Hello, team!
It is time for our final batch of Advance Reader Copies for 2025, and I am so excited to share these stories with you before I head into my annual break. While I am officially stepping away until January 12 to catch up on some much-needed business tasks and enjoy a delicious Christmas lunch with dear friends, the ARC team never truly sleeps. This month is a little bit of a departure from our usual schedule, as we are venturing outside of the pure romance genre. While I know most of us are romance-first readers, I still believe a great story is made even better with a romantic subplot, so I have selected these specifically because they offer that perfect blend of high-stakes tension and emotional heart.
Our December offerings include two very special books from our own Deanna’s World author, Ann Hosler, as she refreshes her Runebound Earth series. These dystopian science fantasy titles are joined by a gripping technical thriller and a high-heat military romantic suspense. Because we are exploring some heavier themes this month—including technical espionage and deep explorations of PTSD—I want to remind everyone to take a close look at the content warnings for each title. Whether you are in the mood for a "smart" heist or a second-chance love story that feels like Top Gun with extra soul, there is something here to keep your e-readers busy while I’m off the clock.
I want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate it, and a restful, happy holiday season regardless of your traditions. Thank you for being such an integral part of this community and for supporting these authors as they bring their worlds to life. I am already looking forward to everything we have planned for 2026, but for now, I am ready to trade my editing notes for a glass of something festive and some quality time with loved ones. Happy reading, and I will see you all in the New Year!
If you are an author and would like to submit your book for review consideration, click here.
A little housekeeping before you claim your next read:
- Complete Your Sign-Up: If you haven't already, please fill out the main ARC team sign-up form. This is the only way I can send books directly to your Kindle!
- How Books Are Listed: The opportunities below are sorted by review due date, with the one that's due soonest at the top.
- Your Reviews:
- Honesty is Key: First and foremost, your review should be your honest opinion. We never expect you to love every book.
- The DNF Courtesy: If you find a book isn't for you and you decide not to finish it (DNF), please pause before posting. Just send me a quick email to let me know what's up.
- Why the Pause? As ARC readers, our early feedback is powerful. This step is a professional courtesy to the author to protect their launch. After our chat, we can decide the best path forward, which often just means you're excused from the review—no stress! It’s about giving every book its best chance to find the right readers.
- Previous ARCs still available: Check here for other ARCs still available for
review.
- One final note: Remember to always be kind. Happy reading!!
Now onto the fun stuff…
On Offer: Citizen 4473 (Runebound Earth Book 1)
Click here for more information and to claim your book
The Details:
- Genre: Dystopian Science Fantasy (also Science Fiction, Dystopian Science Fiction)
- Series: Runebound Earth, Book 1 of 4 (Interconnected Standalone)
- Release Date: July 31, 2023
- Review Deadline: January 23, 2026
- Format: eBook direct to your Kindle (EPUB)
- POV: First person, dual POVs
-
Content Warnings (Click to view)
⚠️ This story features a dystopian world with relevant associated themes. Includes off-page mentions of medical exploitation and a subplot involving a minor's pregnancy under manipulative circumstances. The romance is a sweet, slow-burn/fade-to-black (Heat Level: 1 Flame).
⚠️ Author's Note: Citizen 4473 was first published in 2023. This ARC is part of a series refresh to update the cover art and reintroduce Runebound Earth to the world. No story content has changed from its original publication.
The Blurb:
A catastrophic mistake entwines destinies across two millennia. Ambitious schemes from a post-apocalyptic past and technological ingenuity of a distant future collide in a battle for dominance.
WILLOW
New Rapids is crumbling into ruin, but I’ll risk anything to keep my family housed and fed. My plan is simple: volunteer for the World Union’s time travel program for a quick trip back in time. I didn’t expect a mistake to catapult me 2,000 years forward into a city infested by artificial intelligence.
TAM
A stranger’s arrival shatters my daily life in Avice and challenges history. Willow introduces new risks from the wardens, an artificial intelligence that polices the streets. When her past endangers our present, I must find a way to stop the World Union before it can seize Avice's advanced technology.
Willow and Tam race to protect the city of Avice, but Willow faces an ultimate decision: find a way home to her family or remain in the future—forever.
Dive into an epic new adventure where time is the greatest weapon. Join the residents of Avice as they take risks and explore the unknown, from personal trials to threats of destruction.
This book is perfect for readers who love:
- Science Fiction, Dystopian, and Science Fantasy
- Romantic Subplots and Slow Burn Romance
- Fated Mates and Hopeful Dystopia
- Strong Female Leads
- Stories featuring AI and Robots
- Time Travel Adventures
- Future Earth settings
Ready to Read and Review?
If this story calls to you, click the link below to claim your copy. This will take you to a quick, short form to confirm your spot.
Click Here to Claim Your ARC of Citizen 4473🚩 A Quick Reminder: By requesting this ARC, you're agreeing to post an honest review on or before the deadline of January 23, 2026. If life gets in the way, just send me a quick message!
On Offer: Fractured (Runebound Earth Book 2)
Click here for more information and to claim your book
The Details:
- Genre: Dystopian Science Fantasy (also Science Fiction, Dystopian)
- Series: Runebound Earth, Book 2 of 4 (Interconnected Standalone)
- Release Date: March 19, 2024
- Review Deadline: January 23, 2026
- Format: eBook direct to your Kindle (EPUB)
- POV: First person, dual POVs
-
Content Warnings (Click to view)
⚠️ This story features a dystopian world with relevant associated themes. It includes descriptions of emotional betrayal/infidelity, the death of family members, and a subplot involving a minor’s pregnancy following manipulation. Additionally, there are depictions of substance addiction and recovery, as well as a scene of physical assault and self-defense. The romance is a slow-burn, emotional connection with "closed-door" intimacy (Heat Level: 2 Flames).
⚠️ Author's Note: Fractured was first published in 2024. This ARC is part of a series refresh to update the cover art and reintroduce Runebound Earth to the world. No story content has changed from its original publication.
The Blurb:
A fragile future is shaped by impossible revelations that force trust in unwanted connections. She wants to escape echoes of her past. He hides from his own. A runebond was never part of their plans.
AMALINE
Avice is nothing like the city I escaped. Life is freer, the streets less cruel, and for the first time, my past feels distant. I don’t need complications. Especially not an irritable ward steward watching my every move. No one knows the alien symbionts bonded me to another human. I could seek them out—but binding my fate to a stranger feels like surrendering control I’ve only just reclaimed.
RAUVE
Control keeps my life intact. As Ward Zabel’s steward, structure helps me bury a past I don’t want uncovered. I avoid others whenever possible, especially the time travelers from New Rapids. But when I learn Amaline is my runebound partner, avoidance becomes impossible. If I want to make amends for what I’ve done, I’ll have to earn her trust—no matter what it costs me.
As the Tians push Amaline to her breaking point, Rauve holds the missing piece, forcing them to decide whether to fight their bond or embrace a connection that could change Avice forever.
Step into a journey where impossible revelations carry unexpected emotional weight. Join the residents of Avice as they take risks and explore the unknown, from personal trials to threats of destruction.
This book is perfect for readers who love:
- Science Fiction, Dystopian, and Science Fantasy
- Enemies to Lovers and Fated Mates
- Slow Burn Romance and Forced Proximity
- Grumpy Heroes and Interconnected Standalones
- Genetic Engineering and Telepathy/Psionics
Ready to Read and Review?
If this story calls to you, click the link below to claim your copy. This will take you to a quick, short form to confirm your spot.
Click Here to Claim Your ARC of Fractured🚩 A Quick Reminder: By requesting this ARC, you're agreeing to post an honest review on or before the deadline of January 23, 2026. If life gets in the way, just send me a quick message!
On Offer: Stealing Stealth
Click here for more information and to claim your book
The Details:
- Genre: Technical Thriller, Historical Espionage, Heist, Suspense
- Series: Standalone (may be viewed as the start of a series)
- Release Date: January 13, 2026
- Review Deadline: January 31, 2026
- Format: eBook direct to your Kindle (EPUB)
- POV: Third Person Limited
-
Content Warnings (Click to view)
⚠️ Contains depictions of gun violence, the kidnapping of a child (off-page threat), and references to the Holocaust/concentration camps as part of the protagonist's backstory. It deals heavily with themes of grief and survivor's guilt.
⚠️ If you dislike "technical talk" about encryption, thermodynamics, or Cold War politics, this book may not be for you. However, for those who love Ocean’s Eleven meets The Americans, this is a five-star candidate.
⚠️ Heat Level: 1.5 Flames (romance is a subplot with a few kisses and a "happily-for-now" ending).
The Blurb:
John Olson hunted Gabrielle Hyde for years. Now he needs her help.
At the height of the Cold War, America's revolutionary stealth technology could tip the balance of power. Now the race to control it threatens to derail a critical nuclear treaty between the world's two superpowers.
Soviet operatives are close to acquiring this game-changing military secret. CIA Officer Olson has just seven days to protect America’s biggest technological advantage from falling into the wrong hands. His only hope lies with the brilliant thief he couldn't catch: Gabrielle Hyde.
Inside the secretive Skunk Works facility, nothing is what it seems. Hyde and Olson discover Moscow isn’t the only enemy. A traitor from within is thwarting their every move. With both the FBI and KGB closing in and bodies piling up, Olson faces an impossible choice: follow orders from an agency that no longer trusts him or follow Hyde into an elaborate con against his own government. Sometimes the only way to protect freedom is to steal its deepest secret.
From a decorated Air Force Colonel with 26 years in special operations and field command comes an authentic Cold War thriller where the greatest threats wear familiar faces. Trust no one. Question everything. And never underestimate Gabrielle Hyde.
In 1977, a disgraced CIA officer must partner with the brilliant female thief who destroyed his career to recover stolen stealth technology before it reaches Soviet hands, forcing them to navigate their mutual distrust while confronting a shared enemy from their pasts.
This book is perfect for readers who love:
- Thriller, Suspense, and Mystery genres
- Stories like Ocean’s Eleven meets The Americans
- Themes of moral ambiguity, trauma, atonement, and systemic corruption
- Tropes like Enemies to Allies, The One That Got Away, Found Family, and elaborate cons
Ready to Read and Review?
If this story calls to you, click the link below to claim your copy. This will take you to a quick, short form to confirm your spot.
Click Here to Claim Your ARC of Stealing Stealth🚩 A Quick Reminder: By requesting this ARC, you're agreeing to post an honest review on or before the deadline of January 31, 2026. If life gets in the way, just send me a quick message!
On Offer: Viking (The Silent Pursuit Book 1)
Click here for more information and to claim your book
The Details:
- Genre: Contemporary Military Romance, Romantic Suspense
- Series: The Silent Pursuit, Book One (Interconnected Standalone)
- Release Date: November 20, 2025
- Review Deadline: January 31, 2026
- Format: eBook direct to your Kindle (EPUB)
- POV: First person, dual POV
-
Content Warnings (Click to view)
⚠️ This story explores themes of profound grief and survivor’s guilt following the loss of a loved one. It includes first-person depictions of military combat. The narrative contains depictions of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
⚠️ The romance features high-heat, explicit sexual content (Heat Level: 4 Flames).
⚠️ Note for Reviewers: This is a debut, first-person, dual-POV military romance with a one-night-stand, second-chance trope. It is a slow-burn, emotionally heavy, and angsty read that deals directly with PTSD, survivor's guilt, and a (non-graphic) on-page death.
The Blurb:
HE’S HER REFUGE. SHE’S HIS WAR.
Fifteen years ago, I entered the United States Air Force Academy and never looked back. Becoming a fighter pilot, protecting my country, pushing limits—this was the only future I saw for myself.
Until one mission changed everything. A split-second decision turned the sky from a place of freedom into a battlefield I can’t escape.
Lila was supposed to be a memory, but she never faded. And now she’s back—embedded in my squadron, my jet, and my head. Wanting her isn’t just reckless. It’s dangerous. But I’m not sure I have the strength to stay away.
I know what it means to lose someone to the call of duty.
The missing man flyover. The folded flag. The silence that follows. It broke me once—and I promised myself I’d never risk that kind of pain again.
I thought I’d made my peace with Vegas. With that night. With him. But Logan was never meant to be forgotten. Now, every look, every word, and every moment pulls me closer, even when I know better.
Because the truth is simple—
Loving him could destroy me.
But losing him again? That might ruin me completely.
This book is perfect for readers who love:
- Military romance that doesn’t romanticize soldiers' lives
- Hard-fought HEAs and Second Chance Romance (One-Night Stand to Lovers, Years Later)
- Dual POV, Workplace Romance (Forced Proximity), and Found Family (the squadron)
- Tortured Heroes (with heavy PTSD and Survivor's Guilt) and Military Heroes (Fighter Pilot)
- Slow Burn (emotional relationship), Angst-Heavy, Grief and Healing, Secret & Big Reveal
- Action and suspense
- Stories that balance sweet, swoony love with deeper themes
- Fans of Rebecca Yarros' work or those who loved Top Gun but want more depth and emotion
Ready to Read and Review?
If this story calls to you, click the link below to claim your copy. This will take you to a quick, short form to confirm your spot.
Click Here to Claim Your ARC of Viking🚩 A Quick Reminder: By requesting this ARC, you're agreeing to post an honest review on or before the deadline of January 31, 2026. If life gets in the way, just send me a quick message!
That's It!
I am incredibly grateful for your dedication to this Advance Readers team; please know that your time and efforts are truly valued.
I can’t wait to see your reviews on this latest batch! Enjoy every page, and I am eager to bring you our next collection of stories soon.
Wishing you some wonderful holiday reading and a very joyful holiday season!!
xoxo,
Deanna
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