I Smell Sheep

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Fairytale by AK Nevermore + giveaway

There once was an assassin.
One day, he met a fairy and completely lost his head.

Fairytale
by AK Nevermore
Genre: Spicy Paranormal Mafia Romance

There once was an assassin. One day, he met a fairy and completely lost his head.

Nikodem Wiśniewski had no desire to take over the family business after his father died, but trying to get out of it has brought him every bit of chaos and upset his grandmother’s bones predicted—delivered by a beautiful girl he’s convinced is a fairy…and his fated mate.

Charlie Peel isn’t having any of it, positive Nikoś is a superstitious nut. His adamancy she’s a fairy is the last thing she needs to hear after being dumped and losing her job…but with all those tatted muscles and his incredibly sexy Polish accent, she’s totally willing to pretend to be his girlfriend for an hour or two. Especially if the possibility of a real life dark romance is on the table.

But the both of them are in for far more than they bargained for. When their plans go sideways, Nikoś has no choice but to take Charlie out of the country to set things right. But chaos and upset follow them at every turn. With enemies nipping at their heels, they’ll have outwit the authorities, the mob, and her mother to break a mysterious curse. Because if they don’t, happily ever after isn’t how their story’s going to end.

Felons meets folklore in the big city when a broody assassin falls in love with a fairy in denial. FAIRYTALE, a standalone spicy paranormal mafia romance with lots of laughs by AK Nevermore,more than 202,000 words in length. BONUS CONTENT! Previously released as a free serial, FairyTale now includes a never-before-seen extended epilogue!

Amazon-Bookbub-Goodreads

About the Author:
Website -FB -X-Instagram
Bluesky -YouTube -Bookbub
Amazon -Goodreads
AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time.

She pays the bills editing, wielding a wicked hot pink pen and writing a column on SFF. She also belongs to the Authors Guild, is a chapter treasurer for the RWA, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Book Review: Blue Jean Summer (The Wilder Estate Series Book 1) by Maggie Gates

Blue Jean Summer (The Wilder Estate Series Book 1)
by Maggie Gates
September 15, 2026
Book 1 of 2: The Wilder Estate Series
Opposites become unlikely allies when a desperate cowboy needs to marry in order to save his grandfather’s land.

Hayes Wilder needs to find a wife—pronto. After returning to the small town of Honey Hollow before his grandfather’s death, he's shocked to learn that the sprawling Wilder Estate was left to him. All Hayes wants is the one thing money can’t buy—more time with his grandfather. Failing that, he’ll do whatever it takes to save his grandfather’s legacy from falling into the wrong hands. Even if it means marrying in order to satisfy the terms of the will.

Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia and former Honey Hollow native (who had a childhood crush on Hayes), is saddled with mountains of medical debt ever since her mother’s death. Running out of time to figure out her next move, Catherine reconnects with Hayes at his grandfather’s funeral.

Hayes and Catherine impulsively strike a bargain: He’ll pay off her debts, but only if they get married. Despite the situation, Hayes and Catherine look forward to getting to know each other as adults—after the wedding. Which is tougher than anticipated when the entire town has eyes on them and his half brother keeps circling the property like a vulture, determined to poke holes in their marriage. Most troubling of all, this pair may have miscalculated how much they have in common—enough for this cowboy to fall in love for real.

Amazon

A really nice read- heartwarming, sexy, poignant, funny, great animal characters, and the bad guys get their dues. Ms. Gates did a great job on keeping the story in "I do not want to put this book down" mode.

Each character was set in place to be reacting to each other in a realistic manner that made you get into their hearts and agree with them or think what a miserable human being you are- and a great story line to boot- see, a reference to cowboys.

I give Ms. Gates 4 Baaarts with a few Baahs thrown in for good measure.

Grandma V

About the author
website
Author Maggie Gates writes raw, relatable, romance novels packed full of heat and humor. Maggie calls North Carolina home. In her spare time she enjoys daydreaming about her characters, jamming to country music, collecting vinyl record, and eating all the barbecue and tacos she can find! Her Kindle is always within reach due to a love of small town romances that borders on obsession.

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Sci-Fi Romance Series Spotlight: Druadan Legacy (4 book series) by Amelia Cole

Druadan Legacy (4 book series)
by Amelia Cole

Cocky Cowboys

Slow burn that progresses to SPICE

Telepathic Bonds

Dystopian

Found Family

Dangerous horses

Reverse Harem/Why Choose

The Druadan Legacy is a dystopian sci-fi romance set on a distant Earth where rising seas have transformed land into scattered islands. The druadan—genetically engineered telepathic horses created for ancient wars—now face extinction, with the few remaining kept in isolated stations for demonstrations. When a woman arrives at Meridian Station searching for her missing sister, she becomes entangled with three Master Riders: Heath, Logan, and Carter. As she investigates, she uncovers a shadowy rebellion, hidden histories, and a personal connection to these creatures that defies explanation.

The series explores themes of loyalty, survival, and the bonds that define us—both telepathic and romantic—in a world teetering on collapse. As civil unrest escalates and long-buried secrets emerge, she must navigate her feelings for the three riders while confronting the cost of power and choices that could save or destroy what remains. This explicit reverse harem romance features mutated creatures called banshees, brutal trials, and a rare bonding ability that becomes central to humanity's survival.

Amazon

About the Author:
website
Amelia Cole is an award-winning adult fantasy and sci-fi writer. She's an avid romantasy book lover and all-around horse girl. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family in Washington state, playing TTRPG games, and hanging out with the various animals on her small farm.

Monday, November 9, 2026

5 Sheep Review: Bones of Jade, Flesh Like Ice by Gracie Marsden

Bones of Jade, Flesh Like Ice
by Gracie Marsden
November 10, 2026
Genre: Asian American & Pacific Islander Literature, Asian Myth & Legend, Folklore
"You may devour this work in one sitting, but you'll be thinking about it for a long, long time."—Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi

"Exquisitely wrenching [and] as elegantly constructed as a finger trap...A triumph." —Shelley Parker-Chan, bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun

A young woman makes a bargain with a shapeshifting demon who promises her power, if she will give up love—a painful price that sets her on a dark journey in this historical fantasy inspired by Taiwanese myth

Eleventh century Kangzhu. In a small village, far from the political conflicts of the royal dynasty, a too-young Yu’er is sold off to be married at the word of a jing, a shapeshifting-demon who prophesizes that her parents will thus gain wealth beyond their imagination. Her new husband Xiaozhu is, like her, barely more than a child himself—but he’s kind, and, over the years, Yu’er heals as they build a home together. They become allies, then friends, then lovers.

Until misfortune befalls them, once again at the hands of a demon. They’re left destitute and estranged. Reeling from loss, and determined to never leave her fate in another’s hands, Yu’er decides to strike her own bargain with a jing: she will have all the agency and riches she desires. She just has to leave Xiaozhu and their home together, forever—a price that will cost her more than she then understands.

Yu’er’s choice sets off a saga that will lead her to the heart of the royal court, and bring her more power than she ever dreamed of, but may kill her humanity along the way, in this sweeping tale of love, revenge, and redemption.

Amazon

As a first novel- she has a definite winner. The "myth" stories are just wonderfully written to complement each other to make the whole book a "do not want to put it down" read.

She as woven fantasy, fairy tale, myth, magic; and, maybe, real life in a way that you can see and feel all the things that happen to the characters. Her descriptions make all the scenes and plots come to life, and flow in a manner that is easy to understand and read from "season" to chapter.

A most wonderful read that deserves 5+ Barts. And I hope she is working on her next novel, as this one is a winner.

5 Sheep

About the Author:
website
Gracie is a proud Taiwanese-American author who grew up moving frequently between Taiwan and the US. Her favorite books (and her writing) highlight both the beautiful and awful things that make us human.

She also works as the young adult librarian at her local public library. Her adult fantasy debut, BONES OF JADE, FLESH LIKE ICE will release Fall 2026 with Viking Penguin Random House.

In her free time, Gracie enjoys knitting & crocheting, playing Stardew Valley, and petting her army of very fat cats.

Gracie is represented by
Mary C. Moore at Aevitas Creative Management.