BOOK FEATURE FRIDAY: Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

 A reimagining of Bram Stoker’s classic, this time seen through the eyes of Mina Harker, DRACULA IN LOVE by Karen Essex brings a dark romance and gothic atmosphere of Anne Rice, the feminist revisionism of The Mists of Avalon, and the erotic, mythic charge of A Discovery of Witches and The Historian.

Dracula in Love

Release Date: February 2026

Genre: Gothic Romance

"Dracula in Love" is a lush, sensual reimagining of Bram Stoker’s classic, told through the eyes of Mina Harker. In Essex’s version, Mina is no passive maiden besieged by darkness, but a woman divided between the life Victorian society demands of her and the dangerous, erotic, supernatural truth awakening inside her.

As Mina is drawn into Dracula’s world, she discovers that desire, memory, and identity are far more complicated than the men around her will admit. The novel transforms the familiar tale of the vampire count into a story of female hunger, forbidden love, and the terrifying cost of self-discovery. At once gothic, romantic, and psychologically intimate, Dracula in Love asks whether the monster is truly the creature in the shadows, or the world that demands women dampen their own power.

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Dracula in Love is perfect for readers who love seductive historical fantasy, dangerous love stories, and classic tales retold from the woman’s point of view.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KAREN ESSEX is a national and international bestselling author whose novels spotlight history’s most fascinating and powerful women—those who shaped empires, commanded art, and seduced the world. The books are embraced by readers who crave both depth and passion in historical fiction.

STAY TUNED FOR HER UPCOMING NOVEL, RUN, DARLING, the untold story of the glamorous Gabor sisters' escape from Nazi occupied Europe to the United States and to celebrity.

Her work includes an acclaimed two volume biographical novel KLEOPATRA: The Early Years, the little known story of the princess’s rise to the throne; & PHARAOH: Book II of Kleopatra, focusing on the queen’s political acumen as well as her romances. LEONARDO'S SWANS, a global bestseller, puts Leonardo da Vinci’s rivalrous female muses at its core, aristocratic women who shaped the art and politics of the Italian Renaissance. The novel won Italy's prestigious Premio Roma for foreign fiction. STEALING ATHENA is a sweeping historical saga from the perspectives of two of history's most fascinating women who played key roles in the building and fate of Athens' greatest monuments. DRACULA IN LOVE retells Bram Stoker’s classic tale from the perspective of Dracula’s obsession, Mina Harker, who surprises readers with her own supernatural lineage.

Also an award-winning journalist & screenwriter, Karen has written for Netflix, James Cameron and Fox Studios, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount, and Fox TV. She was graduated from Tulane University with a BA in Theater, attended graduate school at Vanderbilt University, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. A New Orleans native, she has also lived in London, Paris, and Los Angeles.

Follow Essex on instagram at @karenessex

BOOK REVIEW: Forgotten Skye by Roz Maclaren

 This book stabbed me in the heart twice. WTF, Maclaren!

Forgotten Skye (The Ruined Skye Book One)

Release Date: July 17, 2026

Genre: YA Dark Fantasy

Featuring

⦁ Dramatic Scottish setting

⦁ Forced proximity

⦁ St@bby FMC

⦁ Only soft for her

⦁ Slow burn

⦁ Enemies to lovers

⦁ Touch him and d!€

⦁ Zero spice / only kissing

She wants to destroy his world. He’s sent to destroy her.

Centuries after a radiation leak on the Isle of Skye wiped out thousands, the mutated survivors developed god-like powers. Led by power-hungry Queen Creyta, they’re determined to drive the few remaining humans to extinction.

Seventeen-year-old Vesper, one of the unmutated, is determined to go down fighting. Prince Hunter, the queen’s ridiculously handsome son, might just be the key to his mother’s undoing. But the closer Vesper gets to Hunter, the more she realizes he’s just as trapped as she is. Now she’s torn between taking down Creyta and protecting the boy she’s grown dangerously close to.

One wrong move and she won’t just lose Hunter. She’ll lose everything. 

REVIEW

I was going into this book with an empty slate, not expecting much really, as if I was challenging the author to entertain me. She did that and more; she wrecked me! It is no surprise that book one in this Ruined Skye Trilogy got picked up by EverNight Teen Publishing. Maclaren writes with a modern passion and fierceness I enjoyed. 

 On the Isle of Skye, we meet Vesper, her grandfather, and her younger sister. Radiation has turned the world to hell, enhancing some and leaving the rest unfazed. Those enhanced call themselves the Raidens, while those not enhanced are called the Blands, and the Raidens, knowing they are superior now, start attacking and killing the lesser, i.e., the Blands. Vesper and what is left of her family are Blands and constantly hunted, but when news arrives that the Raidens are getting closer to their area, Grandpa wants to flee. Vesper does not want to run anymore and decides to stay. 

The Raidens are ruled by Queen Cystera, and her son Hunter is set to be their Blandhunter. Hunter does not like killing, though. So Hunter devises a game of hunting the Blands, and whoever gets the most kills gets their heart's desire, and he hopes his Bland-killing-loving sister may claim to be the Bladehunter, and he can be free. So when they start rounding up Blands to be in this hunting game, Vesper is one of them. Unbeknownst to Vesper, he is the same man who irked her, allured her, and saved her earlier when she was hunting.

Hunter is also allured by Vesper and chooses her as his target to kill, but in truth wants to save her from being killed. All is going well so far in this story; we got conflict with Queen Cystera. I am following along nicely; it's an interesting plot here. The characters are growing on me. Then OH MY GOSH in Chapter 22! I was like, “Oh! No, she didn’t!” I was not sure I could read on! What was the point of the rest of this book? How is it a fricken trilogy?  Wishing for a miracle, I read on only to start to be happy again, and then BAM! another stab and the book ends.

I have never had an author stab me in the heart like that, yet I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love it when an author throws the storytelling manual out the window and goes for the dark, the heartbreaking. I seriously am not sure how this series is going to go on. I will be on board for it, hesitantly. I hope my heart will be healed by the next book.

My Rating 5/5 stars  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Roz MacLaren is a Scottish YA author who lives in the Inner Hebrides with her black and white cat.

Roz wrote her first novel at the age of six. It was terrible and fortunately has never seen the light of day. However, Roz went on to become a professional writer at the age of seventeen and even received a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing. She is always writing at least one novel at any given time – and sometimes she actually finishes them.

Roz has an extensive collection of books, only rivaled by her equally extensive collection of impractical shoes. When not writing, she can be found reading, running or napping. You can keep up with all this excitement by following her on social media.

Visit Roz at rozmaclaren.com. Follow her on Instagram @rozmaclaren

BOOK FEATURE: The Fall of a Prince by Samantha De La Porte

 The first trial is over, and it’s time for The Second Serenade… THE FALL OF A PRINCE is book two in The Ashes of Eyrondale series.

The Fall of a Prince (The Ashes of Eyrondale Book 2)

Genre: Romantasy/ Low Spice

Featuring

• Mortals and immortals

• Second chance romance

• Forced proximity

• Trials and competition

• Prophecy and fate

• Dark secrets

• Love as a liability

• Manipulation behind the scenes

• Power at a cost

• Light to dark transformation

• “First” dates

• Romance under pressure

• Bloodlust and sacrifice

Synopsis

Katherine has regained her memories and the power locked within them. The First Trial is over, and the truth of who she was and what she has become can no longer be hidden. Now, with her memories restored and her place among the Five Champions of Fate made clear, she must face what comes next.

The Second Serenade begins. Each champion has one chance to win her favour before Fate makes his decision. One will fall, and the balance of power within the Trials will never be the same again.

But not every battle is fought within the Trials. As relationships strain and long-buried truths rise to the surface, Katherine must find her footing between her mortal heart and immortal power while shadows beyond the castle grow darker. Old enemies are moving unseen, their plans unfolding as the Trials consume her focus. When their reach strikes too close, Katherine faces an impossible decision. To save one she loves or surrender a part of herself she may never reclaim.

Every choice brings her closer to a destiny she cannot escape.

When the hurt of betrayal, weight of secrets, temptation of new beginnings, simplicity of humanity, and familiarity of home collide, The Second Serenade sees Fate decide who is unworthy to continue to compete for Katherine's heart, and ultimately, power.

The Fall of a Prince is the second book in The Ashes of Eyrondale, a slow burn romantasy series filled with memory, magic, and heartbreak. Perfect for readers who crave slow reveals, escalating stakes, and character-driven plot, this instalment deepens the story of love, power, and destiny where every victory carries a cost.

Prepare for The Second Serenade.

Buy now on AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha de la Porté is the indie author behind The Ashes of Eyrondale, a romantasy pentalogy that blends fantasy, paranormal romance, and magic realism in a world shaped by the ancient forces of Cosmic, Magic, and Destiny Power. She writes lyrical, intricately layered stories that explore power, identity, and emotional connection. When not writing or building digital marketing strategies, Samantha enjoys painting, traveling, discovering new cuisines, and attending live music events.

For the latest news on The Ashes of Eyrondale, follow her: @samantha_delaporte and @ashesofeyrondale.

                                                       

NEW RELEASE: Into the Darkness by Brenna Bustamante

 Happy Book Release to author Brenna Bustamate, as we celebrate her release INTO DARKNESS!

In a city unraveling under violence and ideology, survival is no longer about completing the mission. It is about deciding who and what is worth saving...

Into the Darkness (Her Villain Era Book 1)

Release Date: June 30. 2026

Genre: Dark Romantasy

Featuring Tropes Including:

⬇

⚔️ Enemies-to-lovers

🖤 Morally gray assassins

⚔️ Forced alliances

🖤 Dangerous attractions

⚔️ Good vs evil

🖤 Antagonist turned ally

⚔️ All hope lost

🖤 The antihero

⚔️ Evil overlord

🖤 Point of no return

⚔️ The price to pay

🖤 Feminine rage

⚔️ Forbidden magic

🖤 Found family

She was trained to end lives without hesitation.

He learned to survive by becoming something lethal.

Neither of them expected to hesitate when it mattered most.

Aza has built her life on precision, discipline, and distance. As a shadow-wielder and trained assassin, she survives by following orders and never questioning the outcome.

Her latest assignment should have been routine: eliminate a rival operative and disappear without a trace.

Instead, it becomes the moment everything fractures.

Before Aza can complete the kill, the Stars descend on the district, an extremist faction intent on eradicating every shadow-wielder they can find. What was meant to be a controlled execution spirals into chaos, forcing enemies into proximity and turning the city into a battlefield.

For the first time, Aza is not in control.

Cut off from certainty and hunted alongside the very man she was meant to eliminate, she is pushed into an uneasy alliance shaped by necessity rather than trust. Survival demands cooperation. Survival demands compromise.

But neither comes easily.

As violence spreads and the Stars tighten their grip, Aza’s priorities begin to shift. Protecting her sister and closest ally becomes inseparable from the fragile partnership she never intended to form. The lines between enemy and ally blur, and with them, the clarity she has always relied on.

What emerges in its place is something far more dangerous than hesitation.

Because proximity breeds understanding.

And understanding has consequences.

In a world where loyalty is fleeting and power is contested in blood, Aza is forced to confront the cost of everything she believes in: revenge, survival, and the identity she has carefully constructed.

When the moment arrives to choose between finishing her mission or preserving what remains of the district, the decision will demand more than skill.

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 INTO DARKNESS is perfect for readers who enjoy: Dark fantasy grounded in morally complex characters 

• Assassin-driven narratives with layered character dynamics
• Enemies-to-lovers arcs built on tension and restraint
• Unrest, faction conflict, and urban fantasy settings
• High-stakes survival stories with emotional depth
• Slow-burn attraction shaped by danger and proximity

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

A New Norse Realms Saga Series Begins by Julia Silverwood

Releasing today, THE NINTH REALM is book 1 in The Norse Realms Saga. Featuring high-stakes romantasy where The Hunger Games meets Norse mythology.

The Ninth Realm (The Norse Realms Saga Book 1)

Release Date: May 21, 2026 (TODAY)

Genre: Norse Romantasy

Cover Designer: @trifbookdesign

Character Artist: @lulybot

Featuring

⬇

⦁ Lethal trials

⦁ Ruthless gods

⦁ Norse legends

⦁ Companion beasts

⦁ Star-crossed romance

⦁ Forbidden love

⦁ Bonded mates

⦁ Political intrigue

⦁ Mythological creatures

⦁ Forced proximity

Nine realms. One bond. No escape.

For ten thousand years, a Keeper has stood between Earth and the chaos of the Norse realms, holding back cunning gods, legendary creatures, and beautifully wicked fae. But Saga knows nothing of this until her dying father calls her home to Iceland and leaves her his title, his secrets, and a fate she can’t refuse.

She discovers she’s bound by magic to Kalen, a mysterious fae who despises her fragile humanity because when she dies, so does he. So when the Norse gods resurrect the Tournament of Realms, a brutal contest where champions fight for the role of Keeper, Saga must obey the call, and Kalen becomes wholly infested.

To survive the trials, Saga must master her fighting skills and tether with her companion beast while navigating the intrigue of the gods. Yet her greatest challenge may be resisting Kalen, who could either save her heart or shatter the world she’s fighting for because desire is as lethal as the gods’ games.

GET NOW ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julia Silverwood enjoys writing romantasy and romcom stories where romance meets magic. She loves to bring high-stakes fantasy and lush worlds into her books and gets inspired by myths, fairytales, and her travels. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her roaming forgotten ruins, hunting for the perfect cappuccino, and daydreaming of entering a fantasy world of her own. She lives in Florida with her family and a very furry cat.

Visit her online at JuliaSilverwood.com

Instagram: @julia_silverwood

Facebook: @JuliaSilverwoodAuthor

TikTok: @julia.silverwood

Book Feature: Loman Master by L.A. Tucker

  It's Sci-Fi/ Dystopian meets Mafia Romance in LOMAN MASTER. Curious? READ ON!

Loman Master

Release Date: March 20, 2026

Genre: Sci-Fi/ Dystopian/ Mafia Romance

With

⬇

⦁ Touch her and die energy

⦁ Forced proximity

⦁ Morally gray MMC

⦁ Possessive/Ruthless mob boss

⦁ Strong FMC but with amnesia

⦁ One bed

⦁ Who did this to you

⦁ Hurt/comfort

⦁ Contract marriage

⦁ Forced proximity

She doesn't know who she is.

He's a brutal mob boss.

Joon Ren maintains perfect, sadistic control of his planet Kryo... until he buys a young woman with amnesia from militants pursuing her. He names her Ha-Yun, and she turns into the eye of a deadly storm when his people object to her presence and a mysterious rival threatens Ren's leadership.

Stubborn and resourceful, Ha-Yun struggles to recover her memory while working as Ren's servant. Flashbacks of harrowing experiences come to her as she navigates his hostile world. Painful memories trickling back help her rediscover herself: her precise aim with throwing knives and her comprehensive weapons knowledge. As Ren's competitors lash out she must choose between Ren's obsessive protection and the traumatic past she escaped.

And she must choose soon. Kryo won't wait for her to decide, and her past is close behind her.

Trigger Warnings:

⦁ ED rep (non-romanticized)

⦁ Serious injuries

⦁ Death

⦁ Graphic descriptions of injuries and blood

⦁ Non-graphic scene of childbirth

GET NOW ON AMAZON

Learn more and follow the author at IG: @l.a._tucker

TIKTOK: @authorlatucker 

BOOK FEATURE: Nightwither by Lana B. Night

 Nightwither is the next book in the The Starheart Saga, and it's getting a feature here at Indie's Review! The Starheart Saga is perfect for fans of unique magic systems, mythical creatures, angst and tension, and hilarious banter. Nightwither will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven fantasy and enemies-to-lovers romance.

Nightwither (The Starheart Saga #2)

Release Date: April 14, 2026

Genre: Romantasy

With Tropes of

- High Fantasy

- Epic World Building

- Dragons

- Found Family

- Enemies to Lovers- Unlikely Allies

- Who did this to you?

- Shadow Daddy

- Banter

- Morally Grey FMC

- A Court of Mist and Fury Vibes

Stella arrives in her mother's homeland, Myera, a realm of unfamiliar creatures, magical lands, and values that challenge her core beliefs. Nothing could have prepared her for the responsibility of her mother's legacy. With a long history of tension rising and a civil war on the horizon, Stella is forced into her role as the Starheart to heal old wounds.

Navigating a treacherous web of politics and power as the realm begins to fracture, Stella must be a pillar of strength and stability even as she quietly unravels beneath the weight of her own unmet expectations. But the greatest challenge doesn’t lie within her.

At the centre of the unrest stands Noxryn.

Caught between clashing wills and pride, Stella faces something far more dangerous than failing—the possibility of understanding the man who betrayed her and the one responsible for the chaos threatening to consume the realm. Taking off Noxryn’s mask might offer answers to bring peace, or which lures both her and Myera into a darkness there’s no coming back from.

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Don't Forget....

AMAZON

LEARN MORE ABOUT LANA B. KNIGHT @lanabknight ON INSTAGRAM

BOOK REVIEW: We Call Them Witches by India-Rose-Bower

 We Call Them Witches is a post-apocalyptic horror novel that follows one woman’s journey across a merciless wasteland to save her brother. As she confronts the dark truth behind the monsters that have ravaged the world, she receives help from a woman she’s unsure she can trust, yet finds herself falling for.

 Think The Last of Us meets The Watchers with a queer, eldritch twist.

We Call Them Witches

Published: April 7th, 2026

 

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Genre: Horror fiction/LGBTQ+ horror/ supernatural/ Dystopian horror

Nearly everyone died the first night they came…

Two years ago, monstrous beings tore through Britain, leaving few survivors. Now Sara and her family live on the run, relying on scraps of folklore and fading pagan rituals to stay safe from the eldritch creatures they call "witches".

While her mother grows increasingly paranoid, Sara longs for something more than fear.

Then a strange girl appears in the garden of their current camp. Her name is Parsley, and she cannot remember where she came from or why she's there. Despite her family's suspicions, Sara feels drawn to her.

But when Sara's younger brother is taken by the Witches, she and Parsley must cross desolate moors full of merciless terrors to get him back. As their bond deepens, so do the dangers they face—and Sara begins to question whether anything is truly as it seems.

In a world ruled by terror and myth, trust is the only thing more dangerous than the Witches themselves.

REVIEW

The cover looked cool. The premise and plot sound intriguing, yet the ratings on this book were not so stellar. I still wanted to check out this book, which was available as an ARC on NetGalley at the time. I put in my ARC request to read it for myself, being the ever-definite one(If you say go left, I will go right), I was like,  "I am going to read this book anyway." 

The story premise is good…and well… It starts out strong, but then turns in a dumbed-down direction, then gets back on its intellectual track again. There is also a lot of vagueness. Not much depth to the setting, the plot, or the characters, especially the witch creatures. Like I said, the plot, the premise of this story is fantastic, but the delivery disappointed me somewhat.

 

The book took me longer to read than usual because I had to reread parts. Sara, our protagonist, I believe, is an unreliable narrator to the 10th power. I am not sure if she was meant to be, though, as her voice changes at certain times in the story, and there are no hints that she has a split personality. Yet all of this could be due to the book's structure and tone. It was uneven at times, yet Sara’s journey kept me reading. I really like the overall story.  The twist at the climax is brutal yet unsurprising.

 ALSO! We Call Them Witches has the first realistic dystopian romance I have read or seen.  It felt real, and it was brutal. Therefore, I give We Call Them Witches Three Stars ⭐⭐⭐

We Call Them Witches is now out and available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.