Going Back to Rescue Me

I’ll tell you a funny story. Authors are told they should give away a reader magnet, or a “cookie” as it’s sometimes called, to encourage readers to sign up for their newsletters. I didn’t start a newsletter for many years into my publishing adventure, but when I started this pen name, I wanted to do things the “right” way, and decided to start a newsletter and give away a free book to get readers to sign up. I wanted to give away a novella, but, as I found out, no matter how hard I tried, I can’t write short.

I have never been able to, not with all the horrible backstories that I give my characters, and I wrote My Biggest Mistake, Rescue Me, and Faking Forever, trying to write something on the shorter side that I could give away. In the end, I just accepted it and decided to give away the shortest of those books–My Biggest Mistake–which you can find on the subscribe page of this website. That’s why I have so many standalones in my backlist (besides the fact that I just like writing them). Rescue Me was supposed to be short enough for a reader magnet, but as with all my characters, Sam and Lily didn’t care what I wanted.

I published Rescue Me on September 29th, 2022, and I re-edited it last year. I’ve always liked the cover, and even though he’s been used many times on other romance book covers, I was so happy when I found the model that I chose for Sam. He fits Sam perfectly, and luckily, that man’s been around the block! He had many many many poses to choose from and I was able to redo the cover using the same model. I love that! The cover will have the same author name and title, but a different background, model pose, and title font treatment.

I can’t believe it’s been four years since I published Sam and Lily’s story, and they deserve some attention. My birthday is next month (November 28th), so look here soon for the new cover reveal and a little thank you for being the fabulous readers that you are! In the meantime, here’s the old cover and a very small peek at what the new cover will look like!

A side-by-side graphic announcing an upcoming cover redesign for Rescue Me by VM Rheault. On the left, the current cover features a handsome, silver-haired man in a black suit adjusting his tie against a textured teal background, with the title in large white lettering. On the right, the new cover is deliberately blurred to conceal its design. Both covers appear against a black patterned background, with white script headings reading “Current Cover” and “New Cover Coming Soon!”
If you like Rescue Me‘s current cover and haven’t purchased the book yet, do it soon!
It will be going away in the next couple of weeks.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGT13LPR/

I hope you all are having a wonderful fall, and if you celebrate Halloween, stay safe out there!

Chat soon! 🎃 🍂

Vania

A Rainy Day and Some Book News! 🌧️ 📚

I’ve been pretty quiet for the past few weeks, depending on where you’ve been looking for me. Last week I went to Florida with my sister and daughter and had a great time! We flew into Orlando and went to Epcot, then we drove through Alligator Alley and found a hotel room in Naples where we spent some time on the beach. After that, we finished our vacation in Key West, swimming and lying on the beach. I only burnt myself a little bit, which was a miracle because I love the sun and the heat! We drove by Ernest Hemingway’s house, but because we were either going to or from the beach, we didn’t have time to stop in and look around (and my daughter and sister wouldn’t have been interested in that anyway). Getting back to Orlando was a long and tedious drive, and when we flew into Fargo, North Dakota, on Tuesday, we were all ready to go home, sleep in our own beds, and not talk to anyone for approximately 457 days.

Here are some of the pictures I took on the trip!


We came back to some cooler weather, grey clouds, and drizzle, but fall is my favorite season and I don’t mind a bit! Today is going to be perfect for all the laundry I have to get done and cleaning out my email, which for some reason has 457 new messages in it. Funny how that works!

But, I’ve been busy with book stuff too, and before I left, I finished Cold Mercy, the second book in my hockey duet. Those will be released sometime late next year, hopefully around the start of the 2027-2028 hockey season, but we’ll see how that goes. While I was sitting in a hotel room in Naples, I decided to release Bitter Love on January 26th, 2027, so for the rest of this year I’ll be getting that ready to go. I’m really excited to get back to Jesse and Jordan! Bitter Love is a small-town, second chance standalone novel I wrote in 2025 that I’m only now getting ready to publish because I published Wicked Games in May of this year and wrote my Black Ice hockey duet first. So I’m more than ready to revisit Bitter Creek, Minnesota, and give Jesse and Jordan their happily ever after! Subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on the cover reveal, blurb reveal, and a chance to download it for free before it goes up on Amazon–though it will be available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and paperback like my books always are.

I’ve been having a lot of fun with Reels on Instagram, and if you like that kind of content, you can follow me over there! I’ve been doing better with posting regular graphics, too, and of course, since Christmas is right around the corner, I’ll be hyping up my Christmas novel, A Heartache for Christmas, and I know you don’t want to miss that! You can follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/vaniamargenerheault/

That’s about all I have for right now. It will be nice to settle back into my regular routine of work, getting Bitter Love ready for publication, and occasionally settling in to watch something. Last night I watched The Love Hypothesis on Prime, and it was cute. It had some laugh-out-loud parts, so I would recommend it if you have two hours to spare and don’t know what to watch.

I hope you all have a great weekend ahead!

My Cedar Hill Duet is FREE for a limited time!

Promotional graphic for the Cedar Hill duet by V.M. Rheault. Against a smoky gray background with delicate floral line art, the covers of Captivated by Her and Addicted to Her are displayed at an angle. White text reads, "FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!" and "JULY 24–28," indicating both romantic suspense novels are free during the promotional period.

Hi everyone! I hope you are having an amazing summer so far! ☀️

I wanted to celebrate my Cedar Hill duet’s beautiful new look, but I also wanted to say ✨thank you!✨

Your support over the years has meant more than you know, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by making both books FREE through July 28!

Whether you’ve been meaning to read the duet, recommend them to a friend, or if you just want the new covers, now is the perfect time to visit Cedar Hill!

If you enjoy:

  • ❤️ Romantic suspense
  • 🛟 Protective heroes
  • 🔍 Twists and mystery
  • 💕 Emotional happily-ever-afters

…I hope you’ll give Rick and Devyn and Beau and Talia a try.

📚 Download both books free through July 28!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1PV65WD

Talk to you soon!

Vania

A Quick Memorial Day Update

Happy Monday—and happy Memorial Day to everyone in the U.S. I hope if you’re off today, you’re enjoying the long weekend! ☀️ 🌺 🌸

I had yesterday off my day job and spent part of it at the zoo with my sister and my daughter. We lucked into a good parking spot, the weather was gorgeous, I got to feed some goats, and it ended up being a really nice day. We went out to dinner after that, and then I spent the evening working on Beckett and Sloane.

Speaking of that, I’m 35,000 words into Frozen Assets and I’m having so much fun with it. I’m completely obsessed with early ownership drama, press conferences, and all the tension that comes with forcing two people into a marriage neither of them expected or wanted. All the hockey research I’ve done over the past year has paid off, and I’ve turned into a lowkey fan, keeping an eye on who will win the Cup this year. 🏒 🏆 (Go Avalanche!)

Wicked Games is still out in the world doing its thing, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s picked it up, borrowed it, reviewed it, or shared it so far! If you missed it (though, how could you have since I’ve been talking about it nonstop!) you can find it on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX2WSDTW

Promotional graphic for Wicked Games by VM Rheault featuring the book cover styled as a scrapbook collage with a cream envelope, vintage paper elements, greenery, and a Goodreads reviewer quote praising the book’s intrigue and suspense.

That’s all from me this Monday. If you’re also working today, I hope your inbox is quiet and your coffee is strong! Enjoy your day!

Vania

Cedar Hill has a new look!

Surprise! My Cedar Hill Duet has a brand new look!

Graphic featuring the updated Cedar Hill duet covers. Captivated by Her appears on the left with a lighthouse and stormy sky background. Addicted to Her appears on the right with a city skyline background. Center text reads: “NEW LOOK!” on a light panel against a dark floral backdrop.

I recently refreshed the covers for Captivated by Her and Addicted to Her and I’m so happy with how they turned out! These stories are so close to my heart since they were the first books I published when I started my pen name, and it felt like the perfect time to give them covers that better reflect the characters and the world inside the books.

The insides also got a light polish to reflect the changes on the outside, so if you’ve read them before, nothing has changed except some cleanup edits and polishing. If you’re new to Cedar Hill, now is a great time to meet Rick and Devyn and Beau and Talia!

I want to do something special to celebrate, so watch this space for updates!

Thank you all who have read them and supported me! I appreciate all of you! ☺️

You can find both books now on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1PV65WD

Wicked Games ARC Copies Have Been Claimed! ♥️

handsome man with scruff looking a the camera leaning on a railing. the text says. all arcs have been claimed!  thank you!  graphic is in black and white.

It is so lovely to say that all ARC copies for Wicked Games have now been claimed, and I wanted to say thank you for the incredible support and excitement for this release! ♥️☺️

Every time I put out a new book, there’s a crazy mix of nerves and anticipation, so seeing readers eager to dive into Seth and Avery’s story means so much to me.

If you missed the ARC, Wicked Games releases May 15th on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback.

Thank you for cheering me on—I can’t wait to hear what you think!

As for what I’m going to do now . . . I’m going to take a couple weeks off to relax, do some spring cleaning around my apartment, do some admin work that has crept up on me, and get my notes together for my next two books. Last summer–time goes by so fast–I teased a hockey book, which has turned into a duet, and I am so excited to start working on them!

So things may feel quiet around here, but I’ll be busy! Bookmark this blog or sign up for updates to hear about my dark and gritty hockey duet that will be coming 2027!

As always, My Biggest Mistake is still free. You can down load it here: https://BookHip.com/CMSVSNK

handsome man wearing black suit gold watch on his wrist.  text reads:
I kneel in front of her and clasp her cold, quaking hands in mine. “You don’t have to stay. Or you can stay, and we’ll sleep. When I looked for you, that was some scary shit, Allegra. I didn’t know where you were, and when I found you, I almost lost it. I asked you to come here because I couldn’t let you go to your cabin alone, but that doesn’t mean we have to do anything in mine.”

      “How did you find me?”

      I pause and decide to tell her the truth. “I followed my heart.”

My Biggest Mistake by VM Rheault

Thank you all and I hope you’re having a wonderful spring so far! 🌸🌺🐇

Wicked Games ARCs are now available!

foggy lake background

picture of book cover on tablet

text says. arcs are available. now through april 19th

I have been working so hard this week to get everything ready, and I have some exciting news—digital ARCs for Wicked Games are now available!

I went back and forth on doing this again. Last September, a lot of readers downloaded an ARC of Loss and Damages . . . but not many reviewed. That always breaks my heart because authors see a lot of interest, and then when release week comes, nothing happens. And I understand. There are a lot of books out there. My Kindle is bursting too.

I still believe in giving ARCs in good faith, so I’m trying again, but I am asking that if you aren’t going to read and review, then please don’t take a review copy.

If you enjoy billionaire, small-town romantic suspense, this might be for you. It’s a standalone at 322 paperback pages. A little steamy, angsty, and no third-act breakup (though there is forced separation).

ARCs will be available through April 19th, with a May 15th release. Wicked Games will be available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback.

If you download, I’d really appreciate an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads when the book goes live. Please don’t use AI to write your review. I want to know what you think of the book!

https://BookHip.com/GAMSRCS

Thank you for giving Seth and Avery a chance. They deserve all the good things! ♥️

Hello Spring! What I’ve been working on.

Hello, hello! 🌸

It’s the first day of spring, and here in my part of Minnesota, it actually feels like it. We don’t have much snow left, and everything looks a little… dull right now. Brown grass, all the garbage the snow was hiding suddenly in plain sight, mud everywhere—it’s kind of a gloomy vibe, especially on cloudy days.

But the weather is warming up, the sun will dry everything out, and pretty soon the trees will start getting their leaves again.

I like fall best, but there’s something about a new season that feels like a fresh start. You just never know what life has in store.

I should be getting my final proof of WICKED GAMES today! 👀 I made a few small tweaks to the formatting (including a blog post and an interview!) and adjusted the cover just a bit. Once everything looks good, I’ll be ordering paperback ARC copies. 📚

I’m really excited about that since it’s something I’ve never done before. I’ll still offer ebooks like I usually do, but sending out a few paperback ARCs feels like something special. I’m so proud of how this book turned out, and I can’t wait for you all to see it.

While I’ve been waiting, I’ve been re-editing my Cedar Hill Duet. I love those characters so much, and they deserve this glow-up. New edits, new covers… yep. They deserve it.

And of course, I have a new story rattling around in my brain. Beckett and Sloane won’t leave me alone—in the best way possible. I teased their story a while back (like… last year 😅), so it’ll be nice to finally “skate” into the world of hockey. 🏒

Have a great first day of spring, and keep an eye out for WICKED GAMES ARCs soon! ♥️

A Valentine’s Day note–and a small teaser! ♥️

Happy Valentine’s Day!
I hope you’re all able to relax a little and spend some quality time with your loved ones this weekend! I’m not doing too much . . . working my day job and then the kids wanted to order calzones for dinner. That saves me from having to cook, so that sounded perfect to me!

I’m excited to start teasing the cover for Wicked Games! I’m currently working on getting the ARCs ready, and I’ll share more details here when they’re available. Wicked Games will be releasing in May, so mark your calendars, subscribe to the blog, and follow me on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/VM-Rheault/author/B0B1QSXVK4

Foggy Minnesota lakeshore with tall grass. Text reads: “Wicked Games — May 15, 2026. Two broken hearts. One small Minnesota town. Too many secrets to count.” Partial book cover visible.

Wicked Games is a standalone steamy romantic suspense that includes:

*Billionaire/Grieving Hero
*Small Town
*Romantic Suspense
*Finding Love after Loss
*Fast-Burn Romance/Instalove
*Strangers to Lovers
*Forced Separation
*No 3rd Act Breakup

Whether you’re spending today with someone you love, enjoying some quiet time, or somewhere in between, I hope you’re able to take a moment for yourself this weekend. I’ll be back soon with more Wicked Games updates.

And I can’t forget to show off Pim! I think she matches Wicked Games’ cover!

black and white photo of a tuxedo cat lying on grey bedsheets. (I have no idea why I turned it black and white. it already was!)

Thanks for reading! Have an amazing rest of your weekend!

Vania

Free Romance Alert: His Frozen Heart!

Hey friends! 🎄 I hope you survived the Christmas craziness and that you’re able to relax this weekend!

Just a quick heads-up—His Frozen Heart (A Rocky Point Wedding, Book 1) is FREE on Kindle today, December 27th, and tomorrow, December 28th.

If you’re looking for a steamy little escape in a small Minnesota town where everyone knows your business and the temperatures will give you frostbite, this is the perfect time to grab it. Four books in the completed series will keep you turning pages well into the new year! 📚✨

snowy woods background.  book cover of HIs Frozen Heart. Text reads:
Mitch has given up on love . . . until he meets her. Burned in a horrific accident, he never believed he could find a woman who would see past his scars. 

Callie hides a dangerous secret, and when their relationship turns too hot to handle, she'll have to decide if Mitch is worth getting burned.

All the books in the series are available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback and you can find them here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D91D7RZ


We had a lovely Christmas, and I hope you did too. Everyone got a little something they wanted, and we bought Pim a set of catnip-filled mice. We ended up having to take all the garland off the tree because she was eating it like spaghetti, but luckily we caught her in enough time she didn’t get sick. We’ll have to remember for next year to keep our decorations to a minimum.

tuxedo cat lying on the floor with a yellow mouse

Happy New Year! I hope you all have an amazing 2026! 🎉 🥳 🎆

Vania