Bøger udgivet af Bold Strokes Books

Wealthy tech whiz Sena Abrigo has deep roots in the Arizona-Mexico borderlands. But when she marches into Owen Station on red-soled stilettos like she just walked off the cover of Vogue, she plans to pull this little town into the future. And she is used to getting exactly what she wants. First, she has to get past Hazel Butler. The proud granddaughter of Irish immigrant miners, Hazel loves her job at the library, her spooky cat, her opinionated friends, vintage Mary Janes, and the little house she inherited. And she is determined to protect the historic legacy of her town. In spite of their differences and because of them, sparks fly and love isn't far behind. But Sena's arrival doesn't just turn Hazel's life upside down in the most wonderful of ways. It sets off an explosive series of events exposing an ugly truth lying just beneath the town's surface, threatening their chance at love...and their lives.

Taylor Sparks is sick of swiping left or right. Online dating, where a casual glance at a profile forms your opinion of a person, has no sparkle. She has a business idea to make dating special--the Regency Romance Club. Guests fall in love in the regency style, with grand balls and regency pursuits, while enjoying some of Britain's most magnificent stately homes. Jaq Bailey is mourning the death of her best friend. She wants to feel every inch of the pain and guilt she deserves for their death. A professor of early modern history, Bailey has sequestered herself in her study writing books and articles. Life is lonely and unchanging, until her publishers ask her to meet with Taylor, who is looking for a historian to help with her new business. As they start working together, Taylor's bubbly personality and Bailey's guilty angst clash, but as Bailey gets dragged into the magical, regency romance world, Taylor's sparkle brings hope back into her life. They're working to help others find their true loves, but they just might find it for themselves too.

Dinah Pelletier managed to be a vampire for an entire minute before she was arrested for murder and sent to prison at nineteen. Now, twenty-four years later, she's about to be up for parole...and is still nineteen. Dinah has done her best to avoid her once girlfriend (and also a vampire), Rachel Evans. Dinah went to prison to save her that night, but no matter how much she's pushed Rachel away, she could never force herself to move on. So Dinah's surprised to be face-to-face with her long-lost love, and the reason for her upcoming parole. No sooner do they reconnect than a string of vampire killings begin again and evidence seems to be pointing at Dinah. Dinah, with Rachel's help, must prove her innocence while finding out if the two of them are still compatible after all these years. Even if time can heal old wounds, these deaths could destroy any hope for a life together. Reader advisory: References to addiction

Robyn Moore is a firefighter by trade and a lesbian lothario by choice. After losing her father and witnessing her mother's broken heart, Robyn learns that loving someone never ends well. Spending her days trying to honor her father's legacy isn't easy, and the best way to blow off steam is by falling into bed with whomever happens to be available. Lexi Lynch is an artist with a passion for painting. That is, until real life kicked in and bills piled up. To prove to her overprotective father that her chosen profession isn't a mistake, Lexi takes on commissions that pay well but bore her to tears. Missed deadline after deadline has her career in jeopardy with the only bright spot in her days being her gorgeous friend and roommate, Robyn. As Lexi leans on Robyn for support, more than just a creative spark flares between them. Their close proximity may ignite a fiery romance or send their friendship up in flames.

Evelyne, born into nobility, and Annika, a peasant girl with a deadly secret, struggle to change their destinies in Valmora, a medieval world controlled by religion, magic, and men. If only she'd been born a boy, Evelyne could fight with her brothers and fulfill her dreams of glory. Instead, her father has arranged her marriage. Annika knows she's different. She has gifts the Valmorans call talents, and she's waited too long to turn herself over to the Temple for training. If she tells anyone now, she will burn as a heretic. Their blossoming love changes everything. Both are forced to confront who they are when saving an innocent life exposes Annika's talent and she's held prisoner by the unforgiving Temple Paladin. Saving Annika will cost Evelyne all she's ever known, but her sacrifice may lead them on a path to love and a destiny that will change Valmora forever.

Thomas Simmons nearly died when a rocket-propelled grenade threw him ass over teakettle while flanking insurgents in Mosul, ending his military career. Recovery's rough and gives him all the time in the world to face the question he's avoided all his life: Why does he feel jealous of women? The more Thomas searches, the closer he comes to an answer: gender dysphoria. Seeking therapy as a road through his confusion, Thomas embarks on an unexpected journey as Emily is born. Emily's route to self-acceptance, love with another woman, and community are only some of the challenges that began the day her world exploded. Reader Advisory: Transphobic violence.

Makeup artist Lane Donnelly has been planning to be her best friend Darcy's maid of honor since her engagement. So, when Darcy chooses her sister instead, Lane is hurt and disappointed. Just to add fuel to the fire, Darcy has picked the wedding planner of Lane's nightmares. Helen Trent isn't thrilled that her mother has asked her to take on a wedding last minute. In addition, the bride's makeup artist keeps getting in the way. Helen has met Lane at a gazillion weddings, and they clashed every single time, so why should this wedding be any different? Lane and Helen can't stand each other, and all the marriage vibes in the world won't make them admit their feelings are a lot more complicated. When the matron of honor throws their plans into a chaotic mess, Lane and Helen must set aside their differences and work together to ensure Darcy gets the wedding of her dreams, and maybe make a few of their own dreams come true in the process.

Months have passed since General Turner's attack on Rapid City, and Dani's group of resistance fighters are still grieving the loss of one of their own. Through tragedy and inner turmoil, Dani and Kate have finally found themselves on the same side of the war and fighting for control of the wasteland. When the rumor of a traitor among Dani's inner circle is revealed and information about the past threatens to completely derail Kate, it makes staying hidden from the general and Simon all but impossible. With the help of an unexpected ally within the National Armed Forces, and a final showdown imminent, Dani and Kate must push past their grief and rely on each other more than ever if they have any chance of a future together.

Sam Phillips is going through the motions. She was happily married for thirty-four years when a car accident stole her wife and destroyed her perfectly planned future. Now, it's all she can do to exist day by day. The one thing that keeps her going is her IT administration job at Walsh Software Design. All seems lost when software stability issues threaten her career, until a hotshot programmer struts into her world and makes Sam want to feel again. Jennifer Delgado doesn't do cold and snow, but when a fluke February wildfire in the Southwest means evacuating for the third time in two years, it's time for a change and she accepts a contract job in Minnesota. The weather is nothing compared to the unexpected feelings she develops for Sam. Jennifer has no idea if she can mend Sam's broken soul, but it's never too late for starting over.

Can data predict who we fall in love with? Reality television is here to find out, and thousands of viewers are along for the ride. Two total strangers, matched by the world's most advanced romance algorithm, meet at the altar to say, "I do." Their every awkward moment and moonlit kiss are filmed to uncover if happily ever after is a simple perfect data match. When executive producer Annie Jackson convinces Nicole Hart to leave her prestigious job and write and refine the romance algorithm for I Do, I Don't, their success is almost guaranteed. So, when one of the brides backs out days before the wedding, Annie panics and Nicole steps in as the algorithm's second choice to get married on national TV, or else. Nicole can't believe her bad luck when the backup turns out to be...her. To test the system she designed, she used her own data, but she sure as hell didn't expect to be hauled to the altar against her better judgment. Her algorithm is flawless, but her growing feelings for Annie could destroy all her credibility and sink the show.

Tig Weston's beloved classics department is evolving, expanding its course offerings to entice a new and more diverse generation of students. Not everyone is willing to accept these changes, though. Tempers flare, and when the body of a prestigious alum turns up outside Denny Hall, Tig doubts she can bring her department through the crisis. Sergeant Adriana Kent always pictured classical scholars as tweedy bookworms, but suddenly her campus police officers are being called to Denny on a near-daily basis. Arguments in the halls, threatening emails, and even a fistfight, for God's sake. What should have been the most sedate department on campus seems to be going through a volatile transformation. And the most visible proponent of that transformation? The decidedly unstuffy and very sexy Professor Antigone Weston. Kent and Tig seem to be on opposing sides in this battle until the stakes become more personal. But before they can even think about a future together, they'll need to fight to protect the campus from a killer.

When her celebrity chef boss is taken down in a sexual harassment scandal, Chelsea Boudreaux's dream of getting her own cooking show comes true. Her hometown of Duchesne, Louisiana, provides the perfect backdrop for her modern takes on traditional Cajun fare. Vindicating herself to the mother who never believed in her is icing on the cake. Bryce Cormier never left Duchesne and has no regrets, except that falling in love as a trans guy in a tiny town is easier said than done. When Chelsea comes home after more than a decade away, Bryce thinks he may have found the perfect woman. At least until Chelsea's burgeoning celebrity spills over and turns his world upside down. It turns out love is like a good gumbo--what seems simple is complex, and the best results require a bit of courage. And like all the recipes say...First, you make a roux.

Since she took her first trip to the little island of Nosy Bé off the coast of Madagascar, Elise Porter has been drawn back to it time and again. When a mysterious vendor sells her an antique, jewel-encrusted oil lamp, Elise is thoroughly surprised by the mystical appearance of a beautiful and scantily clad woman offering to grant her three wishes. Naima is a Jinni, and she has a wish of her own. A cursed princess's spirit, who also happens to be the Jinni's wife Aliya, has taken residence within Elise and needs to be brought forth to free them from their curse. When Naima is summoned by a human who not only possesses her lamp but also the spirit of her long-lost wife, she can't believe her luck. After centuries dreaming of the moment when she and Aliya would be reunited, the reality of what freeing her could mean for Elise has Naima wondering if the price of freedom is worth the sacrifice. Elise and Naima must fight their growing feelings for each other as Elise wages an internal battle with Aliya, and they receive assistance from a very unlikely source.

Cassie Burke never believed in second chances. If something didn't work out, then it was never really meant for her. In the years following two heart-wrenching breakups, she kept her life simple. She'd dated when the opportunity arose but focused her energy on her career and best friends of over thirty years, Jenn and Maggie. Tight since their high school days in the 80s, they've weathered many storms. The most tempestuous being Deana, who had briefly joined their "pantheon" and stirred things up as only a beautiful lost soul can, testing their friendship and the strength of Cassie's heart. Now as Cassie, Jenn, and Maggie plan a celebration for their fiftieth birthdays, none of them are prepared for the whiplash changes their half-century mark year has in store. Least of all Cassie, who discovers a second chance with Deana might be just what her heart needs. Reader advisory: References to homophobic violence/sexual assault.

Miss Grace Linfield has resigned herself to life as a lady's companion as the only path to respectable security. At least it allows her to visit the beautiful seaside town of Inverley with her charge, Lady Edith. Passions flare when botanist Miss Thea Martin whirls into town --and into Grace's bed for a scandalous night of passion. Disaster looms when Lady Edith elopes with Thea's brother. Prim-and-proper Grace and wildly outrageous Thea each wish it was anyone else by their side as they race after them to Gretna Green. In the midst of attempting to stop a wedding that will incur the wrath of both their families, they discover their passion for each other is too strong to resist. A chance at a real relationship was the last thing either of them expected. When Grace and Thea return from Scotland, will the honeymoon be over? Or will love finally be in full bloom?

Former army sergeant Seneca Twist has difficulty adjusting to civilian life after losing her brother in Afghanistan. She picks up her backpack and begins walking. Her travels take her to a boys' ranch in Idaho where she meets residential psychologist Robyn Mason. Seneca and Robyn couldn't be more different, and they can't seem to agree on anything, but when Seneca decides to winter at the ranch, their shared values draw them together. Robyn is determined to get to the bottom of the resignation and pain Seneca keeps locked inside, but the more Robyn learns and the closer they become, the more she can't resist falling for Seneca. The warmth of the local community, the surrogate family they have created, and their feelings for each other mean everything, but will it be enough for Seneca to call the ranch home?

London, 1938. Evelyn has only one dream: to become a singer. Fleeing an arranged marriage, she leaves for Singapore in pursuit of a future brighter than the conventions of society could offer her. Evelyn performs in a Chinatown cabaret to survive, where she meets Joan, a young Australian doctor and avid fan. Little by little, Evelyn and Joan form a close bond that leads to a love stronger than either has ever known. But history has other plans. The Japanese army invades Singapore, and Evelyn must flee while Joan refuses to leave her patients. From prison camps to the deep jungle, through encounters and tragedies, Evelyn and Joan struggle to survive and to find each other again.

Amara Rodriguez lives in a world divided. When the Asenescence corporation discovers a cure for aging, the world splits in two. Old Bloods, who've taken the Remedy, live out their long lives in luxury within the corporate enclave of Hydra, while New Bloods live out their fleeting lives in poverty outside its borders. Amara, a New Blood artist, doesn't think much about politics. Not until her mother joins the ranks of New Blood women disappearing with alarming frequency. To find her mother, Amara must join the resistance movement as a spy. The stakes rise even higher when she falls in love with stunning but sheltered Old Blood Stella, who happens to be her espionage target's daughter. Even worse? Amara's already in love. With her childhood best friend, Rake, a charming rogue from the streets she used to call home. Can Amara unravel the mysteries of the enclave, as well as her own heart? Content advisory: Brief racism and body shaming by a non POV character.

Maxine Terrell lurches into adulthood madly in love with a woman and her child. Unfortunately, Daphne Polk is someone else's wife, and her daughter Lena is someone else's child. But Daphne's been there for her ever since Max and her father weathered a terrible tragedy, one that's still whispered about in their small Texas town. After years of hope and heartbreak, and too many lies to count, Max seems poised to settle for the various "friends with benefits" she encounters. Unexpectedly wealthy after her father's death and emotionally adrift with no idea what she really wants from life, Max decides to take to the road and signs up to become a truck driver. During her training in Lubbock, she meets Trillian--"Thrill"--and manages to screw things up from the start. After another chance encounter and a sweet kiss she can't forget, Max begins to rethink not only what, but who she really wants. As Max traverses the open road, her journey of impossible love, loss, and courage mirrors her voyage of self-discovery. But before she can look to the future, she must come to terms with the history she'd rather forget.

Cassandra Hunt is the Gorgon, an assassin/spy. She was programmed via mind control by Thora, her handler, for Olympicorp, a shadowy, cultish conglomerate bent on world domination. Everything changed when she met reporter Elle Pharell. They survived Olympicorp's mass experiment gone awry and fell madly in love. Now, in exchange for Elle's safety, Cass works with a global intelligence collective seeking to apprehend members of Olympicorp. But things don't go as planned when Elle is abducted. Untangling Olympicorp's sinister intentions is Cass's only chance of seeing Elle alive again, and Thora offers to help, for a price. Elle wakes up at a secret medical facility with no recollection of how she got there, and the staff won't answer questions about her lost memories. The one question she can't get out of her head? Who is the mysterious woman she only remembers as the Gorgon?

Despite being the youngest partner at her firm, corporate attorney Davy Dugan is gunning for a recently vacant name partnership--it would mean finally having the power to make a real change in her conservative workplace. But eighty-hour workweeks don't allow any time with her much younger half-sister, Tally, who doesn't seem to need Davy in her life anyway. Davy aims to get back into Tally's good graces by throwing her a big birthday party, but that means dealing with Tally's other half sister, Anna. To say Davy and Anna don't get along is putting it mildly. When a misunderstanding leads to her boss's assumption that she and Anna are headed to the altar, Davy sees a way to leapfrog over the competition straight into one of the top spots at her firm. She just has to convince Anna to be her faux fiancée in order to do it and keep her growing attraction in check, of course.

Walking through the luscious Napa harvest in the fall of 1982, agricultural student Kate Bauer is inspired to grow grapes, and charismatic business major Sydney Barrett might just be the perfect person to make that dream come true. If only Kate knew what to do with her unexpected attraction to Sydney. On the threshold of the AIDS pandemic, Kate is appalled by her father's homophobia toward her closeted uncle, Louie. When Uncle Louie dies, he leaves his potato farm on Long Island to Kate. Soon Kate and Sydney are planting thousands of baby vines, even as the unspoken desire between them grows. As the vineyard thrives, Sydney caves to family pressure and heads to Paris for a once in-a-lifetime banking apprenticeship, leaving Kate to struggle with the feelings for Sydney that never wane. Their possibility for a shared harvest grows faint until Sydney returns, and a threat to the vineyard and their dreams forces them to confront their unresolved feelings.

Overwhelmed by sudden fame, Lily Larimer retreats from LA and returns to McCall, the last place she's felt truly happy, even if that means seeing her ex, Sam, who seems to have found exactly what she wanted in life. Hoping to get her future back on track, Lily isn't looking for romance--not until she meets Alex, the gorgeous Cuban dance instructor at Lake Haven, Sam's newly opened lesbian retreat. Sam Draper, McCall's chief of police, and her wife, Sara, are ready to start their family, but their plans go awry when Sara experiences fertility issues. Summer heats up as they open Lake Haven, but cracks soon start to emerge with the realization that what they want most, a family, might be just out of reach. As the secret evil lurking just beneath the surface of their sleepy little lake town emerges, all four women discover that sometimes happiness comes when you least expect it.

Kelly James has been handed a raw deal in life. When she is forced to give up Bear, the cat she'd recently adopted, it's just one more heartache to add to the pile. To the outside world, Logan Spencer has it all, great looks, a killer body, a loving family, and any woman she wants with a snap of her fingers. When Logan agrees to take Bear, she promises him a good home and Kelly plenty of opportunities to visit him. It isn't long before Kelly looks forward to seeing Logan almost as much as Bear. Logan seems so far out of her league that Kelly is sure she's headed for even more heartache if she doesn't keep her feelings under wraps. But there is much more to Logan than meets the eye and something special in Kelly that Kelly doesn't see in herself. Opposites really can attract, and as Kelly and Logan work together to create a loving home for Bear, they just might find one for themselves as well.

Annabelle Nelson, at a dive bar in her hometown after her life in New York City falls apart, is searching for the courage to face her family when she meets a beautiful stranger. Their chemistry is instant, and they share a stolen kiss. What could be the harm? They're never going to see each other again. But when Anna arrives at her parents' house, she comes face-to-face with the woman she kissed, Louise Tanner, her brother's new girlfriend. Louise is exhausted from a long semester of medical school and is rethinking the distracted promise she made to visit her boyfriend's family. Spilling her heart to a gorgeous woman in a bar was a completely uncharacteristic move, not to mention their parting kiss. She didn't think it would hurt anyone. But when she sees Anna again, Louise finds it hard to suppress her growing feelings. Anna and Louise try to forget their stolen kiss but struggle to resist their attraction.Surely, one kiss can't change everything...Can it?

Freshly out of the closet Marlene hasn't been lucky in love, but when it comes to her quirky new roommate Abby, everything just feels right.