Winter’s Charms

W

Celebrate the winter with three novellas about love, family, and what it means to be home after the Great War.

(Explore the links to each novella for tags and additional information.)

Casting Nasturtiums brings a family together.

Seth has no idea what's happened to Golshan since that awful day in the trenches in 1918. Now he's demobbed, Seth can track down Golshan, love Dilly (his wife), and get back to his woodwork. Of course, it's never that simple. Seth has to fight a bureaucracy, Golshan needs to reclaim his life, and all three of them need to figure out how their lives work now. (Polyamorous MMF romance set in 1919.)

Country Manners finds Kate and Giles happy in the life they are building together.

When the winter holidays require a visit to his family estate, Giles and Kate make the best of it. Fortunately, they stumble into a mystery along the way, inspiring Kate to take a new approach in dealing with his family's disapproval of just about everything. (This tale takes place in December 1921, between their engagement and wedding.)

Thesan, Isembard, Ibis, and Pross find themselves Chasing Legends during the winter holidays at Schola.

It's long past time to revive some of Schola's older traditions. As a few staff and guests settle down for a feast, a resounding knock on the door brings a knight out of ancient tales and a challenge that will need every one of their combined skills. (December 1926, on the anniversary of Thesan and Isembard's wedding.)

All three novellas in this collection can be enjoyed on their own without reading other books of Albion. However, they do contain some spoilers for the events of those books. Kate and Giles meet and fall in love in Wards of the Roses. Thesan and Ismebard's romance can be found in Eclipse, and Pross and Ibis's can be found in Magician's Hoard.

Come enjoy all the delights of winter with Winter's Charms! Get your copy now for enchanting holiday reading full of kindness, magic, and love.

Published:
Begins: 1920-06
Period: 1920s

Explore my novellas: 

Showing books 1-5 of 5

Period: Edwardian

Romance: F/F, Late in life romance, Closed door, Lesbian

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Complementary. Two women in Edwardian dress in silhouette stand talking with each other. One is taller and calmer, the other is shorter, gesturing. They are on a green background, with an artist's palette in the bottom right.
Complementary

Period: 1920s

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Ancient Trust: A man with a monocle picked out in gold stands by a table stacked with books. An owl is inset in the top left.
Ancient Trust

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/M/F, Bisexual, Polyamorous

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a translucent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Casting Nasturtiums

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Established relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a translucent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Country Manners

Period: Information not available

Romance: M/F, Established relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a transluscent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Chasing Legends

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Chasing Legends

C

Found in the Winter's Charms novella collection.

It's long past time to revive some of Schola's older traditions. As a few staff and guests settle down for a feast, a resounding knock on the door brings a knight out of ancient tales and a challenge that will need every one of their combined skills. When Thesan, Isembard, Pross, and Ibis investigate, they find themselves deep in Schola's most ancient mysteries.

It takes place in December 1926, on the first anniversary of Thesan and Isembard's wedding. Thesan and Isembard's romance is in Eclipse, and Pross and Ibis fall in love in Magician's Hoard.

Content note details
Established relationships (Two characters from Eclipse, two from Magician’s Hoard, brief references for events of those books.) Includes stigmatised abilities, guilt and shame about actions during the War, and rebuilding community. One point of view character is autistic (Thesan).

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Chasing Legends.

Explore other books focusing on education and research:

Showing books 1-10 of 10

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Enchanted Net: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress stand with their backs to the viewer. She is holding a glass of wine as they look toward each other. The background is a purple damask, crossed by pipes and gears and a streak of lightning, with a book inset in the top left corner.
Enchanted Net

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Silent Circuit: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress face each other. He is holding a book open for her, as her hand moves to turn a page. They’re on a background of green damask with green pipes, a streak of lightning behind them. A bee is inset on top of a gear in the top left.
Silent Circuit

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Elemental Truth: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress waltz hand in hand on a golden damask background bordered by pipes and gears with a streak of lightning behind them. A jewelled ring is set in the top left.
Elemental Truth

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Demisexual, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Fossil Door. A man and woman in 1920s dress stand silhouetted on a bright burgundy and glowing orange background. An illuminated book is inset in the top left corner.
The Fossil Door

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Eclipse, with a man and woman wearing academic robes in silhouette on a twilight blue and sunset orange background. She is gesturing up toward the sky. A telescope is inset in the top left.
Eclipse

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Magician's Hoard. A man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a teal background shading to sandy brown. A hedgehog is inset in the top right.
Magician's Hoard

Period: Information not available

Romance: M/F, Established relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a transluscent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Chasing Legends

Period: Second World War

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Illusion of a Boar: Four magical specialists are thrown together in the spring of 1944, working on a secret project in the run-up to D-Day. Solving the problem before them is one thing: sorting out their lives is an entirely different one. It’s full of chosen siblings having each other’s backs, forced proximity, and unexpected skills in play. A fantasy romance, this is also a great entry point to the series.
Illusion of a Boar

Period: Second World War

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Three Graces has three women in silhouette, two standing and one sitting, her hand resting on a cane. All three are wearing clothes from during the Second World War, against a deep brown cover with a map. An astrology chart to the back left has the Moon and Venus picked out in brighter gold.
Three Graces

Period: Post-war (late 1940s)

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Magic of Four: Four students in silhouette on a blue background of a map off the west coast of Wales. Three stand around a table, the fourth is perched on the near corner, leaning forward and gesturing.
The Magic of Four

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Country Manners

C

Found in the Winter's Charms novella collection.

When the winter holidays require a visit to his family estate, Giles and Kate make the best of it. Fortunately, they stumble into a mystery along the way, inspiring Kate to take a new approach in dealing with his family's disapproval of just about everything.

Country Manners follows the story of Giles and Kate's romance after Wards of the Roses. It takes place in December 1921, between their engagement and wedding.

Content note details
Established relationship (characters met in Wards of the Roses, this takes place between their engagement and marriage and has brief spoilers for the events of that book). Hero blind due to a gas attack in the Great War but generally very independent. Nasty familial comments, ableist assumptions, and class-related nastiness with a happy ending.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Country Manners.

Explore books focused on solving a particular mystery:

Showing books 1-13 of 13

Forged in Combat

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Enchanted Net: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress stand with their backs to the viewer. She is holding a glass of wine as they look toward each other. The background is a purple damask, crossed by pipes and gears and a streak of lightning, with a book inset in the top left corner.
Enchanted Net

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Silent Circuit: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress face each other. He is holding a book open for her, as her hand moves to turn a page. They’re on a background of green damask with green pipes, a streak of lightning behind them. A bee is inset on top of a gear in the top left.
Silent Circuit

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Elemental Truth: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress waltz hand in hand on a golden damask background bordered by pipes and gears with a streak of lightning behind them. A jewelled ring is set in the top left.
Elemental Truth

Period: Edwardian

Romance: F/F, Late in life romance, Closed door, Lesbian

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Complementary. Two women in Edwardian dress in silhouette stand talking with each other. One is taller and calmer, the other is shorter, gesturing. They are on a green background, with an artist's palette in the bottom right.
Complementary

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Established relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a translucent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Country Manners

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Perfect Accord: Two silhouetted figures in 1920s casual clothing. The man is handing the woman a perfume bottle, and she is testing it on the inside of her wrist. The right upper corner has a perfume bottle inset.
Perfect Accord

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Goblin Fruit. A man and woman in 1920s dress are silhouetted on a glowing red and golden yellow background. She turns toward him and he holds her hand. A bottle of golden liquid is inset in the top right corner.
Goblin Fruit

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of In The Cards. A man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a pale purple and blue cover. She turns away from him, and they are looking at something to the right of the image. A set of divination cards are inset in the top right.
In The Cards

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Magician's Hoard. A man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a teal background shading to sandy brown. A hedgehog is inset in the top right.
Magician's Hoard

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Mistress of Birds. A man and woman in 1920s clothing silhouetted on a purple and deep blue-grey background. He holds a walking stick as tall as he is and wears a cap, she wears a hat and long sweater. Apples are inset in the top left.
Mistress of Birds

Period: Second World War

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Three Graces has three women in silhouette, two standing and one sitting, her hand resting on a cane. All three are wearing clothes from during the Second World War, against a deep brown cover with a map. An astrology chart to the back left has the Moon and Venus picked out in brighter gold.
Three Graces

Period: Post-war (late 1940s)

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Magic of Four: Four students in silhouette on a blue background of a map off the west coast of Wales. Three stand around a table, the fourth is perched on the near corner, leaning forward and gesturing.
The Magic of Four

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Casting Nasturtiums

C

Found in the Winter's Charms novella collection.

Seth has no idea what's happened to Golshan since that awful day in the trenches in 1918. Now he's demobbed, Seth can track down Golshan, love Dilly (his wife), and get back to his woodwork. Of course, it's never that simple. Seth has to fight a bureaucracy, Golshan needs to reclaim his life, and all three of them need to figure out how their lives work now.

Casting Nasturiums is a polyamorous MMF romance that takes place over the last half of 1919, ending with celebrations over the winter holidays.. It's about finding your friends, making new ways to live, and coming home.

Content note details
Polyamorous MMF romance. One character was paralysed due to injury in the Great War. He also has ADHD (or as he would say, bees in his head.) Includes brief nastiness from a family member, and familial neglect of one character.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Casting Nasturtiums.

Explore my LGBTQIA+ romances:

Showing books 1-9 of 9

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/M, Gay

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Four Walls and a Heart has a bright red background with a blue door. Two men are silhouetted against the background, one of slighter build in a Victorian wheelchair, missing his lower left leg, the other standing and talking, one hand at his side. Both are wearing hats, and they are intently focused on each other.
Four Walls and a Heart

Period: Edwardian

Romance: F/F, Late in life romance, Closed door, Lesbian

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Complementary. Two women in Edwardian dress in silhouette stand talking with each other. One is taller and calmer, the other is shorter, gesturing. They are on a green background, with an artist's palette in the bottom right.
Complementary

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/M/F, Bisexual, Polyamorous

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a translucent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Casting Nasturtiums

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Demisexual, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Fossil Door. A man and woman in 1920s dress stand silhouetted on a bright burgundy and glowing orange background. An illuminated book is inset in the top left corner.
The Fossil Door

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Late in life romance, Closed door, Demisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Seven Sisters. A thin angular woman and man in 1920s dress silhouetted on a background of lavender and grey. Bright green curling vines are inset in the top right.
Seven Sisters

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Goblin Fruit. A man and woman in 1920s dress are silhouetted on a glowing red and golden yellow background. She turns toward him and he holds her hand. A bottle of golden liquid is inset in the top right corner.
Goblin Fruit

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Late in life romance, Demisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of On The Bias. A man and woman in 1920s clothing are silhouetted against a pale green, yellow, and purple background. A brightly coloured rooster is inset in the top right.
On The Bias

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Point By Point. A man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a terra-cotta and deep red background, with a Mesopotamian lion with bright blue wings inset in the top left.
Point By Point

Period: 1930s

Romance: M/M, Late in life romance, Asexual, Bisexual, Polyamorous

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Best Foot Forward has a deep red background with map markings in a dull purple. Two men in silhouette stand, looking up at a point in the top left. An astrology chart with different symbols picked out takes up the left side of the image, with glowing stars curving up to the title.
Best Foot Forward

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Complementary

C

Undercover in the nonmagical world ... with a cozy cottage and only one bed!

As an artist and a magical investigator, Elizabeth is the perfect choice when midwife Rosemary comes to her for help investigating something strange at an artist's colony on the English coast in 1910.

Problem one: Elizabeth and Rosemary can't reveal their magic to anyone there.

Problem two: They met less than a week ago but have to pretend they're good friends to keep their cover. That's going to be even harder to do with growing feelings sparking between them.

Further problems: There's also an imminent birth, a kitchen that needs a good scouring, and the immense ego of one of the artists.

In this seemingly quiet corner of the countryside, nothing is as it seems, and Elizabeth and Rosemary are about to uncover more than one secret that will change lives forever. Maybe even their own.

Complementary is a standalone f/f novella of 33,000 words. Complementary is full of fae magic, the Norfolk coast, art and artists, cooking, and sensible decisions. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with no sex scenes set in 1910 with a happily ever after ending!

Content note details
Lesbian (f/f) romance. Includes a main character who is neurodiverse (ADHD, though she doesn’t have the words for that) and who is of Malaysian, Dutch, and English ancestry and visibly brown. A significant character treats a long-term partner badly, including gaslighting. Includes a late-term pregnancy and off-screen healthy birth of a baby. No on-page sex. Only one bed trope.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Complementary.

Explore my LGBTQIA+ romances: 

Showing books 1-9 of 9

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/M, Gay

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Four Walls and a Heart has a bright red background with a blue door. Two men are silhouetted against the background, one of slighter build in a Victorian wheelchair, missing his lower left leg, the other standing and talking, one hand at his side. Both are wearing hats, and they are intently focused on each other.
Four Walls and a Heart

Period: Edwardian

Romance: F/F, Late in life romance, Closed door, Lesbian

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Complementary. Two women in Edwardian dress in silhouette stand talking with each other. One is taller and calmer, the other is shorter, gesturing. They are on a green background, with an artist's palette in the bottom right.
Complementary

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/M/F, Bisexual, Polyamorous

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a translucent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Casting Nasturtiums

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Demisexual, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Fossil Door. A man and woman in 1920s dress stand silhouetted on a bright burgundy and glowing orange background. An illuminated book is inset in the top left corner.
The Fossil Door

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Late in life romance, Closed door, Demisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Seven Sisters. A thin angular woman and man in 1920s dress silhouetted on a background of lavender and grey. Bright green curling vines are inset in the top right.
Seven Sisters

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Goblin Fruit. A man and woman in 1920s dress are silhouetted on a glowing red and golden yellow background. She turns toward him and he holds her hand. A bottle of golden liquid is inset in the top right corner.
Goblin Fruit

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Late in life romance, Demisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of On The Bias. A man and woman in 1920s clothing are silhouetted against a pale green, yellow, and purple background. A brightly coloured rooster is inset in the top right.
On The Bias

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Point By Point. A man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a terra-cotta and deep red background, with a Mesopotamian lion with bright blue wings inset in the top left.
Point By Point

Period: 1930s

Romance: M/M, Late in life romance, Asexual, Bisexual, Polyamorous

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Best Foot Forward has a deep red background with map markings in a dull purple. Two men in silhouette stand, looking up at a point in the top left. An astrology chart with different symbols picked out takes up the left side of the image, with glowing stars curving up to the title.
Best Foot Forward

Showing books 1-9 of 9

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Mistress of Birds

M

Thalia wants to make an impact.

Thalia's life is full of artists, authors, and other creative minds, but she's barely keeping herself together. After yet another rejection of her writing, she's willing to keep an eye out on a remote home on the edge of Dartmoor while her reclusive great-aunt takes a rest cure.

Adam hasn't been the same since the Great War.

Adam's family have long since run out of tolerance for his continuing shell shock. His uncle's broken leg is the perfect excuse to get Adam out of the house - at least he can make himself useful fetching and carrying. Adam's not at all sure he can be any sort of help to anyone. When he visits his uncle's apple orchard, he's even more confused by what he finds - and no one else seems to find the late-ripening apples at all unusual.

The house has its own secrets.

At first, the house seems a pleasant enough retreat for Thalia. The housekeeper and maid are competent, if distant. The food is wonderful, and she didn't have to buy or cook it herself. But there's the odd noise from the attic, the locked rooms, the ageless photographs. When she meets Adam, they at least agree that something is odd. Can they discover the secret and change their futures?

Mistress of Birds is the seventh book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. It is full of gothic mystery, feeling out of place, apples, birds, and how to move forward into a new stage of life. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy set in 1927 with a happily ever after ending!

Content note details
Both hero and heroine have what we'd now describe as complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) though with different causes and experiences of it. Includes (in chapter 31) a paragraph of brief direct reference to 1917 treatments for shell-shock, which to be blunt, were brutal torture. Gothic romance, with higher levels of spooky tension than my books usually run to (but I promise a happy ending). No on-page sex.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Mistress of Birds.

Explore books focusing on solving a mystery: 

Showing books 1-13 of 13

Forged in Combat

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Enchanted Net: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress stand with their backs to the viewer. She is holding a glass of wine as they look toward each other. The background is a purple damask, crossed by pipes and gears and a streak of lightning, with a book inset in the top left corner.
Enchanted Net

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Silent Circuit: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress face each other. He is holding a book open for her, as her hand moves to turn a page. They’re on a background of green damask with green pipes, a streak of lightning behind them. A bee is inset on top of a gear in the top left.
Silent Circuit

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Elemental Truth: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress waltz hand in hand on a golden damask background bordered by pipes and gears with a streak of lightning behind them. A jewelled ring is set in the top left.
Elemental Truth

Period: Edwardian

Romance: F/F, Late in life romance, Closed door, Lesbian

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Complementary. Two women in Edwardian dress in silhouette stand talking with each other. One is taller and calmer, the other is shorter, gesturing. They are on a green background, with an artist's palette in the bottom right.
Complementary

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Established relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a translucent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Country Manners

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Perfect Accord: Two silhouetted figures in 1920s casual clothing. The man is handing the woman a perfume bottle, and she is testing it on the inside of her wrist. The right upper corner has a perfume bottle inset.
Perfect Accord

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Goblin Fruit. A man and woman in 1920s dress are silhouetted on a glowing red and golden yellow background. She turns toward him and he holds her hand. A bottle of golden liquid is inset in the top right corner.
Goblin Fruit

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of In The Cards. A man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a pale purple and blue cover. She turns away from him, and they are looking at something to the right of the image. A set of divination cards are inset in the top right.
In The Cards

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Magician's Hoard. A man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a teal background shading to sandy brown. A hedgehog is inset in the top right.
Magician's Hoard

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Mistress of Birds. A man and woman in 1920s clothing silhouetted on a purple and deep blue-grey background. He holds a walking stick as tall as he is and wears a cap, she wears a hat and long sweater. Apples are inset in the top left.
Mistress of Birds

Period: Second World War

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Three Graces has three women in silhouette, two standing and one sitting, her hand resting on a cane. All three are wearing clothes from during the Second World War, against a deep brown cover with a map. An astrology chart to the back left has the Moon and Venus picked out in brighter gold.
Three Graces

Period: Post-war (late 1940s)

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Magic of Four: Four students in silhouette on a blue background of a map off the west coast of Wales. Three stand around a table, the fourth is perched on the near corner, leaning forward and gesturing.
The Magic of Four

Showing books 1-13 of 13

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Point By Point

P

Lydia yearns to make her name as a journalist

More to the point, Lydia can't keep going as she has.  There's never enough money, nor enough time. She's always scrambling, never sure of the ground beneath her or whether she can rely on anyone for help.

Galen needs to figure out who he is now.

The last year has brought too much change. His parents are rightfully under house arrest, and Galen and his brother are setting up new lives. Restoring the family business after it was nearly run into the ground by a serious of bad decisions is only the first problem.

But Galen knows people.

When Lydia asks help investigating the aftermath of an odd news story, Galen is intrigued. So are his friends in the secret society Galen has been part of since his school years. The investigation begins with a horse race, but it soon leads them from the clubs to a decadent house party to a far more dangerous gathering that could change everyone's life forever.

Point by Point is the sixth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. It is full of the power of friendship, creative solutions, horse-racing, journalism, and powerful ritual magic. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!

Content note details
Hero dealing with past major changes in his family (related to In The Cards). Heroine trying to make her reputation as a journalist. Class differences. Dangerous ritual moments. Secondary character with major facial injury. 

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Point by Point.

Explore books about secret societies:

Showing books 1-6 of 6

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Outcrossing. A silhouetted man and woman in 1920s clothing standing next to each other, silhouetted on a green background. A chestnut pony's head is inset in the top right.
Outcrossing

Period: Great War

Romance: M/F, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Carry On, a nurse and man in silhouette walking together, her arm through his on a mauve background. Yarn and knitting needles are inset in the top left.
Carry On

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Bound for Perdition has a man and woman silhouetted in dark brown on a green and brown background, with the woman holding a book while the man gestures. An open blank book and pen are inset in the top right corner.
Bound for Perdition

Period: 1930s

Romance: M/M, Late in life romance, Asexual, Bisexual, Polyamorous

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Best Foot Forward has a deep red background with map markings in a dull purple. Two men in silhouette stand, looking up at a point in the top left. An astrology chart with different symbols picked out takes up the left side of the image, with glowing stars curving up to the title.
Best Foot Forward

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Enchanted Net: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress stand with their backs to the viewer. She is holding a glass of wine as they look toward each other. The background is a purple damask, crossed by pipes and gears and a streak of lightning, with a book inset in the top left corner.
Enchanted Net

Period: Post-war (late 1940s)

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Grown Wise: A silhouetted man and woman in 1940s clothes, walking together as he reaches for a branch full of apples. The background is a muted green and brown, scattered with a swoosh of golden light.
Grown Wise

Showing books 1-6 of 6

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The Hare and the Oak

T

Mabyn keeps her commitments.

The land magic in Suffolk has been failing for years. When the current Lord asks the Council for help, Mabyn knows it's her obligation to see it through. Even if that means immersing herself in a role she failed at in her younger and more optimistic days decades ago. Back when she was married.

Cyrus likes a challenge.

He doesn't know Mabyn well, but Cyrus does have a gift for ritual, and a broad experience of the world. A widower with a grown daughter, he's up for tracking down a lost heir and seeing if they can learn to take up the land magics.

When they arrive at Baddock Hall, it's clear there's more going on than the current Lord's troubles. The land is boggy, the gardens are failing, the bees have fled, and there's no obvious cause. Together, Mabyn and Cyrus must face their own pasts while getting to the root of the problem and making space for the future.

The Hare and the Oak is the fifth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. It is full of land magic, a late in life romance, a failing family line, and healing old wounds to the heart and soul. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!

Content note details
Heroine survived an emotionally abusive and restrictive marriage (ended by the death of her husband). Hero’s wife died unexpectedly in childbirth (referred to, but not in any degree of medical or explicit details.) Later in life romance.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about The Hare and The Oak.

Books focusing on the Council:

Showing books 1-11 of 11

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Enchanted Net: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress stand with their backs to the viewer. She is holding a glass of wine as they look toward each other. The background is a purple damask, crossed by pipes and gears and a streak of lightning, with a book inset in the top left corner.
Enchanted Net

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Silent Circuit: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress face each other. He is holding a book open for her, as her hand moves to turn a page. They’re on a background of green damask with green pipes, a streak of lightning behind them. A bee is inset on top of a gear in the top left.
Silent Circuit

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Elemental Truth: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress waltz hand in hand on a golden damask background bordered by pipes and gears with a streak of lightning behind them. A jewelled ring is set in the top left.
Elemental Truth

Period: Edwardian

Romance: M/F, Late in life romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Sailor's Jewel. A plump woman in flowing artistic dress and a man in an Edwardian suit are silhouetted against a blue background. An ocean liner is behind them, bow facing the viewer.
Sailor's Jewel

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Eclipse, with a man and woman wearing academic robes in silhouette on a twilight blue and sunset orange background. She is gesturing up toward the sky. A telescope is inset in the top left.
Eclipse

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, Late in life romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Hare and the Oak. A man and woman silhouetted on a brown and green background. She wears a dress with long sleeves and calf-length skirts, he wears a suit and half-cloak. A hare leaping out of an oak leaf is inset in the top left.
The Hare and the Oak

Period: 1930s

Romance: M/M, Late in life romance, Asexual, Bisexual, Polyamorous

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Best Foot Forward has a deep red background with map markings in a dull purple. Two men in silhouette stand, looking up at a point in the top left. An astrology chart with different symbols picked out takes up the left side of the image, with glowing stars curving up to the title.
Best Foot Forward

Period: 1930s

Romance: Asexual, Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Nocturnal Quarry has Alexander silhouetted seated in a chair, leaning forward, one leg crossed over the other against a purple background with a map of Manhattan. An astrological chart to the left has the symbols for the Sun, Mercury, and Mars in close conjunction in Leo and Virgo, glowing against the pale grey of the chart.
Nocturnal Quarry

Period: Second World War

Romance: M/F, Established relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Old As The Hills has a man with a cane and a woman silhouetted on a green ground with a map. She holds out her hand, he is putting something into it, forming a doorway between them. An astrological chart behind them shows the symbols for Venus, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn highlighted behind a splash of glowing stars.
Old As The Hills

Period: Second World War

Romance: M/F, M/M/F, Established relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Upon A Summer's Day shows a man in a suit silhouetted over a map of northern Wales in a muted green. He is gesturing, holding his cane in one hand, a cap on his head. Behind him is an astrological chart, with Jupiter and Saturn highlighted in the sign of Taurus.
Upon A Summer's Day

Period: Post-war (late 1940s)

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Grown Wise: A silhouetted man and woman in 1940s clothes, walking together as he reaches for a branch full of apples. The background is a muted green and brown, scattered with a swoosh of golden light.
Grown Wise

Showing books 1-11 of 11

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Fool’s Gold

F

Robin needs colour and freedom.

After a series of awful decisions, Robin has spent the past two and a half years under the close supervision of his aunts on the family estate. Finally they’ve decided he can go back to his work as an art and antique dealer.

When he overhears a conversation about historical pigments, he’s sure a spot of forgery is in the works. He needs to know more.

No one sees Beatrice.

Invisible to anyone outside her family due to an inherited curse, Beatrice has made her own good life. She handles the vault records for her banking family, tending to the details with care and attention.

She never expected a stranger to approach her in a tea shop. He sees her, and she has no idea why or how. The more they talk, the more she’s intrigued.

And that’s before the coiling magic, the sensible dragon, or Robin’s explanations of how her cousin’s suitor is manipulating every conversation.

Fool’s Gold is the fourth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War.  (Though this book does directly refer to the events of Seven Sisters if you want to avoid spoilers for that book.) It is full of pigments and colour, the magic of banking, and a very bouncy dragon. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!

Content note details
Hero is a villain redeemed (he features in Seven Sisters). Heroine has a hereditary curse she has complicated feelings about. Discussion of gender roles and family obligations. 

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Fool's Gold.

Explore books about the Fatae and Cousins: 

Showing books 1-3 of 3

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Late in life romance, Closed door, Demisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Seven Sisters. A thin angular woman and man in 1920s dress silhouetted on a background of lavender and grey. Bright green curling vines are inset in the top right.
Seven Sisters

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Fool's Gold. A silhouetted man and woman turn toward each other on a brilliant green and purple background. He wears a long jacket, his back to the viewer, while she faces the viewer in a 1920s dress. A pile of coins is inset in the top left.
Fool's Gold

Period: Second World War

Romance: M/F, Established relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Old As The Hills has a man with a cane and a woman silhouetted on a green ground with a map. She holds out her hand, he is putting something into it, forming a doorway between them. An astrological chart behind them shows the symbols for Venus, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn highlighted behind a splash of glowing stars.
Old As The Hills

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Eclipse

E

Thesan loves the stars.

As the Astronomy professor at Schola, Albion’s leading magical school, she’s made a life full of teaching, observation, and research. She wants what is best for her students, all of them.

Thesan is looking forward to a year of learning, and the magic of the coming near total solar eclipse.

Isembard has lived in the shadows.

Younger son of a noble family, he’s always felt second-best. Last year, he agreed to act as bodyguard to two young men from noble families, as well as teaching at Schola. His second year should be easier.

Only, it doesn’t seem like that. One of his mentors has come back as a teacher, which is wonderful and infuriating, often in the same conversation. Another new teacher seems determined to drag the school back to the 1800s. A group of students are definitely up to something suspicious. And one of Isembard’s wards is stubbornly set on a course that is going to get him killed sooner than later.

That’s before you get to the rest of the school year, full of a musical revue, staff meetings, expectations, and the fact Isembard has invited Thesan to a series of extravagent parties over the winter holidays.

Eclipse is the third book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. A staffroom romance between teachers, it is full of astronomy, progressive education, and coming to grips with your past. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1924 and 1925 with a happily ever after ending!

Content note details
Hero served in the Great War, with lasting curse damage and deep regrets about some of the actions he took (not described in detail). Issues of class, particularly around what family background, and privilege mean for education and opportunity. Academic politics, including an unpleasant faculty meeting. Friends to lovers trope. Heroine is autistic.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Eclipse.

Reviews:Catherine Heloise on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books wrote:

A thoughtful, lengthy SQUEE review on the site, with a wonderful analysis of Eclipse and what it's doing.

***

"Eclipse did that for me. It was a book that felt as though it had been designed precisely for me, from the thoughtful worldbuilding to the tenderness of the romance, from the teachers and students and friends that made up the rest of the story’s cast, to the astronomy metaphors and, yes, even the faculty politics. And then there was the description of the eclipse itself, and the feeling of magic gathering in the air as the light changes and the sun disappears just made me shiver with delight."


Explore books focusing on education and research: 

Showing books 1-10 of 10

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Enchanted Net: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress stand with their backs to the viewer. She is holding a glass of wine as they look toward each other. The background is a purple damask, crossed by pipes and gears and a streak of lightning, with a book inset in the top left corner.
Enchanted Net

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Silent Circuit: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress face each other. He is holding a book open for her, as her hand moves to turn a page. They’re on a background of green damask with green pipes, a streak of lightning behind them. A bee is inset on top of a gear in the top left.
Silent Circuit

Period: Victorian

Romance: M/F, First relationship

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Elemental Truth: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress waltz hand in hand on a golden damask background bordered by pipes and gears with a streak of lightning behind them. A jewelled ring is set in the top left.
Elemental Truth

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F, First relationship, Demisexual, Bisexual

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Fossil Door. A man and woman in 1920s dress stand silhouetted on a bright burgundy and glowing orange background. An illuminated book is inset in the top left corner.
The Fossil Door

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Eclipse, with a man and woman wearing academic robes in silhouette on a twilight blue and sunset orange background. She is gesturing up toward the sky. A telescope is inset in the top left.
Eclipse

Period: 1920s

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Magician's Hoard. A man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on a teal background shading to sandy brown. A hedgehog is inset in the top right.
Magician's Hoard

Period: Information not available

Romance: M/F, Established relationship, Closed door

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Winter's Charms, a seasonal novella collection. Three figures are silhouetted on a blue background with snowflakes, in front of a roaring fireplace decorated with a red and green garland. One man is sitting in a chair, gesturing, a woman stands wearing a transluscent shawl, and another man leans his hand on the mantlepiece. Oranges and cinnamon sticks are inset in the top left.
Chasing Legends

Period: Second World War

Romance: M/F

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of Illusion of a Boar: Four magical specialists are thrown together in the spring of 1944, working on a secret project in the run-up to D-Day. Solving the problem before them is one thing: sorting out their lives is an entirely different one. It’s full of chosen siblings having each other’s backs, forced proximity, and unexpected skills in play. A fantasy romance, this is also a great entry point to the series.
Illusion of a Boar

Period: Second World War

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

The cover of Three Graces has three women in silhouette, two standing and one sitting, her hand resting on a cane. All three are wearing clothes from during the Second World War, against a deep brown cover with a map. An astrology chart to the back left has the Moon and Venus picked out in brighter gold.
Three Graces

Period: Post-war (late 1940s)

Romance: Not a romance

Content notes: Click here to reveal

Cover of The Magic of Four: Four students in silhouette on a blue background of a map off the west coast of Wales. Three stand around a table, the fourth is perched on the near corner, leaning forward and gesturing.
The Magic of Four

Showing books 1-10 of 10

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By Celia

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