Only Hard Problems: A Galactic Bonds book

Only Hard Problems: A Galactic Bonds book
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Jennifer Estep
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2024-02-20
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1950076229

“This is space opera at its finest.”—Ilona Andrew, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Only Bad Options New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Estep continues her Galactic Bonds series with a new, action-packed adventure that blends science-fiction technology and magical fantasy elements with a touch of historical romance. This rollicking space opera focuses on a fan-favorite secondary character who’s part hero, part villain, and all arrogance. Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice. PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS EVERYWHERE . . . My name is Zane Zimmer. To most folks, I live a seemingly charmed life as a Regal lord and the heir apparent to the powerful, wealthy House Zimmer, and the gossipcasts breathlessly follow my every swaggering move across the Archipelago Galaxy. I’m also a powerful psion capable of telekinesis, telepathy, and telempathy, and my deadly skills and prowess with my stormsword have made me the golden boy of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force. But even golden boys have bad days, and the truth is I have more hard problems than I can solve. The Techwave is building weapons to use against the Arrows in hopes of toppling the Imperium and taking over the galaxy. But even more worrisome is the fact that my old rival Kyrion Caldaren has a powerful new ally in Vesper Quill. Together, the two of them just might destroy everything I’ve sworn to protect. I’m supposed to be relaxing with the other Regals during the Summer Solstice celebration, but when an enemy threatens the festivities, I’m forced to leap into action. As an Arrow, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my family and the other Regals, even though my actions will cause only more problems—and just might end up being the death of me . . . Note: Only Hard Problems is a 47,000-word book from the point of view of Zane Zimmer. It takes place after Only Good Enemies, book 2 in the Galactic Bonds science-fiction fantasy series. MORE PRAISE FOR ONLY BAD OPTIONS AND THE GALACTIC BONDS SERIES: “Mixing sci-fi and fantasy, this space opera romance is an absolute delight.”—BookBub “I absolutely love it! This is 429 pages of reading joy.”—Smart Bitches, Trashy Books “A rocketship ride of star-crossed soulmates, Only Bad Options delighted me from start to finish! I highly recommend this romantic, action-packed space opera to all lovers of science fiction, fantasy, and romance!”—Jeffe Kennedy, award-winning and best-selling author of Dark Wizard and The Pages of the Mind “The Galactic Bonds series has everything I crave—a delicious slow-burn romance, space opera intrigue and action, tension, danger, unlikely partnerships, and sci-fi fantasy elements that keep you guessing from start to finish. I highly recommend!”—Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles

Spartan Heart

Spartan Heart
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Jennifer Estep
Total Pages: 376
Release: 2017-12-05
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0986188530

New school year, same old problems . . . At Mythos Academy, everyone knows exactly who I am: Rory Forseti, Spartan girl and the daughter of Reapers. Even though I fought alongside my cousin Gwen Frost to save the mythological world from Loki and his evil Reapers of Chaos, I’m still the most hated girl at the academy because of all the horrible things my parents did. I had hoped that this school year would be different, but the other kids just won’t let me forget about my parents. But something strange is going on at the Colorado academy. First, I run into a Viking guy who dislikes me more than most. Then I notice some odd artifacts in the Library of Antiquities. And worst of all, I start hearing rumors about a new group of Reapers who can summon mythological monsters. I might be the most hated girl at Mythos Academy, but I’m also the only one who can save it . . .

Tangled Threads

Tangled Threads
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2011-04-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1439192650

The fourth book in the “outstanding” (Romantic Times) Elemental Assassin fantasy series featuring Gin Blaco, who by day is a waitress at a Tennessee BBQ joint, and by night is a tough female assassin. I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings. But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .

Last Strand

Last Strand
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Jennifer Estep
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2021-03-16
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1950076059

Every bloody thread has been leading to this . . . I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society. Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .

Duchess If You Dare

Duchess If You Dare
Author: Anabelle Bryant
Publisher: Zebra Books
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2021-03-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 142015270X

Fans of Sarah MacLean, Vanessa Riley, and Julia London will adore this modern take on the Regency, filled with tough, empowered women meeting their matches in a sexy story from rising star Anabelle Bryant. “Delightful.” —Lenora Bell, USA Today bestselling author From the glittering ballrooms of the ton to the city’s grittiest corners, London has no shortage of wrongs in need of righting—and the Maidens of Mayhem are prepared for the challenge. United by secrecy and sisterhood, these daring woman from all walks of life aim to fight injustice wherever it takes them—even into the arms of unexpected love... Scarlett Wynn’s tragic childhood taught her that life can be cruel to women with little power. So when a local seamstress disappears, Scarlett vows to find out why. Armed with a weapon and her courage, Scarlett scours London for clues—and crosses the unlikely path of Ambrose Cross, the Duke of Aylesford, at an unlikely place: an upscale brothel. The Duke is trying to solve a mystery of his own, and Scarlett is sure they can help each other—if she can resist the attraction that draws them together . . . As Duke of Aylesford, Ambrose is duty-bound to protect his family name from scandal no matter the cost. But Scarlett’s fearless spirit forces him to look beyond his world of privilege. Scarlett is as intoxicating as she is dangerous, igniting a fire in him like no other. But when the pair learn both mysteries they’re trying to solve are tied to a string of missing women, the tangled scheme they uncover may put their lives, and their growing love, in mortal danger—and lead them to search their hearts like never before . . . “A delightful historical romance with a liberal dash of adventure, plenty of sizzling heat, and a heart of pure gold. A superb start to Bryant’s new Maidens of Mayhem series” —Lenora Bell, USA Today bestselling author “Duchess if You Dare is a fantastic read that kept me up late and has me anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.”—USA Today Bestselling Author Renee Ann Miller “Brilliant.” —Publishers Weekly

Crimson Frost

Crimson Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington Books
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2013-01-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 075828148X

High school gets even harder when there’s an evil god on the loose in the New York Times bestselling author’s YA urban fantasy novel. My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy, a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids. And now there’s also Loki, the evil god I helped set free against my will. On the bright side, I finally got a date with Logan Quinn, the hottest—and deadliest—Spartan at Mythos. But I should have known it was destined to end in disaster. If we'd gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I'd have been more prepared. I definitely didn’t expect to get arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout. I'm accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki—and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan's dad. Now pretty much everyone at school thinks I'm guilty. If I'm going to get out of this mess alive, I'll have to do it myself.

Widow's Web

Widow's Web
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 387
Release: 2012-08-21
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1451651791

The seventh book in the hugely popular Elemental Assassin series by New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Estep—Gin Blanco is back and ready for action. I used to murder people for money, but lately it’s become more of a survival technique. Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town anyway. Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back, she thinks he’s hers for the taking. Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.

Bonds of Brass

Bonds of Brass
Author: Emily Skrutskie
Publisher: Del Rey
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2020-04-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0593128907

A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend—the man he trusts most and might even love—only to learn that his friend is secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire. “An exciting space opera full of action and adventure that explores the bonds of loyalty and love, and what happens when they are stretched to their limits.”—Rebecca Roanhorse, Nebula and Hugo award–winning author of Trail of Lightning Ettian’s life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded his world. He’s spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best pilot in his class. Even better, he’s met Gal—his exasperating and infuriatingly enticing roommate who’s made the academy feel like a new home. But when dozens of classmates spring an assassination plot on Gal, a devastating secret comes to light: Gal is the heir to the Umber Empire. Ettian barely manages to save his best friend and flee the compromised academy unscathed, rattled that Gal stands to inherit the empire that broke him, and that there are still people willing to fight back against Umber rule. As they piece together a way to deliver Gal safely to his throne, Ettian finds himself torn in half by an impossible choice. Does he save the man who’s won his heart and trust that Gal’s goodness could transform the empire? Or does he throw his lot in with the brewing rebellion and fight to take back what’s rightfully theirs? Praise for Bonds of Brass “Skrutskie’s Bonds of Brass is a high-octane galactic adventure replete with heart, drama, and a keen edge of pain.”—Caitlin Starling, author of The Luminous Dead “Full of breathless action and dazzling characters, Bonds of Brass is space opera at its most exciting.”—Adam Christopher, author of Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town

Venom

Venom
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 420
Release: 2010-09-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1439155453

What kind of assassin works pro bono? It’s hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists. At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life.

The Spider

The Spider
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2013-12-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1451689063

For the first time, the full origin story of Gin Blanco's transformation into the fearsome assassin known as the Spider—book ten in the red-hot Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. How did I end up in a career where I always have blood on my hands? Well, let me tell you a story about an assassin who thought she could do no wrong. . . . Ten years ago. A blistering hot August night. I remember like it was yesterday. The night I, Gin Blanco, truly became the Spider. Killing people is what I do best, especially now that I’ve honed my Ice and Stone magic. But back then, I had yet to learn one very important rule: arrogance will get you, every single time. This particular job seemed simple: murder a crooked building contractor with ties to ruthless Fire elemental Mab Monroe. My mentor, Fletcher Lane, had some misgivings, but I was certain that I had the situation under control . . . right up until I exposed my weaknesses to a merciless opponent who exploited every single one of them. There’s a reason assassins aren’t supposed to feel anything. Luckily, a knife to the heart can fix that problem, especially when I’m the one wielding it. . . .