Bex 'n' Books

New Release: Along Came Alice by Maria Dean

2026-10-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Maria Dean

Title: Along Came Alice

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Subgenre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: October 15, 2026

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Cover Designer: BookSmith Design

Now Live!

Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/5462258

All Links: http://books2read.com/alongcamealice

She accidentally told her oldest friend she had a boyfriend.

Now she just has to convince him.

Alice Sutton has spent her entire life believing in grand romances, meet-cutes, and happily-ever-afters. Unfortunately, at thirty-six, she's still spectacularly single. So when she's invited to her childhood best friend's wedding, panic—and one tiny little lie—lead her to name a boyfriend she doesn't actually have.

The boyfriend in question?

Owen Shea.

Grumpy, tea-drinking, routine-loving Owen would rather spend time with his dachshund, Paul, than make small talk with another human being. The last thing he wants is to attend a wedding full of strangers pretending to be someone's devoted partner.

But somehow, he says yes.

As Alice and Owen stumble through Operation Wedding, fake couple photos, awkward family questions, and increasingly believable chemistry, Alice starts wondering if she's finally found the romance she's always dreamed of. Meanwhile, Owen is discovering that Alice's chaos might be the best thing that's happened to him in years.

There's just one complication.

What happens when the relationship everyone believes in is the one neither of them expected to become real?

A warm, witty romantic comedy featuring fake dating, grumpy/sunshine vibes, workplace banter, neurodivergent representation, and a hero who falls much harder than he intended.

Available now!

Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/5462258

All Links: http://books2read.com/alongcamealice

Blog Tour: Worse Than a Paper Cut by Dahlia Donovan

2026-08-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Dahlia Donovan

Title: Worse Than a Paper Cut

Genre: Contemporary Ace Romance

Release Date: August 21, 2026

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Cover Designer: BookSmith Design

Available now!

Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/5449585

All links: https://books2read.com/papercut

A tender small-town romance featuring an autistic heroine, found family, a healing coastal road trip, a quietly steadfast doctor hero, and an asexual love story about learning to love again after loss.

Retired autistic rugby player Prisca Heath has spent the past year caring for the man who raised her. When Angus’s sudden decline leaves her grieving and alone, she struggles to imagine a future without him.

An unexpected connection with one of his doctors, Kauri Teague, offers a fragile sense of hope. Determined to face her loss, Prisca sets out on a road trip around the Cornish coast—accompanied by a stubborn cat and a quietly irresistible doctor.

As windswept beaches, late-night board games, and shared cups of tea begin to mend her shattered world, Prisca learns that grief and love can coexist. And that even after devastating loss, new beginnings are possible.

Perfect for readers who love emotional journeys, found family, slow-burn romance, and heartfelt stories of healing and hope.

Available now!

Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/5449585

All links: https://books2read.com/papercut

In the safety of her vehicle, Prisca grappled with going to such a familiar place. It was one of the pitches Angus had worked at—connected to a local college and a league team. There were memories attached to every aspect of it.

I can do this. It’s going to be brilliant. Just a game of rugby. Something we both loved.

I can do this.

It was a familiar walk from the car park to the secondary pitch used for training, which was where they’d be playing today. She felt the weight of loss slowly dragging her mood down. It was as if she were being physically battered by the ghost of past moments.

Prisca took one step off the pathway and onto the pitch proper. The scent of freshly mowed grass hit her, and she froze in place. A million memories struck at once. A chaotic kaleidoscope of joy and grief. She couldn’t filter through them. It all cascaded like concrete dominoes in her heart. “Bugger.”

“Prish?”

She couldn’t respond or make herself move.

“It’s okay. See if you can take a few slow breaths. Count in your head if you can. It’s okay to miss him more today. It’s normal for this to be hard.” Kauri stepped up beside her, keeping a little distance between them. “Feels more real here, doesn’t it? Harder to avoid the truth?”

Prisca nodded, not yet trusting her voice.

“When my best mate from uni died in an accident in our last year, I was coping until I stepped into our favourite library to study. It hit me there because of all the hours studying for exams. Grief knows our tender spots.” Kauri waited patiently beside her. “We’ll all feel some measure of loss today. Angus and rugby were intertwined for you and all the players who worked with him. I imagine today is going to be both a joyful remembrance and a painful release.”

Grief, Prisca had come to see, was a two-sided coin. Beautiful, happy memories coexisted with the painful reality of loss. She had to find a way to live with both.

“You with me?”

Prisca counted her breathing a few more times before giving another nod. “It’s the smell. I didn’t expect a silly thing like a freshly mowed rugby pitch to set me off. It’s silly. I’m being ridiculous. Grass shouldn’t set me off.”

“It’s not silly. It’s grief and human. Messy and painful.” Kauri reached out to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “None of it is easy.”

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Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.

New Release: Worse Than a Paper Cut by Dahlia Donovan

2026-08-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Dahlia Donovan

Title: Worse Than a Paper Cut

Genre: Contemporary Ace Romance

Release Date: August 21, 2026

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Cover Designer: BookSmith Design

NOW LIVE!

Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/5449585

All links: https://books2read.com/papercut

Perfect for readers who love emotional journeys, found family, slow-burn romance, and heartfelt stories of healing and hope.

Available now!

Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/5449585

All links: https://books2read.com/papercut