a space to dump all the silly things running through my brain. I feel like living in my head is like sharing an apartment with five other personalities at any given time, and being a writer means not having to ignore them aggressively (and possibly vent about them to my therapist), but instead write them down, free them into the world, so to speak. Writing means the stories running through my head and the ideas that wake me up in excitement in the middle of the night aren’t just for me, but something I can share with everyone, in a sense, and that is just very cool to me.

― Lana Ferguson, Interview, Nerd Daily

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

What booksellers are saying about Under Loch and Key

  • Lana Ferguson is an A grade writer of smart smut. She has quickly become a favorite author of mine. I never know what genre she’s going to write in, but I know I’m guaranteed an unforgettable story. Under Loch and Key takes the premise of the Loch Ness monster and gives it a twist that is unique and then does it so well. The story is about so much more than Nessie- the themes of finding family are so well woven into Keyanna and Lachlan’s individual character arcs . Finding who you are is as important as finding the one for you. Under Loch and Key has the steam and spice I’ve come to see as Lana Ferguson’s hallmark, but with a depth of emotion and mystery that will leave you turning the pages as fast you can read them!
      ― Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia | BUY

  • Okay, so, I didn’t know going in that this was a shape-shifter cryptid romance. It is, for the record. It happens to be my first not-vampire-or-werewolf shape-shifter rom I’ve ever read, and I have to say…………I kinda really enjoyed it! It’s a hundred percent ridiculous, but it’s also hot and charming and fun with a lil mysterious element that (spoiler) gets worked out. How? I’ll never tell! Give me a story about an American gal falling in love with (and getting taken to poundtown by) a hot Scottish stud any day. Mix in a lil shapeyshifty and a quest to break a family curse, and you have me ten toes down for it all day every day.
      ― Thomas Wallace, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee | BUY

  • A cute and thoughtful reimagining of the Loch Ness monster! I think this book could’ve easily been 300 pages and not closer to 500, but I enjoyed it nonetheless! Lana’s creative way of tying in with the OG tale was truly fun to read! and who doesn’t love a bit of a monster romance!?
      ― Fiona McPherson, Givens Books Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Virginia | BUY

  • My auto buy author does it again. A splash of paranormal with enemies to lovers made this a wonderful book to read. The banter and tension between Loch and Key were top notch and I believed them when they believed that they didn’t like each other. But as always Lana Ferguson writes, sexy , heartwarming and hilarious books that make it to the top of my lists every time.
      ― Mekhala Villegas-Rogers, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida | BUY

About Lana Ferguson

Lana Ferguson is a USA Today bestselling author and sex-positive nerd whose works never shy from spice or sass. A faded Fabio cover found its way into her hands at fifteen, and she’s never been the same since. When she isn’t writing, you can find her randomly singing show tunes, arguing over which Batman is superior, and subjecting her friends to the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings. Lana lives mostly in her own head but can sometimes be found chasing her corgi through the coppice of the great American outdoors.

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Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter

This was a stunning sequel to arguably the best YA romcom, Better Than the Movies. After facing the sudden death of his dad during his first year of college, Wes breaks up with Liz, believing he is holding her back. Now, two years later, Wes is more determined than ever to win her back. Lynn Painter always manages to build real characters and relationship dynamics and this book is no exception. This is a must-read!

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter, (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665947138, October 2024)

Reviewed by Makayla Summers, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina

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The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

You’ll want to get your little ink-stained hands on this one as soon as possible! Maeve is getting by in her world by never staying in one place for long and changing her name with every move. See, her father was a known murderer and everyone thinks Maeve is dead. But when she received a letter from seven years ago from an anonymous “friend” claiming that her father is innocent, she must find out the truth. To do this, she’ll have to take on a new identity and apprentice with the Otherwhere Post: the only people who can cross words now (supposedly thanks to her father) to deliver messages. But can she find out the truth before she’s found out herself?

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor, (List Price: $20.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9780593404546, February 2025)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

Maeve’s world burned down (literally) seven years ago. Her father was responsible for the crime. A letter from the past arrives, claiming he’s innocent. Maeve practices scriptomancy, the magic of enchanting letters. She impersonates her way into the only place she can uncover the truth in this atmospheric, dark fantasy.

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor, (List Price: $20.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9780593404546, February 2025)

Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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Spotlight on: The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

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Sara Raasch, photo courtesy the author

Show of hands—who’s had a rough couple of years? It’s a mark of just how brutal life’s been that I know your hand went up. Life’s been hard. It’s been cruel. And in the summer of 2022, I’d had it. I was tired of being sad and feeling crushed by the continued crap life heaped on us all. So, I set out to recapture joy by writing a rom-com. A silly, irreverent, whimsical rom-com about how you spend your life chasing nostalgia even when you know those moments will never be quite the same; about not just surviving, but living, and doing that while being unapologetically queer.

― Sara Raasch, Letter to indie booksellers

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

What booksellers are saying about The Nightmare Before Kissmas

  • This novel was a charming tale about a marriage competition between the princes of Halloween and Christmas over the princess of Easter. The twist — they fall for each other instead of the princess. Filled with themes of family, the meaning of joy, and how love can heal The Nightmare Before Kissmas was an adorably sweet story that is perfect for the upcoming season.
      ― Ashton Ahart, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina | BUY

  • I came for the silly, lighthearted gay romance, and I stayed for the political coup/anti-capitalist take down of holiday consumerism. Not at all what I expected, I had a jolly time reading this book with all its Christmas shenanigans, delightful flirting, and unique take on the commodification of joy during the holidays.
      ― Gray Koesters, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky | BUY

  • I am obsessed! This is entirely too delightful and it slayed me (sleighed me?)! I need only tell you that the prince of Christmas and the prince of Halloween fall in love. This is a world of holidays with lands and lore, ruling families and political intrigue. Sara Raasch has got me in her pocket and I have never felt more giddy while reading a novel. The holiday highjinks are high key and the foundational friendships had my whole heart.
      ― Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana | BUY

  • Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE a holiday romance. Put together Christmas AND Halloween??? Bliss! Prince Nicolas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. But since his dad turned it into a soulless, predatory corporation, he is jaded. He is set up for a fake marriage to the Princess of Easter (his best friend) to seal a business arrangement. After drowning his sorrows, he has a super sexy brief encounter with a mysterious man behind the bar. Later he finds out that that man is the ultra-hot Prince Hex of Halloween. Light and dark magic combine to create super fiery scenes and a deeply satisfying ending!
      ― Kelly Justice, Fountain Books in Richmond, Virginia | BUY

About Sara Raasch

Sara Raasch grew up among the cornfields of Ohio and currently lives in the historical corridor of southeastern Virginia. She is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books for young adults. In her debut adult novel, Raasch offers readers all the joy, irreverent wit, and crackling sexiness of your favorite sweet-as-a candy-cane holiday romp.

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Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen

Hollywood It Man Roland Rogers is ready to tell his big secret with no time to spare. He isn’t quite dead yet – but it’s not looking good. With the minimal power he can get from his home intercom system, he hires struggling writer Adam to bring new meaning to the term “ghostwriter” and get his memoir out before he is gone completely. As they rush to get it all done in a month, sparks fly, and Walls come down. This is very different from Allen’s first novel (which I also love), but it’s just as good. Fair warning – THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE.

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen, (List Price: $18, Zando, 9781638931539, December 2024)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

A Sapphic Christmas second-chance romance — what more do you need to know? Two musicians, one who left the other at the altar, are in a forced proximity situation at Christmas! The dynamic between Charlotte and Brighton is excellent, and I loved how important music was to the story. A perfect holiday book to devour in December.

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake, (List Price: $19, Berkley, 9780593550595, October 2024)

Reviewed by Amber Brown, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

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The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

If Knives Out and Hallmark Christmas movies had a baby and Agatha Christie was the nanny, it would be this book. Seriously Maggie and Ethan are everything, and I want to spend all my holidays with them. This book is smart, witty, and uplifting. Is it possible to get Ally Carter to write an entire series with these two characters?

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter, (List Price: $24.99, Avon, 9780063276680, September 2024)

Reviewed by Michelle Whittaker, Fonts Books in Mclean, Virginia

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