What makes an Ice Queen? Neve Blackthorne, head of one of the most successful Studios in Hollywood, is the one to rule them all. Powerful, beautiful, and aloof, she’s ruthless, yet irresistible. Above all, she has an unquenchable survival instinct. Surely a fleeting entanglement with one Audrey Avens, a bright, young, rising star in her company, won’t bring down the Wicked Queen of Tinseltown. Or will it? Neve’s public persona has no chink in the untouchable armor, but when the lights go out and the cameras stop rolling, what becomes of an Ice Queen whose heart is ruled by love and fear?

What makes an Ice Queen? Neve Blackthorne, head of one of the most successful Studios in Hollywood, is the one to rule them all. Powerful, beautiful, and aloof, she’s ruthless, yet irresistible. Above all, she has an unquenchable survival instinct. Surely a fleeting entanglement with one Audrey Avens, a bright, young, rising star in her company, won’t bring down the Wicked Queen of Tinseltown. Or will it? Neve’s public persona has no chink in the untouchable armor, but when the lights go out and the cameras stop rolling, what becomes of an Ice Queen whose heart is ruled by love and fear?

Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans —though no one calls them that anymore. His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing. Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.

Madame Bovary is the debut novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life. When the novel was first serialized in La Revue de Paris between 1 October 1856 and 15 December 1856, public prosecutors attacked the novel for obscenity. The resulting trial in January 1857 made the story notorious. After Flaubert's acquittal on 7 February 1857, Madame Bovary became a bestseller in April 1857 when it was published in two volumes. A seminal work of literary realism, the novel is now considered Flaubert's masterpiece, and one of the most influential literary works in history.

Professional cellist Natalya Tsvetnenko moves seamlessly among the elite where she fills the souls of symphony patrons with beauty even as she takes the lives of the corrupt of Australia’s ruthless underworld. The cold, exacting assassin is hired to kill a woman who seems so innocent that Natalya can’t understand why anyone would want her dead. As she gets to know her target, she can’t work out why she even cares. Winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award (2017) for Mystery/Thriller and Lambda finalist. Length: 80,000 words Themes: assassin · Australia · awakening · cellist · crime · homicide · lesbian · lesbian thriller · Melbourne · murder · music · police

Professional cellist Natalya Tsvetnenko moves seamlessly among the elite where she fills the souls of symphony patrons with beauty even as she takes the lives of the corrupt of Australia’s ruthless underworld. The cold, exacting assassin is hired to kill a woman who seems so innocent that Natalya can’t understand why anyone would want her dead. As she gets to know her target, she can’t work out why she even cares. Winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award (2017) for Mystery/Thriller and Lambda finalist. Length: 80,000 words Themes: assassin · Australia · awakening · cellist · crime · homicide · lesbian · lesbian thriller · Melbourne · murder · music · police

The Brothers Karamazov is a murder mystery, a courtroom drama, and an exploration of erotic rivalry in a series of triangular love affairs involving the “wicked and sentimental” Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his three sons―the impulsive and sensual Dmitri; the coldly rational Ivan; and the healthy, red-cheeked young novice Alyosha. Through the gripping events of their story, Dostoevsky portrays the whole of Russian life, is social and spiritual striving, in what was both the golden age and a tragic turning point in Russian culture. This award-winning translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky remains true to the verbal inventiveness of Dostoevsky’s prose, preserving the multiple voices, the humor, and the surprising modernity of the original. It is an achievement worthy of Dostoevsky’s last and greatest novel.

The New York Times–bestselling author of The First Bad Man returns with an irreverently sexy, tender, hilarious, and surprising novel about a woman upending her life A semifamous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to New York. Twenty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, beds down in a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in a temporary reinvention that turns out to be the start of an entirely different journey. Miranda July’s second novel confirms the brilliance of her unique approach to fiction. With July’s wry voice, perfect comic timing, unabashed curiosity about human intimacy, and palpable delight in pushing boundaries, All Fours tells the story of one woman’s quest for a new kind of freedom. Part absurd entertainment, part tender reinvention of the sexual, romantic, and domestic life of a forty-five-year-old female artist, All Fours transcends expectation while excavating our beliefs about life lived as a woman. Once again, July hijacks the familiar and turns it into something new and thrillingly, profoundly alive.

When you’ve been told over and over that you belong at the bottom, how do you come out on top? Dance Moms star and triple threat Nia Sioux shows the way via her story of resilience, triumph, and defining success for herself. Young dancer Nia Sioux was only nine years old when she stepped into stardom as one of the original cast members of Lifetime’s reality TV show Dance Moms. Training under the notorious Abby Lee Miller, Nia learned new choreography week after week, competed against dancers from across the country as well as at her own studio, and suffered through Abby’s ranking of the girls against each other in her infamous pyramid—all in front of an audience of millions. But there was much that viewers didn’t see. How the verbal and mental abuse she experienced in the studio went far beyond what made it into the show. How she was treated as the token Black dancer and ostracized for not fitting into an aesthetic that wasn’t designed for girls like her. How her friendships and her mental health crumbled under the strain of the show. How she lost control of her story and her sense of self. In this captivating memoir, Nia reclaims both the spotlight and her narrative. In addition to going behind the scenes of the seven seasons of Dance Moms, she shows how she fought against the negative perceptions that dominated her tween and teen years and emerged as a confident young woman secure in her talents and her direction. Anyone who has felt pigeonholed at the bottom of the pyramid will be inspired by Nia’s story of overcoming. “Despite barriers and constant naysayers, assumptions and criticisms, only you know who you are inside and out,” Nia says. “And you have the power to create your own narrative, your own level of success.”

Stuck in the middle of three head-strong women, will Greer come out unscathed?Greer Lockheart is a nanny to her core. When she takes on a new job of working for three families at once, she’s not sure she can see her way through the chaos. As the days tick by and she falls more in love with each kid in her care, she can’t help but also fall more in lust with their mothers. But these women are complicated. And Greer keeps running face first into their pasts, especially Ivy’s ex. Who seems bent on taking the family down, beginning with the weakest link, Greer.Nathalie Coeur, Lachlan Norris, and Ivy Villegas have been friends for a long time. Working together is second nature to them, but that doesn’t mean their life is without problems. With Ivy’s soon-to-be ex-wife making threats and breathing down their necks, they close ranks to fight for justice, just hoping they’ll come out unscathed on the other side.They protect their kids first and each other second. But what happens when their rank breaks because they can’t keep their hands off the nanny?Will their family falter?Or will they have one, or two, more to add to their numbers?Paving the way in a polyamorous relationship isn’t easy, but with these four, they might have found the key to lasting love and support.Join these four women in this why choose sapphic romance with three single parents just wanting to do what's best for their families.

An opposites-attract, ice queen lesbian romance about finding the softest of hearts behind the highest walls. Newly minted high school teacher Lily Cross is young, bubbly, and can’t wait to put her fresh ideas into practice in the classroom. Her excitement is derailed after a disastrous run-in with a colleague. Lily didn’t realize she’d have to win over her fellow teachers as well as her students, but that’s okay. Lily’s up to the challenge. Disillusioned Eva Thomas never imagined she’d wind up as a teacher in her hometown, or worse, suffer the boundless, puppy dog enthusiasm of a new colleague. Eva has no interest in making friends—or making nice. She just wants to survive her day and be left alone. That’s easier said than done when Lily Cross has you in her sights. Their clashing arguments lead to sparks and then the impossible…attraction. But how can two such different people ever work? Length: 92,000 words Tags: ice queen romance, opposites attract

A deliciously intense erotic romance. Two resilient women, both juggling the weight of heavy pasts, find healing and hope in one another.Jennifer Dupont lives a successful solitary life as crème de la crème of San Francisco's most elite escort service. To clients, she is the Director, an imposing beauty with a fondness for expensive whisky, tailored suits, and uncompromising control. It's a fitting persona even outside work, as old wounds have left her unwilling to risk her heart. That is, until she meets her newest client. Over a decade has passed since Theodosia "Dosie" Fisher was rescued from an isolated, abusive cult founded by her father, and while years of therapy have earned her an emotional maturity most never acquire, her body remains neglected, riddled with questions she has long been afraid to confront. So, when her two best friends suggest she hire an escort as a pressure-free way to explore, she decides to go for it. The attraction is immediate, the curiosity and connection even more so. Every exchange is electric. Every touch sparks. Every kiss siphons secrets and edges them nearer a level of intimacy that Dosie has sought all her life. Jennifer, on the other hand, has only ever wanted the opposite.Content WarningThis novel explores aspects of psychology and mental health and contains occasionally descriptive references to past traumas, including child abuse, physical and mental abuse, cult/religious abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and murder. Please read with care.

An offbeat lesbian romantic comedy starring penguins, plotting, and payback. Muffin maker Olivia Roberts has had it with her awful exes taking advantage of her good nature. The theft of her nana’s beloved stuffed penguin is the absolute last straw. She puts up an ad at her local crime bookstore for a henchperson to help her enact a little mild revenge. To her astonishment, Margaret Blackwood, the mysterious, icy, and annoyingly opinionated bookstore owner, applies. For two clever, capable women, they turn out to be woeful at vengeance. But much to their dismay, they discover they’re pretty good at falling in love!

"If you want to dance through the darkness, I'll let you take the lead..." Being a powerless witch in a family of murderous occultists, Natalia knows better than to make any kind of deal with a supernatural creature. But when she comes face to face with the Nocnitsa who haunts her nightmares, she can’t deny that she’s tempted. After all, the nightmare spirit is offering everything she’s dreamed of and only wants something simple in return—a taste of her delicious midnights. *While this is set in the same world as She Came from the Swamp, it can be read as a standalone.* This book is intended for adult audiences. Please see the author's website for detailed content warnings.

A creeping story of sapphic obsession with Gothic undertones and a delicious mid-century feel, from the author of the Polari Prize-shortlisted Sunburn. January 1965. The orphaned O'Leary siblings - Tom, Jack, Anna and Peggy - arrive in the village of Ballycrea, tight-lipped about their troubled past and desperate for a fresh start. After being met with suspicion from most of the locals, the family are thrilled when they're taken under the wing of their well-respected neighbours, Bill and Betty Nevan, who offer them work, companionship and an opportunity to fit in. But for one of the O'Learys, this new friendship sparks an intense attachment that makes the dynamic dangerous for all. It's difficult to bury secrets, but almost impossible to bury feelings... Crackling with suspense, Heap Earth Upon It revisits the rural Ireland of Howarth's critically acclaimed debut and delves into claustrophobic relationships and tangled identities, leaving you wondering who to trust until the very last page. It combines the emotional intensity and slow-burn sapphic obsession of Julia Armfield's Our Wives Under the Sea and K. Patrick's Mrs S. with the unsettling gothic undertones of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Shirley Jackson's fiction. 'A tense and claustrophobic novel with gothic atmosphere which seeps into your bones like fog... A brutal exploration of the corrosive impact of shame and secrecy. Howarth knows her sapphic yearning!' RACHEL DAWSON, author of Neon Roses 'Dark, passionate and poised. A remarkable story of the way rural Ireland haunts and is haunted. Intense and thrilling' SOULA EMMANUEL, author of Wild Geese ** READERS LOVE SUNBURN ** ‘Achingly beautiful, almost lyrical… This was both sweet and heartbreaking – I couldn’t put it down’ 5-star Reader Review ‘An addictive, honey-dipped queer love story’ 5-star Reader Review ‘Ever since I read this, I simply CANNOT stop thinking about it’ 5-star Reader Review ‘Completely heart-wrenching, devastating, all-consuming… Spectacular’ 5-star Reader Review