Category Archives: Genres

Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik

In the far distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three High Houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her High House is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars. Ada eluded her father’s forces for two years, but now… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexual harassment
  • Exile & familial disownment
  • Intimate partner violence
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Dieting & mentions of a secondary character’s stress-related weight loss
  • Physical illness & injury including knife wounds, broken bones & hypothermia
  • Murder & physical assault
  • Torture (off-page)
  • Kidnapping & imprisonment

Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik

As a recovery specialist, Lexi Bowen’s jobs typically require more trickery and thievery than honest work. Her former captain might not approve of her flexible morals, but stealing artifacts for rich assholes pays the bills, and Lexi’s had enough of war and death. The FHP left her to die once; she doesn’t plan to give them a chance to finish the job. Unfortunately, her latest contract takes her to Valovia itself—and right back into the orbit of Nilo Shoren, a Valovian teleporter who already cost her one payday and nearly stole her heart. Armoured against his clever charm, Lexi… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Foster care system experiences recounted
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Nightmare & panic attack
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Death of a sister in combat recounted
  • Death of both parents recounted (protagonist)
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Torture
  • Physical assault
  • Explosion

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

When King Uther Pendragon murders her father and tricks her mother into marriage, Morgan refuses to be crushed. Trapped amid the machinations of men in a world of isolated castles and gossiping courts, she discovers secret powers. Vengeful and brilliant, it’s not long before Morgan becomes a worthy adversary to Merlin, influential sorcerer to the king. But fighting for her freedom, she risks losing everything – her reputation, her loved ones and her life.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexism & slut-shaming
  • Rape by coercion and involuntary pregnancy*
  • Infidelity
  • Intimate partner violence & physical assault
  • Forced marriage
  • Self-injury (for magic)
  • Emesis
  • Childbirth (secondary character)
  • Infertility & stillbirth
  • Death of a step-father in battle
  • Near-drowning incident (secondary character)
  • Animal death & dead bodies

Context : The protagonist’s mother was raped by coercion as Merlin magically disguised Uther to look like someone else and he impregnated her. The protagonist sets her husband’s face on fire after he attacks her (and has been physically abusive). The protagonist’s father told her mother that her son was stillborn but he lied and gave the child away.

Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s a hotel called The Pope. Ailing, empty, and dark, it sits abandoned and surrounded by a forgotten mystery. But you think it’s true, don’t you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor. The mystery of the dark guest who never checked in and never checks out. You think I can help you find that secret hideaway and get to him, don’t you? You and your friends can try to scare me. You can try to push me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me–and have ever since I was a girl–I think maybe what you seek is so much closer than you’ll ever realize… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexism & slut-shaming
  • Attempted rape, sexual assault & sexual harassment (protagonist)
  • Physical & emotional child and sibling abuse (protagonist)
  • Incestuous child sexual abuse recounted
  • Parental infidelity mentioned
  • Forced marriage
  • Familial estrangement & disownment
  • Alcohol consumption & smoking (cigars, cigerattes)
  • Emesis
  • Alcoholism & substance addiction (secondary character)
  • Murder recounted
  • Arson & burn scars from child abuse
  • Physical assault recounted
  • Animal abuse (dog)

Context : The protagonist’s father orders her bodyguard to assault her but she is able to get away; her cousin also hired someone to grope her at a party. A secondary character also kissed and assault her while she was asleep. The protagonist was hidden in a closet with headphones while her half-brother’s mother abused him; later, he beats her. The protagonist’s father burned her with cigarettes.

The Villain by LJ Shen

Cruel. Coldblooded. Hades in a Brioni suit. Cillian Fitzpatrick has been dubbed every wicked thing on planet earth. To the media, he is The Villain. To me, he is the man who (reluctantly) saved my life. Now I need him to do me another, small solid. Bail me out of the mess my husband got me into. What’s a hundred grand to one of the wealthiest men in America, anyway? Only Cillian doesn’t hand out free favours. The price for the money, it turns out, is my freedom. Now I’m the eldest Fitzpatrick brother’s little toy. To play, to mould, to break. Too bad Cillian forgot one, tiny detail. Persephone wasn’t only the goddess of… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Attempted rape (on-page)
  • Emotional & physical domestic violence and child abuse (on- & off-page, secondary character)
  • Cancer
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder & Tourette’s Syndrome (protagonist)
  • Emesis (prologue)
  • Torture
  • Blackmail

Bad Cruz by LJ Shen

I would say Dr. Cruz Costello is my archenemy. But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in over a decade. He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician. I’m the girl who got knocked up at sixteen and now works at a diner. He is Fairhope royalty. I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip. He’s well-off. I’m…well, off. When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise. Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else. Cue ten horrible, insufferable days at sea with a man I cannot stand.. (My fault, of course)… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Misogyny
  • Sexual harassment
  • Teen pregnancy recounted
  • Bullying

Foreplayer by Kate Meader

After a very public breakup and a viral post that declares him the villain, power forward Cal Foreman is taking a timeout from women and relationships to focus on hockey. When Chicago Rebels captain and old friend, Vadim Petrov, “volunteers” him to help train Vadim’s sister Mia, Cal figures he can do a favour for a pal and get ready for the season with his new team. But the imperious Russian would slice a skate blade through Cal’s internal organs if he knew what lessons Mia really wants. Yeah. not that kind of stickhandling… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexism
  • Revenge pornography recounted

An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher

Lorraine—“Rainy”—lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget. If she’s allowed to. When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room. And then Rainy gets the text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. But Rainy is who they really want, and Rainy knows why.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Child-trafficking
  • Sexual assault & sexual assault of a minor
  • Infidelity
  • Alcohol consumption & drug use
  • Drugging
  • Death of a parent
  • Murder
  • Kidnapping
  • Cult

Thief by Tarryn Fisher

Caleb Drake never got over his first love. Not when he got married. Not when she got married. When life suddenly comes full circle Caleb must decide how far he is willing to go to get the aloof and alluring Olivia Kaspen back. But for every action in life there is a consequence, and soon Caleb finds out that sometimes love comes at an unbearably high price.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Rape mentioned
  • Infidelity mentioned
  • Cancer
  • Infertility
  • Death of a partner
  • Fatal car accident

The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Misogyny & ableism (r slur)
  • Amnesia & memory loss (love interest)
  • Suicidal ideation