Books from New Zealand

Gideon Nav, a foul-mouthed swordswoman indentured to the Ninth House, is drafted into her lifelong rival Harrowhark Nonagesimus's bid to become a Lyctor, one of the Emperor's immortal elite. Summoned with heirs and cavaliers from across the Nine Houses to a crumbling ancestral ruin, they must solve the trials laid before them - while, one by one, the other entrants begin to die.

• rivals
• locked room
• mystery box

An assassin for a rebel network, Raeve is captured and turned into a political pawn by the fae nobility who rule her world. A grief-hardened king chasing a nameless ache is drawn to the same prison — and to her. In a land where dead dragons rise as moons, their meeting feels like a memory neither can explain. The lush, high-heat first book of the Moonfall series.

• second chance
• dual timeline
• multiple povs
• enemies to lovers

Harrowhark Nonagesimus has become a Lyctor, but her ascension was imperfect. Drafted by the Emperor into an unwinnable war, she must master necromantic powers she can barely control while her body and mind threaten to fail her. Alternating with chapters that directly contradict the events of the previous book, the novel unravels what really happened - and whether Harrow's own account of it can be trusted.

• unreliable narrator
• mystery box

Rival gang heirs with a shared romantic past must team up against a mysterious madness devouring 1926 Shanghai, in this Romeo and Juliet retelling.

• enemies to lovers
• second chance
• forbidden love

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels takes place in a magical alternate Victorian England where a small society of women has learned to fly their houses. Cecilia Bassingthwaite is one of them: outwardly a demure young lady, she is in fact a talented thief who flies around England drinking tea and stealing treasure for the Wisteria Society. Ned Lightbourne is a sometime assassin who is instantly smitten with Cecilia, an inconvenient problem since he has been sent to kill her. When Cecilia's pirate father, Captain Morvath, moves to destroy the Wisteria Society and its rebellious sisterhood in favor of a strict patriarchal order, Cecilia and Ned are forced into an uneasy alliance against him. India Holton's series opener is a whimsical, tongue-in-cheek romantic fantasy about flying houses, dangerous women, and a very reluctant assassin falling in love with his target.

• enemies to lovers
• heist

Raeve's thirst for vengeance burns as hot as her complicated feelings for Kaan Vaegor, a man tied to a past she's yet to face. As the world hurtles towards its most devastating moonfall, Kaan fights to save his kingdom from ruin. With enemies gathering and dangerous secrets surfacing, the truth hidden deep within Raeve's forgotten past might be the only thing that can change their fate.

• revenge
• forbidden love
• court intrigue
• mystery box

Framed for crimes she didn't commit, Madison Kate returns to Shadow Grove bent on revenge — only to find the men she blames, Archer D'Ath and his friends, living in her house. Forced under one roof, hatred and furious attraction collide as she hunts the truth about who set her up. The first book in Tate James's Madison Kate series: a dark, high-heat enemies-to-lovers reverse-harem romance.

• enemies to lovers
• revenge
• why choose
• forced proximity

Rival ornithology professors Beth Pickering and Devon Lockley compete for tenure and a cash prize by hunting the same rare, healing bird across an alternate 1890s England. Their professional feud turns into something else along the way.

• enemies to lovers
• rivals
• forced proximity
• witty banter

For years, a mysterious man has haunted her dreams. Now, she finds herself thrust into a dangerous fae court, where the line between desire and destruction blurs. She must navigate treacherous alliances and forbidden attractions to survive a world far more cruel and lovely than she ever imagined.

• enemies to lovers
• forbidden love
• court intrigue
• slow burn

In 1931 Shanghai, Rosalind Lang is a Nationalist spy with the ability to resurrect the dead. Tasked with uncovering a series of murders that threaten to ignite a war, she must infiltrate the city's glamorous society. As she delves deeper into the investigation, Rosalind finds herself entangled with a rival Communist spy, Orion Li, and uncovers a conspiracy that could change the course of history.

• secret identity
• morally grey
• revenge
• court intrigue

Sorcha is the youngest of seven children and the only daughter of a powerful Irish lord. When a wicked stepmother's curse turns her six brothers into swans, Sorcha must endure a silent, grueling task to save them. Her journey takes her far from home into the hands of her enemies, where she must choose between her family's survival and a new, forbidden love.

• sacrifice
• forbidden love
• slow burn

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is thrust into a dangerous world when she's hired by the formidable Archangel Raphael. Her mission: track down a rogue archangel responsible for a brutal killing spree. This perilous hunt will push Elena to her limits, both professionally and personally, as she finds herself drawn to Raphael's seductive power.

• forbidden love

After returning to Shadow Grove, Madison Kate finds herself targeted by a relentless stalker who seems to know her deepest secrets. To make matters worse, the boys she was starting to trust have been keeping her in the dark. Refusing to be a victim, she decides to take matters into her own hands and uncover the truth, no matter the cost. But playing their game might pull her into a dangerous web of lies and desire.

• enemies to lovers
• betrayal
• morally grey
• forced proximity

Arvelle lives a hard life in the Thorn district until a desperate vow forces her to attempt the impossible: kill the immortal vampire emperor. She enters the Sundering, a deadly arena where she must prove her strength to join the imperial guard and reach her target. While fighting for survival, she is drawn into a web of secrets involving the emperor's son and a powerful protector who might be her only hope of success.

• enemies to lovers
• slow burn
• love triangle
• forbidden love

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux awakens from a year-long coma to discover she's been transformed into an angel, though her new wings require time to heal. Her powerful lover, Archangel Raphael, is accustomed to control, but Elena resists his authority. Their fragile understanding is tested when Raphael receives a dangerous invitation to a ball from the ancient and ruthless archangel Lijuan. They must journey to Beijing, where Lijuan has prepared a vicious welcome for Elena, whose power lies with the dead.

• chosen one
• reluctant hero

Winner of the 2013 Booker Prize, this astrologically structured mystery follows twelve men in the New Zealand gold-rush town of Hokitika as they piece together a tangle of disappearance, fortune, and murder on a single night in 1866.

• multiple povs
• mystery box

Liadan, the daughter of Sorcha and Red, possesses the gift of sight and a talent for healing. When she is kidnapped by a band of outlaws, she finds herself drawn to their silent leader, a man known as the Painted Warrior. As ancient prophecies and family loyalties collide, Liadan must choose between her heritage and a dangerous love that could change the fate of Sevenwaters.

• enemies to lovers
• forbidden love
• family saga

A widower rebuilding cottages on Anchor Lane finds unexpected love with the woman who moved to town to keep a promise to her brother.

Brooke Johnson has left her past behind her and moved to Sapphire Bay. The quaint Montana town has everything she needs, including a store she's turned into a candy shop. Her life is as sweet as the fudge she makes, until Levi Montgomery rides into town. Levi has spent too many years fighting a war no one can win. He thought he'd worked through most of his issues, found peace in the aftermath of hell. When he arrives in Sapphire Bay, the last person he expects to see is Brooke. Two years ago she broke his heart and he'll do everything he can to keep his distance. As the sparks between them ignite, Brooke's past comes back to haunt her. This time, she needs to trust Levi - before it's too late for either of them. 'Before Today' is the third book in the Sapphire Bay series and can easily be read as a standalone. Each of Leeanna's series are linked so you can find out what happens to your favorite characters in other books. If you would like to know when my next book is released, please visit leeannamorgan.com. Happy reading! Praise for Leeanna Morgan's books: "I am addicted to Leeanna Morgan's books! The only problem with them is that I hate coming to the end of one, and can't wait for the next good read. I love how she weaves the characters together, and draws you right into their lives. If you haven't discovered her, please do give her books a try. You won't be disappointed, except for not having found her sooner!" "I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I couldn't put it down. I purchased it today and finished it just now. Captivating story from beginning to end. Definitely a five star book." Other Contemporary Romances by Leeanna Morgan: The Montana Brides Book 1: Forever Dreams (Gracie and Trent) Book 2: Forever in Love (Amy and Nathan) Book 3: Forever After (Nicky and Sam) Book 4: Forever Wishes (Erin and Jake) Book 5: Forever Santa: a Montana Brides Christmas novella Book 6: Forever Cowboy (Emily and Alex) Book 7: Forever Together (Kate and Dan) Book 8: Forever and a Day (Sarah and Jordan) The Bridesmaids Club Book 1: All of Me (Tess and Logan) Book 2: Loving You (Annie and Dylan) Book 3: Head Over Heels (Sally and Todd) Book 4: Sweet on You (Molly and Jacob) Emerald Lake Billionaires Book 1: Sealed with a Kiss (Rachel and John) Book 2: Playing for Keeps (Sophie and Ryan) Book 3: Crazy Love (Holly and Daniel) Book 4: One And Only (Elizabeth and Blake) The Protectors: Book 1: Safe Haven (Hayley and Tank) Book 2: Just Breathe: (Kelly and Tanner) Book 3: Always (Mallory and Grant) Book 4: The Promise (Ashley and Matthew) Book 5: Coming Home (Mia and Stan) Book 6: The Gift (Hannah and Brett) Book 7: The Wish (Claire and Jason) Sapphire Bay: Book 1: Falling For You (Natalie and Gabe) Book 2: Once In A Lifetime (Samantha and Caleb) Book 3: A Christmas Wish (Megan and William) Book 4: Before Today (Brooke and Levi) Book 5: The Sweetest Thing (Cassie and Noah) Book 6: Sweet Surrender (Willow and Zac)

Inspector Roderick Alleyn is called to a remote English village to investigate the murder of a young woman, and the case draws in his circle of friends and acquaintances. As he uncovers the truth, the investigation reveals a betrayal among those closest to him.

• betrayal
• morally grey
• multiple povs

A wealthy family in New Zealand plans an extravagant garden party even as their impoverished neighbor dies just across the road, forcing a reckoning between privilege and empathy. Told through the eyes of young Laura Sheridan, the story traces her gradual awakening to the divide between her sheltered world and that of those around her.

At Sir Hubert Handesley's country house party, five guests have gathered for the uproarious parlor game of "Murder." Yet no one is laughing when the lights come up on an actual corpse, the good-looking and mysterious Charles Rankin. Scotland Yard's Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives to find a complete collection of alibis, a missing butler, and an intricate puzzle of betrayal and sedition in the search for the key player in this deadly game.

Alannah returns to New Zealand hoping to marry the man she loves, but she must also face Nicholas Challoner. A year ago, she inadvertently caused the death of his wife, and Nicholas has not forgiven her. He has a plan for her to make amends, which will undoubtedly complicate her reunion with David and her own desire for peace.

• enemies to lovers
• revenge

Sarah Doyle is devoted to Linnet, but her father, Justin, has a possessive and chilling plan to keep Linnet close. He intends to prevent Linnet from ever leaving Sarah's side, though not through marriage. Linnet finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Justin's intense magnetism, struggling against his powerful allure.

• morally grey
• forbidden love

Four years after a whirlwind marriage ended in heartbreak and infidelity, Gianna is confronted by her past when Raúl Velez-Saldaña returns. He wants his wife back, claiming their marriage was merely postponed. As they navigate public appearances as a perfect couple, the private secrets and undeniable desire between them resurface, threatening to either rekindle their love or tear them apart for good.

• second chance
• forced proximity

A woman finds herself in a surprising predicament when circumstances lead her to a marriage of convenience. What starts as a practical arrangement soon challenges her perceptions of love and commitment. She must navigate the complexities of her new life and the unexpected feelings that begin to develop.

• marriage of convenience

Rosamond arrives in New Zealand with high hopes for a new job, only to be met with immediate disdain from Matthieu, her host's grandson. He's convinced she's after his grandfather's money, creating an instant rift between them. Can Rosamond overcome Matthieu's harsh judgment and prove her true intentions?

• fish out of water
• enemies to lovers