RISING WATERS
Aleatha Romig
Release Date June 15
AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED
A dark atmospheric psychological thriller packed with small-town secrets, buried trauma, and shocking twists.
She escaped her past—and the man she never forgot.
Now with two girls gone missing, she's pulled back into a deadly game she may not survive.
Jillian Thorne built her career making the unreal feel real.
On Hollywood soundstages, she stages murder, kidnapping, and violent crime with chilling authenticity—turning fiction into gripping entertainment.
But nothing she’s created compares to the truth waiting in Blue Gil.
Nearly six years after escaping her small hometown, Jillian is drawn back by the suspicious death of the town’s beloved high school football coach. What first appears to be a tragic loss quickly unravels into something far more sinister—a dark mystery no one is willing to confront.
Because in Blue Gil, secrets aren’t just buried… they’re protected.
As disturbing clues surface and a brutal tragedy strikes dangerously close to home, Jillian finds herself trapped inside a real-life psychological thriller. The instincts that made her successful in Hollywood may be the key to solving the crime—or the very thing clouding her judgment.
Everyone in this small town is hiding something.
Including Jillian.
To uncover the truth, she must break through an unspoken code of silence, deception, and loyalty—and face the past she thought she left behind. Because some secrets refuse to stay buried.
And in this twisted game of suspense, trusting the wrong person could be deadly.
Have you been Aleatha’d?
*Perfect for fans of Sharp Objects, All Good People Here, and The Last House Guest, Rising Waters is a dark and addictive psychological thriller filled with buried secrets, small-town corruption, twisted family loyalties, and devastating betrayals.
This is a complete 80K stand-alone psychological thriller with a STEM FMC who needs to learn secrets before it’s too late. The only connection to Aleatha’s FEAR OF FLAMES is that our favorite podcasters from Crime Daily Podcast are back, showing the readers another perspective.
*You do not need to read Crime Daily Podcast book one, FEAR OF FLAMES before RISING WATERS.
Grab your copy!
https://books2read.com/u/bP2por
No one loves a small town thriller like this girl right here. It's been a while since I've read anything from Aleatha Romig and she still has the ability to suck her readers in. From beginning to end, my mind was a merry go round of who was the real killer and what secrets refused to stay buried and through it all, I still got it wrong!
It's been six years since Jillian Thorne has stepped foot into her small town of Blue Gil but when a beloved high school football coach is found dead, she makes her way back home. On the surface, everything looks the same and although the town is in mourning, something doesn't feel right to her. Deciding to do some investigating on her own, Jillian learns that there is much more to her small town than she could've ever imagined. There's something sinister going on in Blue Gil and there's a killer on the loose who has no intention of slowing down.
Despite a few hiccups, I really did enjoy most of the story and if you're a fan of this author and love psychological thrillers, you may want to give this one a try.
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of over thirty years, they've raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns or her new lighter side, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!
Keep up with Aleatha Romig and subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.aleatharomig.com/contact
To learn more about Aleatha Romig & her books, visit here!
Connect with Aleatha Romig:
https://www.aleatharomig.com/contact
Hosted By:
𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞-> 𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐚𝐦𝐳𝐧.𝐭𝐨/𝟒𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐥𝐅𝟖
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
💙Bodyguard
💙 Forced Proximity
💙Grumpy Sunshine
💙Jaded Hero
💙Forbidden
BLURB:
I once made the mistake of falling for a client, and it nearly cost me my career.
Jaded and disgraced, I used my attitude as armor so it could never happen again.
Until I was assigned to protect Lofton Beck.
Hollywood’s golden girl had a stalker on her tail—and two dead bodyguards.
She was a nightmare from the start. Didn’t follow orders. Had no concept of boundaries. Worst of all, she was so damn gorgeous I couldn’t build my walls strong enough to keep her out.
As the threats escalated, we were forced into hiding at her family’s farm. Keeping my distance became impossible with her sleeping in the room next door.
Somewhere between our early mornings together and the quiet moments when the world disappeared, it became clear her stalker wasn’t the most dangerous part of the assignment.
Protecting her was never the problem.
Falling in love with her could cost me everything.
*𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞.*
Aly Martinez never fails to bring you a tortured protected hero and this book was no different. Whether you've read the previous books in the Guardian series or you've decided to start with this one, you can rest easy knowing that she's going to take care of your heart in the process.
Devon Grant has been through his fair share of protecting high profile celebrities. Being in constant Survival mode is second nature to him now and he uses that skill to assess his surroundings while in work mode. He’s precise, calculated, and downright one of the best bodyguards at his Agency. But with that comes complications and an error in judgment that continues to haunt him to this day.
Lofton Beck has always known that she wanted to be an actress. Hard work has never scared her and growing up on a farm, just fueled her work ethic even more. Now she's one of Hollywood's hottest actresses and she has no plans to slow down. That all changes when a dangerous stalker took away her safety and made her his number one target. Forced to hire a top notch security team with a new bodyguard, Lofton is about to get a one on one lesson in having to trust someone she knows nothing about.
I have to say that I really liked the connection between Lofton and Devon from the very beginning. You felt it immediately even when they were at odds with each other and you were anticipating the next moment they were going to be pushed together.
If you're a fan of this author's work, I highly recommend you read this one. Devon and Lofton's love journey through self discovery, heartbreak and danger,was all worth it.
About The Author
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four young children.
Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, charcuterie boards, and her mildly neurotic golden retriever. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.
She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.
Connect with Aly Martinez:
https://linktr.ee/AuthorAlyMartinez
Synopsis
WARNING: This book contains subject matter that may be sensitive for some readers. There is dark and triggering content between these pages. 18+ only. Please read responsibly.
When Cora attends her sister’s birthday party, she expects at most a hangover or a walk of shame. She doesn’t anticipate a stolen wallet, leaving her stranded and dependent on Dean—her arch nemesis and ultimate thorn in her side.
And she really doesn’t anticipate waking up in shackles in a madman’s basement.
To make matters worse, Dean shares the space in his own set of chains.
After fifteen years of teasing, insults, and practical jokes, the ultimate joke seems to be on them. The two people who always thought they’d end up killing each other must now work together if they want to survive.
But Cora and Dean have no idea their abductor has a plan for them. A plan that will alter the course of their relationship, blur the line between hate and love, and shackle them together with far more than just chains.
Good grief! Now I see what all the fuss was about with this book. I'm suffering from twelve different emotions right now and I can't even articulate what I want to say. I'll tell you this though: get ready for an emotional torture roller-coaster ride.
After having this one on my tbr for a while, I decided to start this book on a whim. I couldn't remember what the Synopsis was or if this was a duet or a trilogy and I liked that I was entering into the unknown of some sorts. Everything was going smoothly and I had no reason to raise alarms because I only knew that this was going to get emotional. Well let me tell you..
Dean and Cora were always in each other's orbit but one fateful night, sealed their future forever. From mild banters to pranks gone wrong, to say that these two have a disdain for each other is putting it mildly. What happens when the fight for survival opens up another world you had no idea of even existing?
I was honestly not expecting to be so wrapped up in this story. I found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading it and I couldn't wait to jump back in. It honestly consumed me for a few days and even though I had a love/hate relationship with it at times, I can't deny that this was a really powerful love story about survival, selfishness, sacrifices, and dipping your toe into forbidden waters. It's going to take a while to get these characters out of my head but I would go through every late night read again promising myself just one more chapter.
If you're looking for a dark emotional torture romance, I highly recommend you go with this one. But be warned. This one is going to hurt.
Jennifer Hartmann resides in northern Illinois with her husband and three children.
When she is not writing love stories, she is capturing them through wedding photography with her own personal romance hero.
She enjoys sunsets (because mornings are hard), bike riding, traveling, and that time of day when coffee gets replaced by wine.
Jennifer loves tacos, and she really, really wants to pet your dog. Xoxo
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
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An exploration into the depths of obsession, revenge, and the heart—traversing the darkest regions of the universe and mind, where memory lives beyond death, and love is the most dangerous force of all.
“To even comprehend it, you have to abandon the comfort of known physics. You have to reach into the unknown, into the void itself, and hope some semblance of humanity survives.”
— Orion Night
In astrophysics, anything dark is simply unknown. When you become obsessed with the relentless pursuit of such all-consuming forces, you become something of what you cannot explain.
Hidden. Unknown. Warped.
The darkness behind stars.
Until she entered Stonehurst University, I had no idea how close I was to the edge—always one reckless heartbeat away from stepping off the cliff. To quiet the intrusive chaos in my head, I need the danger, the rush.
Now I need her.
Nothing has ever felt more dangerous.
Especially when my fire sign is keeping her own deadly secrets on this misty, academic harbor.
Yet with one forbidden touch, my willpower to fight this force goes up in flames. It’s fucking written in the stars. From the moment Collins Holbrook entered my orbit, there was one thing I understood unequivocally:
She was mine.
And I won’t let anything—not even the dark tide rising within me—eclipse her light.
“To even comprehend it, you have to abandon the comfort of known physics. You have to reach into the unknown, into the void itself, and hope some semblance of humanity survives.”
— Orion Night
In astrophysics, anything dark is simply unknown. When you become obsessed with the relentless pursuit of such all-consuming forces, you become something of what you cannot explain.
Hidden. Unknown. Warped.
The darkness behind stars.
Until she entered Stonehurst University, I had no idea how close I was to the edge—always one reckless heartbeat away from stepping off the cliff. To quiet the intrusive chaos in my head, I need the danger, the rush.
Now I need her.
Nothing has ever felt more dangerous.
Especially when my fire sign is keeping her own deadly secrets on this misty, academic harbor.
Yet with one forbidden touch, my willpower to fight this force goes up in flames. It’s fucking written in the stars. From the moment Collins Holbrook entered my orbit, there was one thing I understood unequivocally:
She was mine.
And I won’t let anything—not even the dark tide rising within me—eclipse her light.
Amazon:
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Trisha Wolfe get back here right now!!! You do NOT get to write an ending like that and just walk away! For the first time in a very long time, I'm completely shocked by the ending of a book. The lead up to everything was so precise and perfectly executed, you had no choice but to take a breath and yell from the top of your lungs:
Dr Orion Knight is a brilliant astrophysicist and he takes pride in all of his work. He's meticulous down to the very dot he leaves on his paper and if he wants something, he's going to get it by any means necessary. This man changed the trajectory of everything that I thought I knew when it comes to a dark hero. Fuck the flashlights!! Orion was smooth dark silk wrapped up in SINNNNN and he was not the only character that had you looking over your shoulder.
Dr. Collins Holbrook has seen her fair share of just about everything professionally and personally. Getting into the mind of the unknown is what makes her job worthwhile and getting a chance to assess the infamous Dr Orion Knight will not only be life-changing, but it's going to set her on an all consuming path of the one thing she desires the most.
I've been a long time fan of this author and one thing that I know about her writing is that if she wants to go there and make you question everything? She's going to do it! I felt like I was screwed psychologically and there were whispers of future foreplay to keep you hanging on and you know what? The promise of something more which was more than alluring, was NOTHING compared to the unraveling of the end game. As I'm sitting here writing this review, I cannot even comprehend wtf just happened within the last 25% of this story! The amount of research and time that was poured into this story is honestly remarkable and it truly showed just how much this author wanted her readers to not only understand the complexities of each character, but to give us a visualization of certain scenes.
I knew going into this type of story that something dangerous was going to be brewing but I had no idea what was going to be pushed to the surface. Orion and Collins played the perfect cat and mouse game with each other and please don't even get me started on the sexual tension! It was raw, haunting, thrilling with an intoxication that makes you want to cross that dangerous threshold because you know, it's going to do you in.
If you're looking for a psychological thriller that's going to give you a serious mindf*ck, this one's for you!!. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go book a few therapy sessions right now.
My Playlist while writing my review:
Taylor Swift: I did Something Bad
King Princess: Tough On Myself
Florence and the Machine: Seven devils
The Weeknd: Baptized In Fear
Florence and the Machine: Addicted to Love
Teddy Swims: Your Kind Of Crazy
James Arthur: Let Me Love The Lonely
Florence and the Machine: Addicted to Love
Meet Trisha Wolfe
USA Today bestselling romantic thriller author Trisha Wolfe. From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up imaginary worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her imaginary worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.
Be the first to hear about new releases and sales by signing up for Trisha Wolfe's Newsletter below.
Want even more special insider sneak peeks? Join Trisha’s Facebook readers group, The Lair, and get access to book teasers, giveaways, and live chats.
To learn more about Trisha Wolfe, visit here!
Title: Taylor's Father
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Age Gap (17 Years), Best Guy Friend's Father
Single Dad, Forbidden, Second Chance
Protective Hero, Sassy Heroine
Release Date: February 22, 2026
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…
When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older.
Tate was also vacationing alone.
He’d come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life.
I’d come to get over my high school sweetheart who’d dumped me.
I’d spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone’s hot dad.
But then we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity.
The problem was? At nineteen—almost twenty—I’d lied and said I was twenty-nine.
Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age.
But we continued to run into each other.
And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.
While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I’d really fallen for Tate.
I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away.
Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip?
Well, four years later, Taylor got married.
He’d been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they’d reconnected.
What I didn’t know was that the man I’d had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.
My dream man Tate? Was Taylor’s father.
PRE-ORDER LINKS
$3.99 for a limited time!
Will be FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited
The current paperback pre-order is for the special-edition cover only. A model-cover paperback will be live on release day.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
17-YEAR AGE GAP
BEST GUY FRIEND'S FATHER
SINGLE DAD
FORBIDDEN
SECOND CHANCE
PROTECTIVE HERO
SASSY HEROINE
EXCERPT
Copyright © 2025
By Penelope Ward
The next morning, I woke up happier than I’d been in a long time.
The prospect of seeing Tate again filled me with anticipation. It was a wonder I’d gotten any sleep.
His words from last night still replayed in my head over and over.
“A responsible person wouldn’t be struggling with whether to protect you or eat you.”
God, I hoped he ultimately chose the latter.
We hadn’t even exchanged phone numbers, so I was pleased to see a message come through the dating app from him.
Tate: I’m heading down to breakfast in a few. Care to join me?
Blair: Only if you order me four different kinds of beverages to choose from. BTW, it’s never too early for an espresso martini.
Tate: You’re about two years too early.
I laughed as I typed.
Blair: Very funny.
Tate: See you in a few?
Blair: Maybe…
Tate: Brat.
Blair: You like that about me.
Tate: You’re not wrong.
My mouth hurt from smiling.
When I got downstairs, I saw Tate before he saw me. He sat at a table with a huge pile of food spread before him. How did this man look even more hot today? He wore his baseball hat backward, which was absolutely my weakness. The way pieces of his hair poked out the sides? Scrumptious. Every look he’d rocked was sexier than the last.
I walked over to where he was sitting. “Hey, you.”
He gave me a once-over, and his eyes filled with something that seemed a hell of a lot like desire as he appraised the floral sundress I wore, the top of which was held up by two skimpy strings. My current look wasn’t as dramatic as last night’s, though. Today I had gone for fresh-faced and sassy.
“Well, hello.” He smiled. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby…”
“No comment.”
“You’d better not.” I took the seat across from him. “How did you sleep?”
“Best sleep I’ve had in a while, actually.”
“Must have been the company you kept the night before.”
“I did have an amazing time with you last night.” Tate smiled.
He seemed genuine, and I felt myself blush. “Likewise.” I gestured to the food. “Hungry much?”
There were eggs, bacon, a huge stack of pancakes, home fries, and fruit.
“All of this is for both of us. Have you seen that buffet line? I waited for like twenty minutes. Didn’t want you to have to do the same.”
“Well, I guess I win for being fashionably late. Thank you.” I grinned. “Between the variety of drinks the first time we met and this private buffet, I’m starting to think this is your thing—hoarding food.”
He gestured to the plates. “Eat up.”
How I wish I could.
For some reason, I wasn’t all that hungry—at least for food. But it was amusing to watch this big, strong man devour his breakfast.
“What are your plans today?” I asked as he munched.
“Depends on whether a certain girl wants to hang out with me.”
“I wasn’t gonna be presumptuous. You’re the one who’s been resistant.”
“Only to certain things and for your own good,” he clarified. “I’m not resistant to your company in the least. I quite like it.”
“So what’s another safe activity we can do so you don’t have to feel like a creeper?”
Tate stopped chewing for a moment. “I was thinking maybe we could go kayaking, if you’re up for it.”
My mouth curved into a smile. “I would love that, actually.”
In truth, I could take or leave kayaking. But any activity where I’d be in close proximity to Tate today was fine by me.
“Cool. I already booked it.”
“Now you’re the one being presumptuous.”
“Maybe, yeah.” He winked before stuffing a big piece of pancake into his mouth.
Never thought I could be jealous of a pancake, but here we were.
I reached my fork across the table and began eating off his plate. As I leaned forward, I accidentally rested my foot on top of his at one point. To my surprise, he didn’t move it away. The contact sent a rush of desire through me.
I popped a piece of pineapple into my mouth. “Do anything interesting when you got back to your room last night?”
“Not particularly.” He chewed.
“After what you said about contemplating eating me, I think you might be lying.”
He stopped mid-bite and shook his head. “Even if I did do what you’re implying, I wouldn’t admit it.”
“I’m pretty sure you just did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your face is red. You’re fidgeting. The signs are all there.”
I strategically selected a banana, holding it firmly in my hand as I slowly peeled it and took a big bite. Tate’s eyes remained fixed on me the entire time. “It was the only way I could sleep,” I added.
He nearly choked on his coffee.
“What you said riled me up,” I told him.
“Some things can remain private.” He glared. “You know?”
“So, you don’t want to know about my soothing Epsom salt foot soak?”
Tate reached across the table, grabbed my banana, and took a frustrated bite.
AUTHOR BIO
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 forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
AUTHOR LINKS
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