Sassy Southern Books

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Title: The Marriage Blogger

Author: L.G. Davis

Genre/Tropes: Psychological Thriller; Domestic Thriller

Release Date: September 15, 2026

My marriage made me famous. Now it’s falling apart, threatening to take my career down with it.

For years, thousands of women have followed my marriage blog, looking to me for advice on how to keep their relationships happy. They think my husband and I have the perfect life.

They have no idea he has cheated on me. Or that our marriage is hanging by a thread.

And they can never find out. My career, and the book deal built on my picture-perfect marriage, depends on it.

Needing to escape, I leave Los Angeles behind and rent a secluded cottage in Gray Pines, a picture-perfect lakeside town. It’s only temporary. Somewhere quiet to clear my head, finish my book and decide whether my marriage can still be saved.

At first, it feels like exactly what I need.

Until I realize something is wrong.

I come home to find the cottage door unlocked, even though I’m certain I locked it. Upstairs, my bed has been moved. Then a mysterious pink slip of paper appears with a number written on it. Another appears with a lower number. And then another. The numbers keep falling, like a countdown.

And the friendly locals who welcomed me so warmly seem to know far more about me than they should.

I tell myself I’m imagining it. That heartbreak and exhaustion are making me paranoid.

Then my kitchen window is smashed to pieces, and I know immediately that I may be in danger.

I came here because I thought I needed time away to heal and write my book.

Now I’m beginning to wonder if I was brought here for a reason.

And what happens when the pink slips reach one?

A gripping and addictive psychological thriller packed with secrets, obsession and shocking twists. Anyone who loves The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf and The Stranger in Her House by John Marrs will be completely hooked.

Author L.G. Davis (Liz) creates fast-paced, unpredictable, twisty-turny, psychological thrillers set in small towns. She strives to create characters that feel so real that her readers would want to meet them in real life. She loves to set her thrillers in small towns that, at first sight, look picturesque, but upon closer inspection, dark secrets, and dangerous minds threaten the residents.

In addition to being an author, Liz is a self-taught digital artist who enjoys transforming a blank canvas into anything she can imagine.

Her greatest joys in life consist of spending time with her family, reading a good book,watching a great movie, or daydreaming about the next story she wants to bring to life in the future.

Liz lives with her husband and their two children in Vienna, Austria.

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If You Were Mine
A.S. Kelly
Publication date: October 14th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Levi Anderson has never felt more alone. Since saying goodbye to his husband, he has drifted between long shifts at the hospital and quiet, empty hours in his apartment, surrounded by boxes he can’t bring himself to unpack. He refuses to face the pain — or imagine a life without him.

Shay Miller has never been more furious. In one devastating moment, he lost the man he loved, his job, and the home they shared. He’s barely holding himself together. He’s tried to start over, but deep down, he knows he can’t move on until he lets go of the past — and stops hurting himself.

When fate brings Levi and Shay together, they immediately see how different they are and can’t imagine ever being drawn to one another. Levi is still learning how to live again, while Shay is learning how to forgive.

Yet, with this stranger who’s appeared out of nowhere, Levi slowly begins to open up and trust again. And with this man, terrified of letting himself go, Shay starts to long for someone he can protect and love.

For the first time, the future feels possible for both of them. But Levi doesn’t know Shay has lied about who he is — or that he’s hiding a secret capable of destroying everything, leaving Levi to hate the man he loves for the rest of his life.

Author Bio:

A. S. Kelly was born in Italy and now lives in Dublin, Ireland, with her husband, two children, two cats, and many plants.

She worked as a literary translator for several years before she began writing full-time. Today, her books are available in English, Italian, and Spanish.

A. S. Kelly writes emotional, heartfelt romantic fiction. Her most popular series are The O'Connor Brothers and From Connemara with Love.

She enjoys yoga, running, and swimming. She also loves gardening, photography, and reading mystery and crime novels.

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Monday, September 14, 2026

Fantasy

Date Published: September 14, 2026

The stars gave her power. The darkness will give her a crown.

A year after defeating the evil wizard army, the elves of Edira prosper, yet Luma, the Daughter of Starlight, senses something is amiss. Shadows move where light should reign, and ominous whispers fill her mind, hinting that this hard-won peace may be more fragile than anyone realizes.

Soon, attacks by a vicious darkness confirm her fears, and Edira is not the only world under threat. Malicath, home of the wizards, faces the same darkness, which drains and corrupts magic, including Luma’s own powerful starlight.

Faced with a shared enemy, Luma and the elves form a tenuous alliance with the wizards. Together, they search for the Unseen Star, an ancient magical relic capable of restoring balance to both their worlds. But as the darkness grows stronger and time runs out, Luma realizes that all magic demands a price—and this one may be more than she can pay.

Return to the magical world of Edira in this sequel to the multi-award-winning fantasy, Daughter of Starlight.

About the Author

Molly is passionate about crafting meaningful moments and heartfelt narratives in fantasy-adventure stories brimming with magic and mystery. An unapologetic language nerd, she earned a degree in English and Communication, laying a strong foundation for her writing career. Not stopping there, Molly pursued a second degree in American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting. As an avid runner, Molly often gets her best story ideas while running and remains outraged that those ideas do not then present themselves, fully formed, on the page. When she’s not running, writing, or interpreting, Molly can often be found taking an excessive number of photos of her dog, Bungee, and her two cats, Rose and Clover. Molly lives in the beautiful St. Croix River Valley of Minnesota with her husband and two sons, who bring her joy every day.

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Thriller

Date Published: 09-10-2026

When I was fifteen years old, I made a mistake. I trusted the warm smile of a stranger called Peter Harlow, and accepted a ride home in his car.

It would be the last moment of my life I’d ever feel safe again.

The trauma of what happened that night will never leave me—and it was only the beginning. For the last nineteen years, I’ve been trapped in a nightmare of blocked numbers, violated restraining orders, and the compulsion to scan every face in every crowd, waiting for the day when his will be among them.

But I've also spent the time preparing. My home has become a fortress, with reinforced doors, perimeter cameras, and a safe room in the cellar. I've even taught my seven-year-old daughter how to call for help. When I finally have to face Peter Harlow again, I’ll be ready.

Or so I thought.

Because on the night of a furious snowstorm, a terrified stranger arrives at my gate. Emily is barefoot, bruised, and desperate for help—claiming her husband just tried to kill her.

To let her in from the storm would mean breaking every rule I've made to protect myself and my daughter—but could I live with myself if I didn’t?

But what follows is everything I've lived in fear of for all these years. First, the lights go out. Then, the internet dies. Next, the phone line goes dead—and finally, I find myself trapped inside my own safe room, watching through a camera feed as the man who stole my life for two decades walks the halls of my home, playing happy families with my little girl.

I built this fortress to keep him out. Now, it’s the only thing keeping me from protecting my child.

The Safe Room is a heart-stopping psychological thriller by bestselling author Sarah A. Denzil, the "mistress of twists." Essential reading for fans of Alice Feeney, Freida McFadden, and Caroline Kepnes.

About the Author

Sarah A. Denzil is a million copy bestselling author of psychological suspense novels. Her books include number one bestseller Silent Child, which was a Goodreads Choice semi-finalist in 2017. Her books have been published in several different languages and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cats, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.

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Sunday, September 13, 2026

Title: Smash

Authors: Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Forbidden Romance

Cover Design: Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative

Photographer: Michelle Lancaster, @lanefotograf

Model: Callum Arnold

Release Date: October 25, 2026

BLURB

A new, shockingly forbidden standalone from New York Times bestselling authors Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland…

Sometimes one floor is all that separates the life you planned from the life you never saw coming…

Moving to New York with my boyfriend, Calder, was supposed to be a fresh start.

A new city. A new job. A beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn we'd call home. The beginning of our forever.

There was just one catch: Calder’s best friend lived in the apartment downstairs.

Rafe—a gifted artist who smashed glass into masterpieces. With his unruly blond hair and piercing eyes that seemed to see right through me, he was impossible to ignore.

He was also completely off-limits.

Yet somehow, every walk past his apartment or trip to the basement laundry room turned into another deep conversation neither of us ever wanted to end.

At first, it was innocent.

Then I found myself looking forward to running into him again.

Before long, I was creating opportunities to be around him.

Somehow, Rafe and I made each other feel seen in ways neither of us expected.

I tried to ignore our connection, reminding myself that Calder’s best friend was the last man on Earth I could ever fall for.

But with every stolen moment, that lie became harder to believe.

Maybe some love stories aren't about finding the right person—but what happens when you find them too late.

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PENELOPE WARD

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

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VI KEELAND

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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99c Limited Time! 4 standalone stories, 1 eBook! Cowboy Bikers MC Collection Books 9 – 12 from USA Today bestselling author Esther E. Schmidt. Be sure to snatch it up quick before the price increases to $7.99 September 22nd, 2026:
Books2read.com/CowboyBikersMCpart3
The Iron Hot Blood motorcycle club is located at a huge ranch which breeds both longhorns and quarter horses. These guys are not just bikers, cowboys or ranchers, but they are men of many trades and talents. And they all have one thing in common; protect the one woman who captures their attention at first glance. All standalone stories.

This collection contains book nine (Spiro & Tristine), ten (Redding & Fenna), eleven (Dinand & Mealla), and twelve (Nick & Gisela).

Each book in the Cowboy Bikers MC series is a standalone short story featuring a new couple and can be read together or separately. Includes: Love at first sight. Off the charts chemistry. HEA. And each story will leave you wanting more cowboy bikers!

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Title: Eternal Surrender

Series: Eternal Desires Book 3

Author: Vanessa Fewings

Genre/Tropes: Dark PNR; Vampire Romance; Gothic Fantasy; Forbidden Desire; Obsessive Anti-hero

Release Date: October 7, 2026

A must read for vampire fans.

Moments of joy and heartbreak, of love and denial, of trust and betrayal.

A completely new and fresh take like no other

A dark gothic vampire romance filled with fractured immortality, forbidden desire, enemies bound together, and deadly supernatural intrigue.

We have always hated each other.

We have killed each other.

And now… we are trapped together, breathing through the same skin, craving through the same veins, imprisoned in a single living body.

I am William. That’s what they call me now.

And I am not alone.

Jadeon’s fury coils inside me like a blade. Orpheus’s darkness pulses like a second heart. Two ancient enemies bound by a grotesque mistake of blood and resurrection, our minds bleeding into one another, our desires tangling in ways neither of us can control. Every thought is a battle. Every heartbeat, a war.

And London is dying.

Something is poisoning us, something ancient, merciless, and unseen. Vampires are falling, their immortality unraveling into ash and agony. No one is safe.

Especially not us.

She is the only light in this suffocating darkness.

Inspector Ingrid Jansen, brilliant, relentless, devastatingly human. She sees me… all of me… and still reaches closer. She stirs something dangerously fragile within this fractured soul, something that feels like hope… or ruin. Because to love her is to risk everything, not just my life, but what remains of my sanity.

Hunted by the ruthless Stone Masters and racing through a London that shifts from glittering elegance to depraved shadow, we chase ancient secrets that may undo what we’ve become… or damn us forever.

Who survives?

Eternal Surrender is a dark paranormal vampire romance perfect for readers who love obsessive immortal anti-heroes, gothic fantasy, forbidden desire, and emotionally charged vampire fiction in the vein of Interview with the Vampire, A Dowry of Blood, and Empire of the Vampire.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Vampires, Vengeance and Fantastic Storytelling!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Fewings’ vampires are not for the Twilight crowd.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A gripping ending that is both shocking and thrilling!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A wonderfully lush retreat into the adult vampire world of VMK Fewings

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This book will send you on a journey that will leave you breathless.

Vanessa is a British-American, internationally bestselling author of the Enthrall Sessions and the Eternal Desires series, an epic vampire romance. Her novels blend romance, emotion, and intrigue, earning readers around the world and translations into multiple languages.

Known for creating compelling characters and emotionally rich stories, Vanessa has also seen two of her novels optioned for film.

She lives in California with her rescue foxhound, Sherlock.