Book Beat: Gay Fantasy, Villainesses, & More

Book Beat aims to highlight other books that we may hear about through friends, social media, or other sources. We could see a gorgeous ad! Or find a new-to-us author on a list of underrated romances! Think of Book Beat as Teen Beat or Tiger Beat, but for books. And no staples to open to get the fold-out poster.

Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die

Author: Greer Stothers
Released: February 3, 2026 by Titan Books
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
In this hilarious, off-the-wall queer fantasy romance, a reclusive sorcerer is forced to protect a cowardly knight after a prophecy ties their fates together.
Funny, touching and inventive, this book is perfect for fans of Mortal Follies, A Marvellous Light and Dreadful.
All his life, Sir Cameron has stayed as far away from danger as possible. He is, quite frankly, too handsome to die a violent and pointless death in battle. But when the Church hands down a prophecy to his fellow knights predicting that the only way to defeat their nemesis, the mad sorcerer Merulo, is to kill Cameron, he finds himself in a situation too sticky for even his considerable wiles. Short of ideas, Cameron throws himself on the mercy of the one person who now actually wants him to survive: the mad sorcerer.
Merulo isn’t thrilled to be babysitting a spoilt, attention-seeking knight, but fate has tied them together. And transmogrifying Cameron into a vulture is at least a great source of entertainment. Cameron, meanwhile, is on a voyage of self-discovery. It turns out he’s really, really into surly sorcerers who lock him up and tell him what to do. Who knew?
As a legion of knights surround their stronghold, the sorcerer’s poisonous ambitions draw ever closer to fruition. Cameron is quite invested in not dying, but he finds he’s also invested in Merulo. And sometimes, supporting the sorcerer you care about means taking an interest in their hobbies. Even if that hobby is trying to kill God.
Even if it might get you killed, too.
A himbo knight seeks protection from a reclusive sorcerer in this gay fantasy romance.
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The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives

Author: Elizabeth Arnott
Released: March 3, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
A remarkable trio whose lives have been cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.
Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are not your average housewives. They are all wives of convicted killers. During the sun-drenched summer of 1966, the three women form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands’ brutal crimes. With their exes—some of California’s most infamous murderers—dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves.
Headstrong Beverley tries compulsively to maintain control of everything around her, all while raising two children. Bookish Elsie fights to make a name for herself in the newsroom, working among men who sneer at her career goals. Glamorous Margot prefers partying to homemaking and devotes all her energy to upholding the appearance that everything is fine—anything to quell the shame from her husband’s deceit.
They know people look at them and think only one How could they not have known what their husbands were doing? How much are they to blame? And yet when a string of local killings hits the news, the three women—underestimated, overlooked, shrewd—decide to get to work. After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives and homes with one?
At once a riveting portrayal of shattered trust and a story of gripping suspense, The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives is a testament to the intricacies of women’s lives and how the deep bonds of female friendship can empower, uplift, and lead us to endure.
Three women who are married to convicted killers attempt to solve a string of killings in their community.
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Vile Lady Villains

Author: Danai Christopoulou
Released: May 12, 2026 by Union Square & Co.
Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
With the consequences of her murderous actions closing in, Lady Macbeth turns to the three witches for help, who give her a potion that transports her to an unknown realm. Desperately lost, she opens a door and comes face to face with a beautiful woman drenched in blood.
Klytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. Thinking this stranger a spirit, she chases Lady Macbeth into the realm of stories.
Hunted by screaming wraiths into worlds that are hell bent on their demise, this murderous pair are forced to form an alliance or perish. Yet the realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, claims to hold the key to saving them. As every threat brings our vile lady villains closer, turning ill intentions into fiery attraction that no author dare write, they have a remain within the confines of their original tales. . . Or burn down the world to pen a new story together. . .
I’m getting such What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? vibes from the cover here. Anyone else?
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Wonderfully Wicked

Author: Kamy Lavin
Released: November 18, 2025 by Fairytales, Facts & Fables Publishing
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Young Adult
Sixteen-year-old Annalie thought life couldn’t get worse after her father was enchanted into marrying Elzbeth, a bewitching socialite. But when Annalie’s newfound magic reveals her stepmother’s true form-green skin and sinister illusions-she uncovers a deadly pattern: a trail of wealthy husbands, all dead-including her father.
Annalie sets out to uncover the truth of her stepmother’s murders before she strikes again. As she races to unravel the truth about Elzbeth’s agenda, she discovers that good and evil aren’t always what they seem.
Wonderfully Wicked is a YA Fantasy retelling of the Cinderella fairytale chock-full of magic, deception and twists that you never saw from the princess’s POV.
Do not be fooled. This is not a f/f YA romance. Instead, it’s a mash up of The Wizard of Oz and Cinderella, where the wicked witch is the heroine’s stepmother.
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