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I thought we should end the month with a couple of romances, seeing as it is the most popular "beach read" genre. However, these are your ordinary romance novels. One is a fantasy romance, and the other is a post-apocalyptic romance.
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The Winged Game by Sophie Kim
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| June 2026; Del Rey; 978-0593983362 audio, ebook, print (544 pages); paranormal romance |
Carriwitchen is a dangerous game played on top of winged beasts. Taissa Cho loves the game, but her career is destroyed by Kion Locke. She's expelled from the sport, and she wishes his team will drop to the bottom of the league. When she's offered a chance to redeem her career, it's for Kion's team. Even worse, they have to pretend to be in a relationship. A mysterious illness is sweeping through all of the winged creatures in the league, and the two start to investigate.
Taissa was expelled after Kion saw a luck charm on her during a game that she hadn't even wanted to wear. Practically destitute as Kion's team spirals down in the rankings, she is even more prickly and easily irritated than she used to be, or Kion still is. In fact, we're introduced to Kion with a litany of all the people he hates. The two hate each other, especially after that disaster of a game two years ago, but Kion needs her talent, and no one else will hire her. It's a struggle to get along, let alone work together, and they're thrown together for the sake of the fake relationship that gradually turns real as they understand each other, and the team becomes more cohesive. Getting to the bottom of the illnesses and the reason why the team plays so badly are reasons for Kion and Taissa to stay close and learn about each other.
I normally don't read sports stories, but while there's a magical game with winged creatures at the center of the story, it's mostly about the people. This isn't a list of rules you have to know to understand what's going on; it's feeling the devastating loss as connections between people are severed or the frustration and joy of building new ones. The usual romance tropes of rivals to lovers and forced proximity work here; as much as they're both grumpy, they're also fiercely loyal to the ones they love. Both Kion and Taissa have a history of abuse, and they react to the present in the same way. Curses, magic, and magical creatures all exist, as well as the magical world's version of social media. The rest of the team is fun as well, and we have intriguing glimpses into their stories. I hope this turns into another series, so we can see them again, too.
Buy The Winged Game at Amazon
All We Have Left by Emily Paxman
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| June 2026; Titan Books; 978-1835417591 audio, ebook, print (384 pages); post-apocalyptic romance |
Kayla Hollins survived a colony, cult, paramilitary group and her family in the fragmented wasteland of a post-apocalyptic Canada. Her younger sister April falls ill, and Kayla will do anything to save her. Salt Spring Island is rumored to still have a hospital, but only residents can access medical care. Kayla had met aspiring politician Sid Charles en route, and they struck a deal: if the two marry, Sid will get a boost that might help him win an election, and Kayla gets citizenship that she can use to get April access to the hospital. It's a win-win situation, right?
Kayla is ten years older than her fifteen-year-old sister and has been taking care of her in the wilderness, avoiding the roaming paramilitary group searching the forests of Canada for supplies, as well as any colonies that sprang up around cult leaders. She will keep her sister safe, and that includes first attacking the guards with guns when she fears they'll hurt April, then yelling at the immigration officer talking to her in the hospital without a guardian. Kayla is downright feral and paranoid, not trusting anything at first because there was never anyone she could trust. April has to stay in Salt Spring Island, with regular medical bills that must get paid off; in the apocalypse, few people can recognize or care for diabetes without a working hospital to make it.
This is a story of connections and survival, told from Kayla's point of view. Kayla had gone so long without hope that she doesn't recognize care when it happens, and doesn't trust the system. She's overwhelmed, and Sid understands that. He was once an immigrant as well, and is hoping to get into local government to make it easier for future immigrants to get acclimated. The two are friendly with an attraction, and some people easily figure out the reasons for the marriage. At the same time, they really do complement each other, and both have strong caretaker qualities and are used to figuring out solutions alone.
This is a quiet romance, with trust and safety as the means of building a future together. We find out more about Sid and the others in the acreage, and we see the growing sense of Salt Spring as a home, not just a temporary reprieve from the constant dangers of foraging in the wild. It's not guns and violence that will lead to survival in the long run, but creating a community. Farming, crafting, and preserving knowledge will lead to long-term survival, and Kayla still has trauma to work through as part of her happily ever after. She has the opportunity to, and there's strong hope for the future.
Buy All We Have Left at Amazon
Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.
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