Sapphic Romance Week - Day 1
Ice Queen Romances
Welcome to the first day of Sapphic Romance Week!
We are starting out with what is possibly the most popular trope in sapphic romance: Ice queen romances.
Ice queens are beloved character archetypes. They are powerful women with a frosty exterior—aloof, emotionally guarded, and often laced with sardonic wit.
Part of the allure of an ice queen romance lies in the gradual melting of their icy layers. As the story progresses, the love interest, often a sunshiny character, breaks through the ice queen’s barriers, thawing her heart a little. To the rest of the world, however, she retains her icy demeanor. That contrast between the poised, prickly exterior and the moments of vulnerability shared in private adds an intriguing complexity to ice queen romances.
Check out our 12 book prizes and then enter the giveaway at the bottom of the page!
Impulse Buy by Jae (Ebook – Pre-launch giveaway)
Prickly emergency physician Regina has never liked romantic gestures, but when her girlfriend, ER nurse Ellie, surprises her with a gift right after Valentine’s Day, rejecting it is not an option. Little does she know the impulse buy will have unexpected consequences.
“Impulse Buy” is a short story sequel to Jae’s latest romance Bachelorette Number Twelve.
Teaser:
Heat seared through Regina.
She had no idea how much time had passed when they finally eased apart.
Ellie leaned heavily against Regina. “Hmm, you know,” she whispered against her lips, “if you lift me down and kiss me like that, you’re not exactly discouraging me from climbing on chairs.”
Queen Vs. Queen by Anne Hagan, Barbara Winkes & Alysia D. Evans (Ebook)
When ice queens converge at a business conference, they exhibit ultimate control, authority, and strength. The conference forces the women to show their vulnerabilities. Will they thrive in the training situation? Is there a chance that any romantic unions could form or will any sparks of romance remain hidden beneath the icy exteriors of the attendees?
Teaser:
She bent down and tried to pry the piece of wood out of the sand. It barely moved. “Must be a lot bigger than it looks on the surface.”
“Isn’t everything?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Abigail backtracked. “Please don’t get defensive. I just mean there’s always more to everything than just what’s on the surface.”
Boss of Her by Anna Stone (Ebook or paperback)
When small town girl Jade crosses paths with an irresistible older woman at Club Velvet, LA’s hot new luxury club for ladies who like to play, she has no idea that the woman is Simone Weiss, notorious ice queen and her new boss.
With chemistry sizzling between them, how long before they give in to temptation?
Teaser:
With every moment we spent together, you captured a piece of my heart. Until one day, I realized that every part of it, every part of me, belonged to you. I’m yours.
Magdalene Nox by Milena McKay (Paperback)
Magdalene Nox doesn’t cast wishes on stars… She makes them happen.
But for this particular wish, she had waited for thirty years. Her retribution against those who discarded her three decades ago should be swift and simple.
Except a chance encounter and an unforgettable night turn her entire life upside down.
Teaser:
“My name is Magdalene Nox. I am the new Headmistress of Three Dragons. And you are all fired.”
Business of the Heart by Claire Forsythe (Paperback)
When hopeless romantic, coffee shop owner Abby meets cynical, tough-as-nails businesswoman Lexi, they are both shocked at the instant attraction and unshakeable connection they feel.
Abby has a picture of her perfect woman in her mind, and it certainly isn’t the intolerable Lexi Finn. As for Lexi, avoiding relationships isn’t all that difficult when she’s become so skilled at keeping people at a distance.
They will need to overcome the wounds of the past to discover that their hearts are the most important business of all.
Teaser:
“So, Lexi Finn, are you saying that there will be a second date with us? That your rules will be broken?”
Lexi raised an eyebrow at me in response. “I like the idea of breaking the rules with you.”
“Why me?” I looked down at my drink, nervous of the answer. I felt vulnerable even asking the question.
“Because, from the moment I met you, I couldn’t get you out of my head.”
Entanglement by Max Ellendale (Ebook)
Uranium isn’t something that Detective Billie Olsen often finds on bodies of homicide victims. The unusual situation connects her to physicist and college professor Mira Lewis.
Incited by the discovery of the weak radioactive element, the two join forces to unravel a cryptic cipher. It isn’t the investigation, however, that nudges their paths to continuously cross…
Teaser:
“I think I knew I loved you then. Sitting in that reclined chair, your body heat against me while we stared at the stars. Neutron stars never seemed so interesting to me before.”
Healing of the Heart by Ruby Scott (Ebook)
Meredith Asquith is a talented neurosurgeon at the top of her field. That is as much as anyone knows… but who really is the woman behind the scalpel? Is there nothing to tell or too much to reveal?
When her professional path is crossed by Emily Porter, a beautiful young psychologist, whose job it is to assess the top surgeon’s mental fitness to operate, Meredith’s contained life begins to unravel forcing devastating choices to be made…
Teaser:
The door swung open, and a woman strode in, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her white lab coat. She was tall and slender, with dirty blonde hair that she’d thrown back into a high ponytail, and if Emily had to guess, she’d have said the woman was in her mid-forties.
“Doctor Asquith?” she asked, standing up quickly. The woman pursed her lips, looking from the table, to the box of files by Emily’s feet, before her icy gaze finally settled on Emily herself. Her eyes narrowed, just for a moment, and Emily realized with a start that the woman was judging her…
Ensnared in Her Symphony by Jolie Dvorak (Ebook)
Sabina Harper is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra and is seriously considering bowing out of their upcoming European tour – that is until a chance accident puts the world’s most famous – and hottest – conductor on the podium in front of her.
Teaser:
It was still only early evening, but it felt like a whole new day.
Virve trailed her fingers over the woman’s hip. She couldn’t seem to stop touching her.
Sabi lay boneless on the bed beside her, her hair tangled, her eyes glazed. She lifted one exhausted hand to the side of Virve’s face, and for once, it wasn’t a touch Virve wanted to brush away.
Evermore (A Mystic Meteor Tale) by Elle Hyden (Ebook)
In Book Two of this Mystic Meteor Tale, the meddling spirit Lily is back in matchmaking mode, working with a few new cohorts to help two women find their Evermore.
Raven, a reclusive but wealthy video game developer, needs more than just a paid caretaker; she needs true healing to melt the cold core of her deeply wounded heart. Enter Lynn, a gifted empath, seeking a safe haven not only for herself but for a little girl that she’s sworn to protect.
Teaser:
Raven ran the pad of her thumb along the ring that now adorned her finger and was still amazed to find herself married. Raven’s game of life had taken an unrecognizable turn the minute Lynn had come into it. Now she had a wife, a child, and a dog, plus she’d also gained a surrogate mother-in-law and a caring friend in Pat as well.
The Inheritance by Alison Naomi Holt (Ebook)
Two extraordinary women, two vastly different worlds, one enchanting love story…
Experience a captivating sapphic love story as the lives of driven ice queen Phyla McGuire and Ash Redux, a homeless ex-army K9 handler with severe PTSD, intertwine during a search for a wealthy man’s heir. Will they find a powerful connection that bridges the gaps in their lives?
Teaser:
When those eyes returned to her face, Phyla felt warmth rush into her throat and cheeks. Instead of anger or disdain, the same amused twinkle that had won her over the first day they’d met shone out at her. Ash tilted her head and held Phyla’s gaze for a long moment before she finally held out her hand.
Phyla tentatively placed her fingers in Ash’s palm, not caring one bit that Ash might pull her under the shower wearing seven-thousand dollars worth of designer clothing.
Caged by Reba Bale (Ebook)
Janie spent years denying her true desires, but at a women-only BDSM club she finds acceptance. Finally free to explore her bisexuality, the last thing she wants to do is fall in love, even if the club’s rope expert is very appealing.
Skye is a new dominatrix at the club. They call her The Ice Queen due to her emotionless demeanor, at least until her new sub melts her heart.
Teaser:
“We have our whole lives to love each other.”
Her eyes shot up to mine, her gaze searching. “Love?”
“I fell for you the minute I laid eyes on you. And if you haven’t figured it out already, I’m not a person who is super emotional. That’s how I knew my feelings for you were real.”
Ice & Fire - The Winterverse Card Game by The Ice Pack (Game)
A card game based on the characters from Lee Winter’s books, created by The Ice Pack crew, a small group of admirers of ice queens and the sapphic books they appear in.
Now that you’ve checked out our book prizes, enter the giveaway by clicking on the button below and filling out a short form:
Anyone can enter, no matter where they live. Entries close on February 19, 2024, at 10 a.m. Central European Time, when I’ll draw the winners using a random number generator. Winners will be notified via email.
Good luck!
Jae
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