Title: The Heart's Retreat Series: Hearts’ Domain, Book One Author: Shannon Blair Publisher: NineStar Press Release Date: 10/06/2026 Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex Pairing: Male/Male Length: 395 Genre: Fantasy, voyeurism, fantasy, elves, gods, werewolves, wolves, menage, polyamory, reconciliation, trans, pansexual, demisexual, neurodivergent, romantasy, magic Add to Goodreads Description Centuries ago, Aspen, the woodlands’ divine Heart Tree, disappeared, twisting His lands into a corrupted shadow of their former glory and sending rage-filled werewolves to hunt His elven children.

Here are the new releases for the week. Let us know if there's something missing & we'll add it to the list. Title Author Publisher Release Date Other Details Link Mountain Man Lane Hayes Self Published 10/12/26 Wood Hollow Stories #3 Amazon Mafia Devil Zach Wish Self Published 10/12/26 Midnight Bratva Kings #3 Amazon

Book of the Month Poll September 2026 IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN! Welcome to our Book of the Month Poll for September 2026! Here are your voter chosen top two from each week in no particular order. Please vote for your favorites and you can vote for as many as you want, but as with our Book of the Week Poll you only get one visit, so make it count!

Audio Book of the Month Winners September 2026 Welcome to the September 2026 Audio Book of the Month Winners! The top two will go through to the Audio of the Year Poll! Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE: Timeless Doors & Captured Gods SERIES: Hidden Realms AUTHOR: Alice Winters NARRATOR: Greg Boudreaux LENGTH: 10 hour and 5 minutes RELEASE DATE: August 11, 2026…

Book of the Week Poll Welcome to the Love Bytes Book of the Week Poll! Here are the books which achieved a 4.25 and up review last week from our reviewers. As a reminder, the top two books from each week’s poll will roll into our Book of the Month poll at month’s end. Happy Voting! Please scroll to the very bottom for the voting section…

Book of the Week Winners! Here are the winning books of this week’s Book of the Week Poll. Both will go through to the Book of the Month Poll Reviewed by Mal TITLE: Too Close To Home SERIES: Whitton & Black Mystery #1 AUTHOR: CF White PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 446 Pages RELEASE DATE: September 25, 2026 RATING: …

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE: Checking out the Librarian AUTHOR: Anna Richland PUBLISHER: Petiole Publishing LENGTH: 579 pages RELEASE DATE: 9/18/2026 BLURB: CONNOR. Connor McMillan has his life together. Mostly. Teaching second graders is a perfect job for his high energy, but why can't he find a boyfriend who likes his enthusiasm too? He wants someone in the bleachers cheering just for him, someone to cook dinner with, someone who will maybe, possibly, dress up and do a little Regency cosplay, but that last thing he doesn't say out loud.

Reviewed by Cindy TITLE: Enchanted SERIES: Hopeless Blessed #4 AUTHOR: Lark Taylor PUBLISHER: Self-Published LENGTH: 430 Pages RELEASE DATE: September 25, 2026 BLURB: Every man I’ve ever hit on has been in a relationship. Why should it be any different with my fated mate? For weeks, I’ve been able to feel my fated mate but unable to find him. Something, or someone, is hiding him from me.

Book Title: From A to Us Author and Publisher: Amy Aislin Series: Vermont Trailblazers 3 Cover Artist: L.C. Chase Release Date: October 6, 2026 Tense/POV: third person past tense Genres: Contemporary MM hockey romance Tropes: Friends to lovers, coach’s son, sister’s ex, age gap, forced proximity Heat Rating: 3 flames: Length: 66 125 words / 220 pages It is the final book in a trilogy but stands on its own.

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE: Liberated SERIES: Enlightenment #6 AUTHOR: Joanna Chambers NARRTOR:  Simon Goldhill PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 10 hours and 24 minutes RELEASE DATE: September 21, 2026 BLURB: A dutiful duke-in-waiting. George Asquith knows exactly who he is. The future duke. The responsible heir. The man who will marry well and manage his estates with quiet competence. He has built his entire life on fulfilling his duty.

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE:  Search for the Lost SERIES:  Chaos and Order AUTHORS:  J. Scott Coatsworth, Kim Fielding PUBLISHER:  Other Worlds Ink LENGTH:  324 pages RELEASE DATE:  October 7, 2026 BLURB: SOMETIMES ORDER BECOMES CHAOS Leopold Lane-after being "collected" for the Office of the Lost by Crispin Eladrin Moss'caladin-is tucked away cozily with his beloved office fae in their treehouse. Happily ever after, right?

Reviewed by Jen TITLE:  Ash and His Dragon SERIES: Colorado Dragons #4 AUTHOR: Victoria Sue PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 400 pages RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2026 BLURB: Ash Thorne doesn’t trust easy smiles, loud laughter, or men like Max Rees. He learned young that attention always comes at a painful price—and he’s spent his life making sure no one ever gets close enough to collect.

J. Scott Coatsworth and Kim Fielding has a new MM romantasy book out, Chaos and Order book two: Search for the Lost. SOMETIMES ORDER BECOMES CHAOS... Leopold Lane—after being “collected” for the Office of the Lost by Crispin Eladrin Moss’caladin—is tucked away cozily with his beloved office fae in their treehouse. Happily ever after, right? Not so fast. Before Leo can even get settled, Crispin’s mother disappears, leaving Crispin in charge and his brother Aspin in a panic.

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE: The Cruise Back to You SERIES: Pine Ridge AUTHOR: Ana Ashley PUBLISHER: Heartbound Press LENGTH: 62 pages RELEASE DATE: September 25, 2026 BLURB: I didn't ask for a vacation. I definitely didn't ask to be trapped on a cruise ship with my ex. Colter and I were together for five years before I walked away.

Reviewed by Dan TITLE: The Broken Hearts Club SERIES: Firsts and Forever Stories Adjacent AUTHOR: Alexa Land PUBLISHER: Self-Published RELEASE DATE: September 18, 2026 BLURB: Miller Anderson isn’t the type to make impulsive decisions. He’s organized, responsible, and totally done with love after his fiancé dumped him two days before their wedding. Then Collin Souza very literally crashes into his life.

SERIES TOUR The Declan Hunt Mysteries by Peter E. Fenton Declan Hunt is good at solving mysteries, but cracking the case of his evolving relationship with his new office assistant Charlie Watts is proving to be more challenging than expected. This four part detective series is filled with emotional twists and turns, secrets, crimes of passion and an unlikely partnership that simmers beneath the surface.

Reviewed by True TITLE: The Other Side SERIES: Sparlow Tales #1 AUTHOR: Barbara Elsborg PUBLISHER: Self-Published LENGTH: 340 pages RELEASE DATE: October 5, 2026 BLURB: Love lost. Love found. Love forever. After three gruelling months in rehab following a botched undercover operation, police officer Drum is forced to rebuild his shattered life. When he’s offered a quiet reassignment as a Police Community Support Officer in the Derbyshire Peak District, he takes it.

PROMO BLITZ: Mage's Gambit (The Mage and His Brute #4) by Ava Marie Salinger Length: 464 pages, 86 600 words Series: The Mage and His Brute Book 4 Prior Reading: Prior reading is required Genre: Historical, Fantasy/Romantasy Tropes: Slow Burn Romance Forbidden, cross-class Love Enemies to Lovers Protective MMC Rich Fantasy World Danger & Longing…

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE:  From A to Us SERIES:  Vermont Trailblazers AUTHOR:  Amy Aislin PUBLISHER:  Self-published LENGTH:  258 pages RELEASE DATE:  October 6, 2026 BLURB: Eli worked his butt off to earn a spot with the Vermont Trailblazers, and he has absolutely no intention of losing it. Unfortunately, his second NHL season has brought a sophomore slump, an endless parade of team obligations, and the possibility that enthusiasm might not be enough to keep his plates spinning—or keep him from being sent to the minors.

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE:  Office of the Lost SERIES:  Chaos and Order AUTHORS:  J. Scott Coatsworth, Kim Fielding PUBLISHER:  Other Worlds Ink LENGTH:  266 pages RELEASE DATE:  June 21, 2025 BLURB: When Perfection Collides With Chaos, Sparks Fly Crispin Eladrin, desk fae at the Office of the Lost, could find a needle in ten haystacks. His desk is so neat it would make an accountant blush, and he's never failed to complete a recovery mission.

Reviewed by Taylin TITLE: Mage’s Gambit SERIES: The Mage and His Brute #4 AUTHOR: Ava Marie Salinger PUBLISHER: Silver Orb Publishing LENGTH: 379 Pages RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2026 BLURB: The artefact he fought to recover across two continents is now secured. But the Crimson Codex does not intend to be contained. Duke Evander Ravenwood’s magic is changing. The Crimson Codex may be secured in Scotland Yard's vault, but it is far from dormant.

Release Tour incl Exclusive Excerpt: Checking Out the Librarian by Anna Richland Length: 145,000 words Series: standalone Prior Reading: n/a Genre: Contemporary, Sports, Rom-Com Tropes: opposites attract; golden retriever x black cat; banter; messy-texting himbo; low angst; grumpy x sunshine; one night stand; hookup turns into more; role play; soft dom; rescue kitten; they are like their pets; food is a love language; birthday parties; jock x librarian; hurt/comfort; characters who enjoy books; and cutthroat amateur sports competition in a queer sports league.

Reviewed by: Sue Eaton TITLE: Unmasked Agent SERIES: Grunts of Vanguard #3 AUTHOR: Ryder O’Malley PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 324 pages RELEASE DATE: July 14, 2026 BLURB: Hidden identities, patient love, a dark secret, and a found family that defends its own. Everyone at the office thinks I'm the nice guy. If only they knew the truth. At Secret Identities Inc.

Reviewed by True TITLE: What Death Forgets AUTHOR: Thea Verdone PUBLISHER: Petrichor Books LENGTH: 502 pages RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2025 BLURB: I want all of you. I don't want to share. If I could, I would devour you and lick the plate clean so no one else can have you except me. When up-and-coming artist, Asher Blakely, is invited to compete for a prestigious art mentorship hosted by his hero, the reclusive celebrity artist Leviathan Marks, he'll do whatever it takes to win.

Love Bytes is delighted to host author Will Haddad to talk about their Tectonic Trilogy. Read the interview with the author below and make sure to check out the books Welcome Will 🙂 What inspired you to write the Tectonic series? I wanted to write something that felt huge in scale but still stayed personal. The disasters keep getting bigger, but the series is really about people trying to hold onto each other when everything familiar is changing around them.

Here are the new releases for the week. Let us know if there's something missing & we'll add it to the list. Title Author Publisher Release Date Other Details Link Reckless Lisa Henry & J.A Rock Self Published 10/5/26 Dauntless Island #3 Amazon The Other Side Barbara Elsborg Self Published 10/5/26 Sparlow Tales #1 Amazon

Welcome to the September 2026 Audio Book of the Month! Here are all our Audio Reviews from the previous month, in no particular order. Please vote for your favorites. As with all of our Polls, you can vote for as many as you want, but you only get one visit, so make it count! The top two will go through to the Audio of the Year Poll!

Book of the Week Poll Welcome to the Love Bytes Book of the Week Poll! Here are the books which achieved a 4.25 and up review last week from our reviewers. As a reminder, the top two books from each week’s poll will roll into our Book of the Month poll at month’s end. Happy Voting! Please scroll to the very bottom for the voting section…

Book of the Week Winners! Here are the winning books of this week’s Book of the Week Poll. Both will go through to the Book of the Month Poll Reviewed by Kat TITLE: Returning the Runner SERIES: A Forestville Silver Foxes Novella #6 AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 68 pages RELEASE DATE: September 24, 2026 RATING: BUY LINKS:

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE: Roping My Rival SERIES:  Sons of a Legend AUTHOR:  R.M. Neill PUBLISHER:  Self-published LENGTH:  349 pages RELEASE DATE:  September 24, 2026 BLURB:   When does hate turn to love? Before or after he ruins my life? Warren Burke It’s not that I hate Dane Walker. It’s more like a deep, deep annoyance. Kinda like when your sock slips in your boot and you can’t fix it until you get home.

Reviewed by Mal TITLE: Too Close To Home SERIES: Whitton & Black Mystery #1 AUTHOR: CF White PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 446 Pages RELEASE DATE: September 25, 2026 BLURB: Starting over might mean getting too close. When DI Harrison Black transfers from the Met to the small Yorkshire town of Hartswick, he’s chasing distance—from London, guilt, and the grief of losing his husband.

Reviewed by Jen TITLE:  Savage Ambition SERIES: Sins of Vice #1 AUTHOR: A.F. Zoelle PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 536 pages RELEASE DATE: September 24, 2026 BLURB: Wanting a man is the fastest way to get him killed. I’m going to murder Don Salvatore and seize the Gennaro empire. Until I find the moment to strike, he owns me. My younger brother stays safe as long as I obey, so I play the perfect submissive while quietly gathering allies.

Title: Dangerous Times Series: Augment, Book One Author: Ishmael Winter Publisher: NineStar Press Release Date: 09/29/2026 Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex Pairing: NB/NB Length: 265 Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, sci-fi, action, other-world, nonbinary, alien species, war, capture, mind control Add to Goodreads Description Reviled for their parasitic nature, the Augment are a cybernetic species that require organic tissues to process food into usable fuel.

Reviewed by Kat   TITLE: Spectres and Sandwiches SERIES: Echoes of Secret Springs AUTHOR: Minerva Howe PUBLISHER: Turtlehat Creatives LENGTH: 263 pages RELEASE DATE: August 25, 2026 BLURB: Xander O'Doul is a simple hotel cook. He's not a ghost hunter or an adventurer, so he's pretty pissed when he begins a renovation on his old house, and ghost issues pop up where he's never had any before.

AUDIO BLITZ - Call Back by Lily Morton Narrator: Joel Leslie Length:13h59m Series:Model Agency book 3 Prior Reading:Prior reading recommended but not essential Genre:Contemporary Tropes: Age gap, best friend's son, model + photographer, second chance, opposites attract Trigger/Content Warnings:Drug use - consensual and non-consensual Attempted rape Discussion of violent death (happens off page) PTSD…

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE:  Grief and Glitter SERIES:  Rochester Copperheads AUTHORS: R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey PUBLISHER: Love Lane Books Ltd LENGTH: 242 Pages RELEASE DATE:  September 25, 202 BLURB: Haunted by the past. Fighting for the future. Finding love in between. Gideon "Taft" Taftwell has spent years outrunning the past—on the ice, in the gym, and behind a carefully built wall of silence.

Reviewed by Cindy TITLE: Wolfsbane SERIES: Wolves of the Wildwood Book 3 AUTHOR: Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes PUBLISHER: Self-published LENGTH: 301 Pages RELEASE DATE: September 24, 2026 BLURB: Life is good for Daire, the spoiled heir of the head of a powerful witch coven. At least, it should be. But privilege has become his cage, and the punishments for questioning his mother grow crueler each time.

Reviewed by Jen TITLE:  Tobias SERIES: Chronicles of the Redwood Pack #1 AUTHOR: S.A. Pavlik PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 120 pages RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2026 BLURB: Caleb Jennings knew driving the coastal highway at dusk was a terrible idea at the best of times, but it was even worse after enduring an awful dinner with his family. After something jumped out and caused him to wreck his truck and black out, Caleb woke to a coyote in his bed and his entire life turned upside down.

Reviewed by LadyMacbeth TITLE: Jealous Guy SERIES: Down Bad #1 AUTHOR: Jesse H. Reign PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 274 Pages RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2026 BLURB: "I’m not homophobic. I just really hate it when my best friend hooks up with other guys." To say I was thrown when my boy Orion came out is something of an understatement.

Book Title: Boomerang Street Author and Cover Artist: Garrick Jones Publisher: GRJ Press Release Date: September 15, 2026 Genre: LGBT Historical/Crime Thriller Themes: Political Thriller; Action Thriller; Rags to Riches Heat Rating: 5 flames Length: 135 000 words/389 pages (paperback version) It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger. Goodreads Buy links Amazon US | Amazon UK…

Reviewed by Cheryl K TITLE: In At The Deep End AUTHOR: K.C. Wells PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 438 pages RELEASE DATE: September 9,  2026 BLURB: Owen swore he’d never love again. Matt never got the memo. Matt Daley thought the summer would be simple. A dissertation to finish, then figuring out what comes next after his master’s. When Owen Lane, his dad’s best friend from his university days, moves in next door and offers him a paid gig maintaining the pool and garden, it feels like an easy yes.

Reviewed by Jen TITLE:  Locked in Wonderland AUTHOR: H.L. Day writing as H.L. Night PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 371 pages RELEASE DATE: August 31, 2026 BLURB: If you came here by choice, enjoy the party. If you didn’t... good luck. You’re going to need it. Lysander Carroll hasn’t known Warren White for long, but he’s certain they’ve got a future together.

Reviewed by Lady MacBeth TITLE: My Warlock Boyfriend Turned Me Into a Squirrel SERIES: Cursed Reliquaries #1 AUTHOR: CG Vollars PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 48 Pages RELEASE DATE: September 22, 2026 BLURB: My warlock boyfriend turned me into a squirrel. And now, I need to ruin his life. It will be difficult. He finds everything I do adorable. There will be delicious grapes deployed to distract me, acorn hats to humiliate me, and head scritches in front of gently crackling fires to confuse and disarm me.

Book Title: Dragon’s Ending (Wings Over Albion 4) Author and Publisher: Joy Lynn Fielding Cover Artist: Miblart Release Date: September 24, 2026 Tense/POV: Alternating first person pov/past tense Genres: Paranormal MM Romance Tropes: Slow burn, Dragon-shifters, Flirtatious x serious MCs, Academic MC Themes: Family expectations, Legacy and inheritance, Trust Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 92 000 words It can be read as a standalone story.

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE:  Rookie Moves SERIES:  The Rookie Diaries AUTHOR:  Jodi Oliver PUBLISHER:  Self-published LENGTH:  329 pages RELEASE DATE:  September  24, 2026 BLURB: COLBY For almost ten years, the world of hockey has had their eyes on me, watching my every move. I’m projected to be the first overall pick in the NHL draft this summer, and have been nicknamed a franchise altering talent.

Hello! First off I want to take a moment to give a big and huge thank you for all the wonderful support of Love Bytes in 2026 (and before). THANK YOU SO MUCH! The blog continues to be strong with a steady amount of visitors. It is time to set up the advertisement schedule for 2027. For sign ups in 2026 for 2027, I will be offering a 10% discount.

Reviewed by Lady MacBeth TITLE: Hart SERIES: Body Heat #2 AUTHOR: Marina Pirlimpou PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 228 Pages RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2026 BLURB: It was supposed to be just one night. One wonderful night with a handsome alpha at a business hotel. I never expected him to set my heart and body on fire. I never expected to walk away with a piece of him inside me.

Reviewed by True TITLE: Kiss Him Bloody SERIES: Cuore Family #1 AUTHOR: Adara Wolf and R Phoenix PUBLISHER: Self-Published LENGTH: 322 pages RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2026 BLURB: I was ordered to kill him--not kneel for him. When my cousin orders me to assassinate Zane Vilani, head of the Vilani Mafia Family, I don't ask questions. I'm the Cuore family's ruthless, cold-blooded hitman.

Book Title: The Crucible Author and Publisher: Aoibh Wood Cover Artist: Rebecca Frank Release Date: September 28, 2026 (InkColors) / October 5, 2026 (Amazon, Kobo, and wide) Tense/POV: First person, present tense, single POV (Mora), with a brief closing interlude. Genres: FF Fantasy/Romance (adult sapphic romantasy; dark academy elements) Tropes: Enemies to lovers, forbidden love, hidden identity, slow burn, found family, morally gray love interest, sparring as flirtation, knife-gifting as a love language…

Reviewed by Sadonna TITLE: Business vs. Pleasure  SERIES: Hitman vs. Hitman AUTHORS: Cari Z & L.A. Witt PUBLISHER: Self Published LENGTH: 254 pages RELEASE DATE: September 16, 2026 BLURB:   Oh, FFS. Apparently we’re doing this again because nobody wants to give up this life. Not Ricardo, who’s bored out of his skull because he hates being retired. Not August, who won’t stand for anyone but his husband outranking him on RateYourHit.