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Dan Noble is an old Vampire, perhaps the oldest in the world. One night on the prowl, he is inexplicably drawn to a plain-looking university student. But Nina Wright is not as boring as she seems: she meets Dan's charm with the allure of her own, and the two share an unforgettable night. When Dan tries and fails to compel Nina to forget their encounter, he suspects that she is no ordinary human. And when a gang of bloodthirsty vampires singles her out for a vicious kidnapping, he realizes the girl he has fallen head over heels for may very well be a Human Immortal, a being of awesome power. Nina will be able to reclaim her supernatural gifts if she chooses a mate of her own lineage, Nature's Immortals: a Dragon, Were, or Fae. As a Vampire, Dan would only stand in the way of her destiny. Will he find the courage to give up his true love just as soon as he has found her? |
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A chance encounter. Fated paths. Unlikely allies. When I was young, I met a boy at the waterfall on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Our pack was prohibited from venturing there. But being the alpha's only child and a bit of a social misfit, it became my second home. Tiam and I became best friends, experiencing each other's firsts and building an unbreakable bond. Until fate caught up with us, and I had no choice but to reject him, to protect him from myself and my pack. It was the wrong choice, leaving me more shunned and outcasted than before. Years later, ostracized and sick of dealing with the alpha holes in Sibyl Falls, I plan my escape, and that all goes to shit when my biggest secret is uncovered. To make matters worse, young girls in our pack start disappearing, and no one takes it seriously until one of those girls turns out to be someone I care deeply about. On the run and trying to Nancy Drew this shit, I find myself working with the most unlikely ally, Damen Elder, the once heir to the largest shifter pack in the realms. He is deadly, sexy, and wounded. Yet, we are like colliding stars, unable to resist the pull and heat of our attraction. As the danger thickens and secrets begin to unravel, I discover his fate and mine are more interlinked than I could have ever imagined. |
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Tamsenās Ridge by Wendy Dalrymple Tamsen Hayes has everything in life she could ever need; her family, her farmstead, and the love of her best friend and hunky fellow farmer, Jake Turner. However, when a blast from the past shows up unexpectedly, Tamsen and Jakeās relationship takes a turn, making her question whether or not she really wants to share her little slice of heaven with someone else after all. However, with a little help from her pack of goofy goats, and a gentle reminder from an old friend, Tamsen starts to make her way again, finding success, security, and true happiness in her little holler in the shadow of the Blue Ridge mountains. |
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Sending Love Letters to Animals and Other Totally Normal Human Behaviors by Chase Connor Ryan Offsteader had one major problem, but now that heās out of the closet and no one in his family or school actually cares, his problems are few. Life is a cycle of family, school, homework, Journalism Club, his friends, hanging out, and waiting for life to begin. Itās a simple, boring life at times, but his problems are few. When Ms. Tabatabai, his English teacher and Journalism Club mentor, announces to the class that there will be a project where students pair up, Ryan and his best friend, Jules, assume they will work together. Ms. Tabatabai has other plans. Students will be paired off randomly. Ryan is left without a partner since his English class has an odd number of students. However, Ms. Tabatabai assures him that he will have a partner since a new student is enrolling. Itās not an ideal situation for Ryan since he is used to working with Jules on every project, but itās not the worst. Until the new student shows up and Ryan realizes this isnāt their first time meeting. Ms. Tabatabai announces to the students that they are to get to know each other and write a paper about their partner. An oral report in front of the class will be expected once the project deadline arrives. Thereās just one caveatāthe pairs must get to know each other without speaking. How they do this is up to them. Points will be given for creativity. Ryanās partner does everything he can to make the project impossible, Ms. Tabatabai assigns Ryan to a new project in Journalism Club, his friends want to occupy all of his time, and, if all that wasnāt enough, heās tasked with helping the Drama teacher, Mr. Melvin, organize the spring singing recital, A Night on Broadway. Unless Ryan can confront his history and right a wrong, his whole world could fall apart. Will he choose to confront his past, or will history repeat itself? |
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The Man and the Crow by Rebecca Crunden Some witches curse, others are cursed. And sometimes, the cursed want revenge. |
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Nicholas Erickson is happy to be the smallest cog at the US Embassy in Singapore, a big step up from prison. Nick lives with a terrible secret: he killed a family of three in a traffic accident, for which he was imprisoned and became a pariah back home. The only threat to his second chance is the truthāand Nelson Graves. Shipping Magnate Lord Nelson Graves is secretly the head of crime syndicate Red Sky, making him the biggest arms dealer and drug boss in Southeast Asia. Graves is tired, lonely, addicted to opium, and trying to get his imploding crime syndicate back to business. There is a traitor in his organization and an old enemy is back on his tail. A romance builds between hot-headed, reckless Nick and unhappy, ruthless Graves. But nothing is that easy. Shoot-outs, bombings, and vindictive exes prove Nickās past and Gravesās present may be a lethal combination. |
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Worth The Effort by Kai Strand Ella Jones is a coward. There is a teen boy living in the alley behind her work and she is terrified of him. Desperate to leave behind the stereotypical and judgmental world she was raised in, Ella forces herself to make a true connection with seventeen-year-old Ayden Worth. As their friendship grows Aydenās quiet, gentle ways teach her true courage. But thereās more to Aydenās story than Ella knows. When their worlds collide in the most unexpected place, Ella feels betrayed. Will she find the courage to learn who Ayden really is, or will she determine heās not worth the effort? |
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Handmade with Love by Rachel Bowdler In the Welsh coastal village of Castell Bay, Stevie Turner creates souvenirs with washed-up materials found on the beach for her rustic gift shop, the Little Shop of Driftwood. When old flame, Anna Conway, returns home and moves into the apartment above the shop, Stevie can only offer her ex-girlfriend the cold shoulder. Itās been eight years since Anna broke things off and vowed to never return to Castell Bay, but with a new job as a city council member, her focus is protecting the home she loves from beach-combing tourists. How could she have known her first bylaw would result in destroying her exās business? Despite the shared hostility, old feelings begin to resurface, and when Stevie fatherās health takes a turn for the worse, their past becomes the present. Anna and Stevie must finally face the truth of their breakup and accept first loves can never dwindle, even after eight years. This charming, humorous small-town romance is a heartwarming beach read that explores the importance of second chances and found family. |
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A story told from two perspectives: Erik is a religious boy who begins to question his sexuality and beliefs after he is propositioned by a male classmate. Nicholas is an attractive, though somewhat self-absorbed, young man whose life is uprooted when his mother announces her bitter divorce from his father. When the two boys meet, things become increasingly complicated as they strike up a friendship, which quickly develops into something neither party can be certain of. |
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Second Chance Option by Elizabeth Spaur He was looking for a fresh start. She was looking for a new path. Love is what happens when they least expect it. At loose ends after a medical discharge from the Navy, a call from Cade Maguireās college coach gives him a new objective. Help save his alma materās football program. A gut-wrenching betrayal drove him from the game once. Can he finally stop running long enough to let go of the past and find his future? Veterinarian and genius Tess Gallagher has an abiding love for home and family, sheās spent her life taking care of everyone else. Doing what was right always came before doing what she wanted. When her younger brothers enter her in the American Ninja Warrior competition, can she finally stop hiding her true self from the world? Sparks ignite between Tess and Cade when she saves his injured dog and love is on the horizon when Cadeās new job is put in jeopardy before it even begins. Will Cade realize Tess is the second chance he really wants? Will Tess realize that Cade has always seen her for who she truly is? Will they realize that love is the only option that matters? Welcome to Second Chance Option, the first book in the Gridiron Knights series where football is king in Kingās Folly, South Carolina and the locals have something to say about everything. When you come for a visit, youāll never want to leave. |
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By the Light of Embers by Shaylin Gandhi It's 1954, and twenty-two-year-old Lucia Lafleur has always dreamed of following in her fatherās footsteps. While sock hops and poodle skirts occupy her classmates, she dreams of bacteria and broken bonesāand the day sheāll finally fix them. ā After graduation, a letter arrives, and Lucia reads the words sheās labored a lifetime to earnā"we are pleased to offer you a position at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine." But in the midst of her triumph, her fiancĆ© delivers a crushing ultimatum: forego medical school, or forego marriage. ā With fractured hopes, she returns home to Louisiana, expecting nothing of the summer of '54 but sweet tea and gumbo while she agonizes over her impending choice. There, she unexpectedly befriends Nicholas, a dark-skinned poet whose dignity and intellect are a salve to her aching heart. Their bond, initially forged from a shared love of literature, soon blossoms into something as bewitching as it is forbidden. ā Yet her predicament deepens when a trivial misunderstanding between a local white woman and a black man results in a brutal lynching, and the peril of love across the color lines becomes chillingly real. Now, fulfilling her lifelong dream means relinquishing her heartāand escaping Louisiana alive. |
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A Broken Kind of Love by Colleen Young ā£ā£After Deliaās parents abandoned her and her sister at a young age she spent her childhood dreaming of a better future. As an adult, Delia finally has everything sheās ever dreamed of - a husband, three great kids, surrounded by the love and stability that she craved as a child. ā£ā£ā£ ā£ā£ Mitch has retired from the Army nursing mental and physical battle wounds from his time spent overseas. In his second career as an EMT, he takes solace in saving lives and running from the regrets in his past. ā£ā£ā£ ā£ā£ One fateful night Mitch and Deliaās pathās cross, changing the course of their lives forever. ā£ā£ā£ ā£ā£ Will these two be able to find their way to A Broken Kind of Love? |
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I Love You Sāmore by Wendy Dalrymple Freshly divorced and worn out from years of single-handedly running her marketing company, Samantha Slater couldn't be more excited to drag her moody teenage son to a parent-and-kid weekend at Palmetto Pines Campground. The camp is a little more run-down than it had been twenty years ago, when she spent those happy summers between college as a camp counselor, but it still brings back memories of the best time in her life. And it's about to bring back a whole lot more than memories, she realizes when she finds that one of the parents attending is none other than her former camp flame, Julian Wells. Julian has spent the last two decades on the road as a wilderness survival expert, never settling in one place for long. But seeing Samantha again makes him wonder if he's been searching for something all along ā for the intense connection they had together. With his own moody teenage son in tow, Julian is actually here for a fresh start. He might be ready to settle down near his son, and near the only place that ever really felt like home: Palmetto Pines. But his abrupt departure all those years ago weighs heavily on both of them. Can he convince her that this time, summer camp doesn't have to end? |
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Eternal Huntress: Shadows of Otherside Book 5 by Whitney Hill The gods are ready to ride. As Arden Finch races to fulfill the prophecy that will enable her to stop the Wild Hunt, a new clue leads her down a desperate path. Her search for answers takes her somewhere no mortal should go: the godsā plane, where more than one danger awaits. With treacherous gods on one side and rioting mundanes on the other, thereās plenty to deal with already. But old enemies and new have plans that will test the fragile alliance, and this time itās not just Arden in their sights. Itās Troy and the Wild Hunt too. As her options narrow by the day and time runs out, Arden must make the ultimate choice about what sheās willing to do to save the world. Don't miss the conclusion of the Shadows of Otherside series! |
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Ebon Rebellion: Shadows of Otherside Book 4 by Whitney Hill Power always has a price. Arden Finch has claimed her place in North Carolina's Otherside community, but not everyone is happy about it. The elves can't allow an elemental to rule as Arbiter and they'll stop at nothing to take Arden down. To make matters worse, an old flame is back in town with big ambitions and bigger demands. The mundane police departments are reviewing unusual cases in light of the Reveal, adding even more problems. And with the Darkwatch after her as well, Arden must make tough choices about whoāand whatāshe is now. Survival will have her pushing her powers and relationships to the brink, with the gods watching for any weakness ahead of the Wild Hunt. Success will carry a price Arden never reckoned on. |
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Boyfriends For Now by Imogen Markwell-Tweed Anthony Astorās no nonsense attitude serves him well as CEO of his tech company, but it withers his love life. So when a miscommunication has his mother tearfully ecstatic about Anthony bringing someone home, he has no choice but to go along with the ruse. The solution comes in the form of the kind, clumsy intern, Ben McRobbie. Ben isnāt sure the CEO is for real when he asks him to be his āfake boyfriend for Christmas,ā especially after Ben spilled coffee all over him. Nevertheless, Ben is sure that the gorgeous Anthony is serious about giving him a full-time job if he can politely sit through a dinner with the Astors. But as Ben grows closer to his rich, handsome boss, he struggles to remain professional behind the scenes of their fake relationship. Imogen Markwell-Tweedās Boyfriends for Now is a charming and endearing romance about embracing love, wherever you find it. |
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No Love Lost by Rachel Bowdler Six years ago, Tarynās best friend moved to London without so much as a goodbye, and she hasnāt spoken to him since. Now, after a failed marriage and career, Will is back in St. Agnes, a Cornish coastal town rife with memories of their childhood together ā and Taryn, stubborn and jilted, no longer wants anything to do with him. Desperate to get close to her again and give her the explanation she deserves, Will isnāt prepared to stay away from her, so after he manages to get his old job back at the St. Agnes Gazette, he chooses to report on the local environment ā and in doing so, seeks help from the best conservationist he knows: Taryn. With their lives and loved ones still connected by past and present, they soon remember just how strong their friendship had once been, and Taryn finds herself unable to resist falling back into old habits with the man who broke her heart. However, finally confronted with the truth, she realises that there was more to Willās abandonment than she ever knew: he was in love with her and still is. Afraid of complicating their once steadfast friendship and losing Taryn for good, he made the mistake of running away ā a mistake that he ever refuses to repeat. Whether as friends or more, Will is desperate to rekindle a connection with the woman he loves, but with Tarynās new relationship, a fiercely disapproving sister, and a job opportunity in Spain, will they ever find the right time to finally give into their feelings, or are they destined always to be separated by their careers and fears? This best friends to lovers romance tells the story of unbreakable lifelong connections and the unwavering hope of second chances. |
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UNFURLING: A Tale of Friendship, Love, Mystery, and Mayhem by Tia Ray Dhar Can an unexpected turn of events, including a mystery, guide you towards a sense of purpose in life? Dr. Mandira Sharma (Mandy), a recent medical school graduate from Mumbai, doesn't feel passionate about her residency in internal medicine and feels devoid of a general sense of purpose in life. Currently, her happiness revolves around making new friends and spending time with them at work or outdoor venues. Her general feeling of isolation and disinterest in her medicine residency accentuates when her two close friends go overseas, and someone she loves and cares deeply about decides to part ways. She navigates through her daily routine devoid of zest or enthusiasm, trying to cope with the current painful scenario. However, tragedy strikes again when two meeting attendees find Mandy's friend and graduate student Latika's body floating in a pool on the premises during a blackout at a psychology workshop venue. An investigative team launches a detailed probe into the crime's motive and modus operandi, and the cohort of meeting attendees, including Mandy, come under the lens of suspicion. Can Mandy help solve the case? Will she find a sense of purpose? Any reader who enjoys a university campus-themed friendship and romance-based novel with a suspenseful murder mystery will enjoy reading this story. |
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The Stars May Rise and Fall by Estella Mirai Teru came to Tokyo with dreams of making it big in the glam-metal visual kei scene, but three years later, all he has to show for it is a head of hot pink hair and some skill with an eyeliner pencil. He may look the part, but he doesn't sound it, and tension among his bandmates has him worried about his future. When a mysterious business card offers help, he's willing to take it however it comes. Help comes in the form of Rei, a brilliant composer whose performing career was ended by an accident that left him scarred, injured, and in chronic pain. With Teru's voice and looks, and Rei's money and songwriting skills, both of their dreams seem about to come true - but a forbidden kiss and a late-night confession threaten to tear it all apart. Now Teru, who has spent most of his life denying his attraction to men, and Rei, who vowed long ago never to love again, must reconcile their feelings with their careers - and with their carefully constructed ideas of themselves. THE STARS MAY RISE AND FALL is an M/M retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, set in Tokyo at the turn of the millennium. It comes with a healthy dose of angst and a dollop of nostalgia, as well as an age-difference romance, a physically disabled love interest, and memorable characters who will stay with you long after the pages are closed. "...the way the complicated characters cope with believable pain provides a window into a fascinating subculture." -- Publishers Weekly "A tender, beautifully complex love story about self-acceptance and self-forgiveness, about making peace with the past and embracing the future. With a couple you'll root for and a vibrant soundtrack you can almost hear, this Phantom-inspired romance captures music's power to heal old wounds and weave two very different souls together in perfect harmony." -- J.C. Lillis, author of How to Repair a Mechanical Heart and A&B "If youāre looking for an intense, intelligent and inventive LGBTQ love story, there isnāt a more perfect book on the market right now." -- K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite |
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The hardest thing a rebel can do isnāt standing up for something ā itās standing up for himself. Life takes delight in stabbing Gus Scott in the back when he least expects it. After years of running from his past, present and the dismal future every social worker predicted for him, Karma delivers the one thing Gus could neverāwould neverāturn his back on; a son from a one-night stand heād had after a devastating break-up three years ago. Returning to San Francisco and to 415 Ink, his familyās tattoo shop, gave him the perfect shelter to battle his personal demons and get himself togetherā¦ until the firefighter whoād broken him walked back into Gusās life. For Rey Montenegro, tattoo artist Gus Scott was an elusive brass ring, a glittering prize he hadnāt the strength or flexibility to hold onto. Severing his relationship with the mercurial tattoo artist hurt but Gus hadnāt wanted the kind of domestic life Rey craved, leaving Rey with an aching chasm in his soul. When Gusās life and world starts to unravel, Rey helps him pick up the pieces, and Gus wonders if that forever Rey wants is more than just a dream. |
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Beware of the lover who puts his hand around your throat... She never expected to fall in love again. Stella, a scientist and a single mother, is doing her best to stay sane after the loss of her husband. John, a British businessman, just moved to Munich, running away from a life of heartache. Charming and well-spoken, he sweeps Stella into a passionate affair. But his gentlemanly manners disguise a long-repressed and well-hidden dark side. As his true character is slowly uncovered, Stella is unwittingly sucked into his high-stakes world and lands in the middle of a perfect storm. |
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The Wildflowers at the Edge of the World by Shaylin Gandhi Yukon Territories, 1898. When circus sharpshooter Sophia Bellerose flees from heartbreak in search of a new life, she doesnāt intend to find work in a Yukon brothel. But she's not the sort of woman to refuse that kind of cashāor the freedom that comes with it. ā For Sophia, the remote wilds of Canadaās Far North provide the perfect setting to bury old heartbreaks. Up there, memories are short, days are long, and gold dust flows freely for any woman bold enough to make the trip. Even better? She gets to keep her guns. Yet when the warmth of her newfound sisterhood begins to thaw her icy heart, Sophia wonders if sheās stumbled across the perfect lifeāuntil she clashes with the local Reverend, whose angel face hides a dangerously devious mind. Not only is he conning the whole town, heās after both the brothel and her, though she can't tell whether his interest is genuine or just another clever ploy to gain control of her earnings. Determined to preserve her newfound freedomāand ignore the Reverendās devastating kissing in the processāSophia unholsters her revolvers and takes aim, ready to do whatever it takes to keep her new life in one piece. |
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Briefly Buddies by Chase Connor Being a gay teen can be difficult, but for Dustin Blanchard, itās been pretty boring, actually. In less than twenty-four hours heās going to graduate from high school. His parents and friends have always given him their full support and unconditional love. Heās always had plenty of friends in school, heās attractive, always gotten good grades, and heās headed into a new chapter of lifeāuniversity after his last summer of working at a local ice cream joint. His life has beenā¦blessed. Thereās just one thing. Heās never had a boyfriend. Never gotten laid. Never even been kissed. Well, not like that, anyway. So, life has been good, but itās been boring. When he came out, Dustin imagined his own rom-com, teenage, coming-of-age scenario playing out, finding a boyfriend in high school, and being crowned dual Kings of the Prom. Nothing ever works out the way he imagines, though, and heās getting pretty tired of it. On the night of his graduation, Dustin and his friend, Miguel, come up with a plan while sharing a few beers swiped from the neighborhood barbecue. If you canāt get laid through skill and swagger of your own, you can always turn to a professional. All you need is the internet and a device. So, buzzed from the beers, Dustin logs onto Briefly Buddies to find the perfect guy to help him achieve his first real gay experience. And thatās where everything really started to go wrongā¦ |
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In the conservative East Texas town of Black Creek, youāre either old money or you work for them. Redmond Cole is the latter. The long hours he spends fixing fancy cars in the local garage are barely enough to support himself, let alone his sixteen-year-old half-sister, Katie. All he wants is a better life for the both of them, one thatās easy and real, but he has a secret. One that could blow up the meager existence heās worked so hard to maintain.Red is gay.He doesnāt want to lie, especially to Katie, but Black Creek isnāt the most hospitable environment for those who are different. His secrets keep them safe. Heās all but resigned to a life in the closet when heās propositioned by the dashing, wealthy Victor Itachi. What follows is a secret and intense sexual relationship that challenges everything Red believes about himself. When an unlikely friendship with the only out gay man in town opens Redās eyes to new possibilities, he must make a choice: submit fully to the relative safety of Victorās control or risk it all for a chance at real love. |
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Wounded Martyr by Courtney Maguire Ice is an asshole, but heās working on it. Heās two years sober, no small feat when you front a heavy metal band facing waning popularity and dismal ticket sales. But the pieces of a life torn apart by alcoholism are finally coming back together. His band, Wounded Martyr, has written a great album with the potential to launch them back into relevancy. And Ricky, probably the biggest, most important piece, has finally forgiven him for the wreck he made of their relationship. Thereās only one problem. Ashton. It was to be expected. As his best friend and bandmate for almost twenty years, itās only natural they should find each other in the loneliness of the road. Ricky knows about their one night together, but he doesnāt know that Ice canāt stop thinking about it, about his long body and whiskey-flavored lips, and the guilt of it has him on the brink of backslide. Now that Wounded Martyr is poised for a long tour, Ice must find a way to resist temptation or risk blowing their last chance and destroying his relationship with the two most important men in his life. |
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Fear and Fury by Jamie Jackson Meet Megaera, Meg for short. Sheās like Deadpool, except for funner. For a girl with the power of fear the recruitment attempts from both sides are never-ending. A self-described not-a-hero, villain-leaning humanoid, Meg just wants to live her life, work her dead-end job and have everyone else (especially the heroes) leave her alone. But when a bigger fish who can turn superpowers back on their users enters the picture and threatens the person Meg loves the most (herself), she must turn to the last group of people she would admit she needs help from. Forced to team up with the heroes she despises (but wonāt murder, because letās face it, orange is not the new black), Meg will have to face the choices from her past that she wonāt get therapy for. Self-centered, snarky, sarcastic and a little bit dramatic, sheās going to have to save the world, even if that wasnāt her intention. And try not to get shot in the process. Because that shit hurts. |
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Blood Pact by Courtney Maguire In Hiroās world, youkai are a supernatural story used to scare children into obedience, and to keep men out of back alleys and brothels. Until Sakurai Hideyoshi walks through his door with a fantastical tale of a samurai who had killed a thousand men and drank the blood of his enemies, a man that lived in darkness but sought beauty to keep it at bay. A story both terrifying and romanticā¦and completely ridiculous. Unless it is true. Convinced something softer lurks behind Hideyoshiās hard mask, Hiro follows him home. And discovers the story is real. Only instead of the blood of his enemies, it is innocent blood taken. Hideyoshi tells him never to return. Yet after Hiroās mother is mortally wounded, Hiro runs back to the one being he knows with the power to save her. When Hideyoshi canāt, Hiro begs him for the next best thing: the power to avenge her. As Hiro becomes youkai, he faces a new threat, something darker, older, and far more dangerous. With Hideyoshi at his side, Hiro must decide what heās willing to sacrifice--and what heās willing to do--to protect this new life before he loses everything for a second time. |
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Bloodlaced by Courtney Maguire Kanjin hardly view their servants as human. Even less so when they are different. Asagi is different. Both a man and a woman. In the wake of his failure to protect a boy he saw as a son from their abusive master, Asagi is sold into the house of a young nobleman, Mahiro, who is the opposite of everything Asagi has ever knownāgentle, kind, and generous. Mahiro bonds with Asagi and their friendship blooms into a deep and profound love. But when Asagi is poisoned out of jealousy, Mahiro reveals himself to be youkai, a demon who feeds on blood, and he has no choice but to turn Asagi to save their life. Asagi awakes reborn, strong, and eternally youthful. But the price for Asagiās new life is high. The blood of the innocent. Just as Asagiās trust in Mahiro falters, the boy he failed to protect, now a man, reappears.ā New master, same threat. With both a literal and proverbial monster at the door, Asagi must decide what it means to be human to protect what they love most. Content Warnings: physical abuse, sexual abuse (off-page), self-harm, blood, graphic violence |
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Of Blood and Deceit by Rachel A. Collett Magic runs in the Drakara bloodline. To seventeen-year-old Ilianna itās a curse. Born a bastard and raised by an abusive uncle, she struggles to conceal her late-bloomed gifts, but itās hard to hide when your uncle is king. The kingdom of Eira recovers from over a decade of warring an overseas enemy. Ilianna trains from youth to fight in her uncleās militia, to keep her people from the grip of the Wraith Queen, even if sheās feared by everyone except the one that controls her. When it seems that peace is assured, her uncle offers her up to be married to their neighboring realm. However, Ilianna has no intention of accepting and flees the kingās rule only to wind up captured by the very enemy she was promised to. Prince Castiel, a powerful leader and cunning strategist, recognizes a disguised Ilianna the moment he sees her. When his strange prison guest does nothing but patiently wait for three long months, he forces her to make her move. Ilianna must tame her fears and control a rogue power before her uncle kills her for disobedience or worse, reclaims her and her magic. |
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A Game of Wings and Marks by Rebecca Crunden When Octavia Coal goes to the mountains to clear her head, she doesnāt expect to find an angel in trouble. He tells her his name is Tamiel and heās one of the Irin ā the army of angels tasked with keeping demons from overwhelming humanity. But Tamiel broke a sacred law ā he fell in love with a human ā and now heās being hunted by the same angels he once served. With nowhere else to go, Octavia and Tamiel ā along with Jack, the human in question, and her brother Caleb ā appeal directly to Zev, the Demon of Games. A trickster of unparalleled power, Zev gives nothing for free, and the gift he offers Octavia to keep Tamiel alive comes with a confusing catch: He makes her the Healer of Raphael, archangel and Commander of the Irin. Suddenly a target for both angels and demons, Octavia quickly learns that the only way to survive is to play the game better than they do. The only problem is, she doesnāt know whose game sheās playing ā¦ |
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When Eliza Owens gets a phone call in the middle of the night from a girl sheās never met, she doesnāt know what to think. The girl introduces herself as Paige, and says she used to date Erik Stern, Elizaās fiancĆ©. Whatās more, she has something important to discuss. The only problem? Paige has been dead for years. Believing it to be a sick prank, Eliza tries to force it from her mind until Sam, Elizaās older sister, tells her she met Paige only a few weeks before. And, according to Sam, Paige has nothing nice to say about Erik. The fight which follows shatters the lives of everyone involved, and Erik disappears without a trace. Five years later, Erik returns to town after his fatherās death. Old wounds quickly resurface, and with them several burning questions. None the least of which is: Who spoke to Eliza and Sam if it wasnāt Paige? And why? |
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A History of Madness by Rebecca Crunden The four remaining fugitives are now spread across the Kingdom. And with the fate of the others unknown to him, Nate Anteros prays for a fast execution. Yet execution does not come. After a meeting with the King which leaves Nate questioning his sanity, heās sent to a workcamp in Argon Basin for five years of hard labour. Itās there that Nate learns what became of his friends upon their arrest. And as his strength returns to him, and heās plagued by dreams which are much too real to be ignored, Nate decides five years is far too long to wait ā¦ |
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A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden A thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the Kingās favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when heās released from prison, Nate disappears. A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the Kingās Hangman and in love with Thom, Nateās younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesnāt concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him. Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the Kingās guards cannot find them ā the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids. |
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Keeper of the Fallen by Alyssa Lauseng "The spirits have placed a very important task in your hands." A massacre. An escape. Sonika could have been a warrior and a leader if she hadn't been ripped from her homeland as a child. As the last of the Okami, she will never stop fighting for her right to live. Stalking the shadows is the only world Kulako knows. Heart filled with hatred, death by his blade is inevitable, but who he is beneath that darkness longs for something else. When a twist of fate forces their lives to collide, their choices may be enough to hold back the merciless coils of the Giahatio. But not even the will of the Gods can stop the will of the Emperor. |
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They came from two worlds. A young Egyptian beauty escaping a brutal marriage engagement. A bored English lord looking for his next conquest. Neither of them expected the other could be exactly what they were looking for. Nour is running for her life. She leaves everything she's ever known in her tiny Egyptian village to sail to England and find the father she's never met. Thomas doesn't believe in love. Relationships are just a means to an end and both parties always know exactly what to expect. ...and then he sees her. Together they are both learning what it means to love someone so much they can't imagine a life without the other, but will a jealous Emir tear their world apart? |
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How did creation come about? An engineered being reveals the mystery to the Trinity! This book is the first one from a three-part series, ALL KAAL NONE. It uncovers a radical take on life. Get a different perspective from a non-human entity! Learn how to exist in your space without disrupting the natural flow. Story of engineered Supreme Being, his consort Menaka, and his distraction Demon on infinite, parallel possibilities & timelines. A divine purpose assigned to the Destroyer gets obstructed every time. All Kaal None follows their adventures on four such possibilities. Book debates about the life and death cycle and the significance of destruction for survival. The meaning of Karma or consequences of action and Dharma or duty of mortal beings is also detailed. Will the Supreme Being perform his divine purpose and plead salvation? Read all three books in this series to answer all the questions around each character and the creation itself. |
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A Fortnight to Bloom by Dani Morrison When it rains it pours and Stephanie Renaut has had enough, thank you very much. The collapse of her engagement is the last straw and she takes a gamble on the irrational; a two week spiritual retreat on the far flung world of Elysia VII. Verdant, lively, and soothing, the planetās facilities are renowned for their ability to help soul-weary seekers. But, she isnāt the only traveler seeking answers and redemption. Pahaliās Festival approaches, a celebration of the early bloom, and Davinth Xan-Curson returns for his ancestral rites without a mate. Again. Heās devoted his life to unlocking the secrets of Elysiaās flora, but finds the opportunity for a new kind of discovery with an impromptu travelling companion. Paths cross and sparks ignite, but to make way for new life, two strangers must come to know themselves to find each other. |
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A Thief's Debt by Dani Morrison Haunted by her past, Halaema Arocele joins The Nameless for gold and a chance to carve out her own path away from the dominionās ever tightening grasp. A half-Aelven mage, sheās found freedom in the human realm. The rebels pay well and donāt ask questions. But, when a mission goes awry, she is captured by Caeas Gorayayn a disgraced brother of the elite warriors of the Aelven Dominion: The Iron Hand. A blood debt binds her to him and what starts as a quest for retribution evolves into more as the cruel machine of war tears its way across the human realm. Old loyalties are tested, new ones are formed, and a thiefās debt may bring her a greater reward than she ever imagined. |
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An Ignoble Invitation by Dani Morrison Miri Third-Born has one goal; reach heights few in The Hidden can ever hope to achieve. A talented alchemist, she seeks more out of life than her meager existence as a casteless human living under the Aelven Dominion. She has the skills, a partner, and the necessary acumen. But the path to glory is treacherous for humans without a name, and an unforeseen obstacle threatens to permanently derail her aspirations. When approached by the magnetic Aelven noble Aisalan Vinhar, itās with an offer she would be a fool to turn down. Her companionship for his name. Too bad she doesnāt trust the Aelven any further than she can throw them and heās seeking more than she may be willing to give. The dominion is crumbling, war is on the horizon, but Miri faces a daring challenge; to make it out of this ignoble invitation with her heart, and dreams, intact. |
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The Binding Eye by Dani Morrison A new take on wolf-shifter lore, mystery, danger, and a steamy Multicultural āWhy Choose?ā romance awaits in āThe Binding Eyeā, the first Book of the Havenacht Chronicles. Brecht Adelwulf is running out of time. Havenacht holds painful memories and forbidden secrets, not to mention Wulfvinderen, families dedicated to keeping wulven kinships like his own in line. But, it will take more than his usual stoic resolve to uncover why he was called back to the town of his birth. He must put trust in a foreign researcher and a sworn enemy if he hopes to make it through the next full moon with his sanity, and family, intact. When mythology and folklore researcher Carina Silver takes a temporary research position in the coastal Dutch town of Havenacht, she finds herself playing a role in a centuries old worth of old secret that comes to life as the moon grows full. Two men, two worlds, one destiny. |
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Gathering of the Four: Book One of the Serrulata Saga by A.E. Bennett āLeora of Mae is a young woman orphaned at birth and raised on a remote farm. As a wielder of Xanthcraft, her abilities set her apart from her adoptive family and the other villagers. Shortly before her twentieth birthday, she learns of her familyās plot to sell her into servitude. Fearing for her life, she flees from the only home sheās ever known. As she runs, Leora meets Roland Shallowbrook, a traveler on the Thievesā Road; Lady Aurora Verte, daughter of a powerful member of the gentry; and the White Rider Leopold, a soldier with a secret. ā Together, this found family will have to band together to survive. Set in the far future during the return of the Hale-Bopp comet, Gathering of the Four is the first book in the Serrulata Saga. |
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Katla, idiot of idiots, last warrior of Lundr, should know better than to release a dragon. Sacrificing humans to keep the dragons away may be less bloody than war, but itās repulsive and cowardly. Real warriors fight their enemies head on. And thatās exactly what Katla intends to do. Her plans go south when, instead of preventing the sacrifice, she frees a sleeping dragon and is kidnapped to his frozen castle. Between his speed and bestial form, escape would be hard enough. But the dragon is compassionate, tooāand nothing slays a lonely warrior faster than a kindhearted grouch. Soon, Katla is trapped between raging factions of her own heart. Stopping the sacrifices will recommence an age-old war, one she and her peace-loving dragon would wage from opposing sides. Now that they have tamed each other, could they truly go back to being enemies? Icy curses, blood magic, and sassy banter collide as a heroic dumbass finds herself falling for a dragon shifter in this comedic and heartwarming romance. |
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A Feeling Like Home by Haleigh Wenger Sword and Silk Books WriteHive Book Club Indie Recs Indie Sixteen-year-old Paige Williams canāt stop self-sabotaging. Not when her dad gets sick, not when her relationship implodes, not even when her parents send her to another-freaking-state for the summer to live with her sister. Paige just wants to have fun, spray paint a few walls, and block out everything stressful, including her growing concern that she might be sick as well. To make things worse, her parents threaten her with boarding school in the fall if she canāt prove sheās changed her bad habits. Paigeās parents sign her up for a rebuilding project in Texas where her sister lives. Meanwhile, Paige reluctantly befriends her sisterās straight-laced teenage neighbor, Joey, who is a frequent guest. Heās so different from her, but Paige realizes that may not be a bad thing, especially since being around Joey curbs her urge to vandalize and ignore the rules. He even makes her forget about the debilitating stomach cramps she struggles to hide. Just as Paige begins to feel settled in Texas, her dadās worsening Crohnās disease brings her home to Seattle. When her own health fails her, she has the choice of staying at home and receiving care. Or, she could go back to Texas and prove for once and for all that sheās more than her mistakes and more than a disease. Torn between two worlds and two versions of herself, Paige must decide where, and with whom, she truly feels at home. |
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The Rest of Forever by Mandy Lawson As wedding day approaches, so does Lora Kate's looming court date to bring her attacker to justice. Her life is flung into chaos when she sees a blast from the past, lands a cover on a major fashion magazine, and has an unexpected duet. Is she juggling too much? Can Sam handle his new wife's busy, frantic lifestyle? And most importantly, are either of them prepared for a new addition to the family? |
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Just a Little Frosting by Mandy Lawson Newly engaged Lora Kate is over-the-moon happy. She is the boss of a major party planning company, and her fiance, Sam, is the sweetest man alive. And Garrett Smith, her new assistant, is amazing. He makes wonderful coffee, is completely organized, and keeps her day running smoothly - a professional in every sense of the word. However, he's gorgeous and has a crush on her. Besides doing the little extra for the job, he walks her to her car and brings her donuts. He seems to just know what she needs. Sam doesn't like the perfect assistant at all and jealousy begins to seep in. And that begins to drive a wedge between the happy couple. Can Lora Kate and Sam survive the holidays, wedding planning, and a New York fashion show? A fashion show where L.K. goes with her assistant and without Sam? Or will Garrett make his way into L.K.'s heart? |
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From New York to L.A. by Mandy Lawson Fall in love with best friend Check! Move to Los Angeles Check! Be an amazing Boss Babe Check! Commit to amazing boyfriend Uh...not yet Lora Kate London is starting a new job as the boss of Madden Party Company. Her best friend and boyfriend, Sam Bridges, is going to be her new assistant. With her boyfriend trying to get her to commit and her new employees being scared of her, L.K. is feeling the pressure, but all things can be made right with cake, coffee, and a good party. Los Angeles is where all of the celebrities live and L.K. is ready to plan. They take trips to the beach, attend fashion week, make a couple of ER trips, and tumble their way into the holidays. Sam's ready to propose, but L.K. isn't ready for that yet. Will he put a ring on it or will L.K. end up heartbroken again? |
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Lora Kate London has had a string of meaningless jobs and she's finally ready to make something of herself. Her roommate kind of bailed on her and she may have to give her coffee maker a funeral. But there's one person she can always count on, her best friend Sam Bridges. They've been friends for five years and she's his number one. L.K. lands a job as a party planner with a boss that is so hot he makes her melt right into her Jimmy Choos, but Sam doesn't trust him. At her first party, she ends up forgetting the cake and accidentally flashes the caterer! Luckily, her boss, Ben Sparks, thinks she's adorable. He buys her presents and gives amazing kisses, but things get a little dicey when Sam starts dating her new roommate. She might be a little jealous, but she shouldn't be. She has a hot boyfriend and Sam's just her best friend. Right? Who will capture L.K.'s heart? Bestie? Or Boss Man? |
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A Letter to Claudia by Barbara Avon A month after Luke changes the course of his life, he is overtaken by an intense desire to win back the very thing he lost. The ultimate sacrifice has caused him immense pain, but by employing the haunted Remington Typewriter, he sets out to change the future once more - as everything he types, comes true. Set in October 1972, and in the tradition of Twilight Zone, follow Luke as he attempts to win back the love of his life. "A Letter to Claudia" is the sequel to "Qwerty" - a book that readers have called "haunting, visceral, raw, and beautiful." |
