9033 Book(s) Related to is the hurt locker based on a true story

On our seventh wedding anniversary, my Alpha husband missed the candlelit dinner for the seventh time.
He rushed off to rescue an Omega surrounded by vampires, leaving me alone in the villa.
That same night, a jarring photo spread through the pack.
Damien, covered in blood, held Rose tightly in his arms, his lips pressed against her forehead.
Everyone was waiting for me to be jealous, to rage.
But I didn’t scream or argue like I used to.
Instead, I poured out his favorite champagne, closed my eyes calmly, and prayed to the Moon Goddess.
“You once said I have a destined mate.”
“If he will make me strong and free me from this wretched marriage, let him come for me in seven days.”

Stella Hall is a journalist. On the day of her flash marriage, her husband abandoned her to see his former first love.
Years later, she held a camera while Matthew assisted beside her: "News Queen, at your service!"
Matthew smiled and handed over a list: "This is tomorrow's trending topics list. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Stella just said nonchalantly: "Well done. You don't have to kneel on the keyboard tonight."

I ran from the Alpha I was supposed to marry.
Instead, I chose the man I loved, only to be betrayed with silver poison.
As I lay dying, I learned the truth. My lover had betrayed me. My stepmother had murdered my father. And the family I trusted had been plotting to steal everything from me.
Then a mysterious man in a silver wolf mask appeared.
He avenged me before I died.
I thought he had only come to repay the life I once saved.
Then the Moon Goddess gave me a second chance.
Six months before my death, I returned with one goal: reclaim everything they had stolen from me.
That's when I found Cale, a wounded stranger hiding from his enemies.
I remembered the mysterious man from my past life.
So I saved Cale.
Again.
When my family tried to force me into the marriage I had escaped, Cale became my only way out.
My Fake Mate.
It was supposed to be a simple arrangement. He would help me escape the marriage, and I would help him stay hidden from his enemies.
No love. No promises. No complications.
At least, that was the plan.
Because the longer we pretended to be Mates, the harder it became to deny the attraction between us. His touch felt too real. His scent felt too familiar. And somehow, being in his arms felt like coming home.
Then I discovered the truth.
Cale was Caelan Silvercrest.
The ruthless Alpha I had run from.
The man I was supposed to marry.
And my Fated Mate.
But if I was truly his Fated Mate...
Then why was he about to marry my sister?
And what really happened to the two Mates who died before me?

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, follows a fresh lead for her abducted daughter. It leads to a violent confrontation with The Collector—which, in turn, offers more clues that may, after all this time, reunite her with her daughter.Yet at the same time, Keri is assigned a new case, one with a frantic ticking clock. A teenage girl has gone missing in Los Angeles, a girl from a good family was who duped into drugs and abducted into a sex trafficking ring. Keri is hot on her trail—but the trail is moving fast, with the girl being constantly moved and with her abductors’ single, nefarious goal: to cross her over the border with Mexico.In an epic, breathtaking, cat and mouse chase that takes them through the seedy underworld of trafficking, Keri and Ray will be pushed to their limits to save the girl—and her own daughter—before it is all too late.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF VICE is book #3 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #4 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

Rowan Hayes was just another woman lost in the city—tired, broke, and invisible—until the day she threw herself in front of a van and saved a little girl’s life.

Now that girl, Emma Vance, refuses to let her go.
Her father, Asher Vance, refuses to let her stay.

With sharp suits, inked skin, and a voice that sounds like danger, Asher is the kind of man who gets what he wants—and never forgives what he doesn’t. He built his fortune on control and his reputation on fear. But Rowan Hayes makes him lose both.

As their worlds collide, the lies holding his empire together begin to crack. Emma’s mother isn’t dead. The truth is uglier—and far more dangerous—than anyone knows.

Caught between the child who trusts her and the man who tempts her, Rowan must decide whether love is worth the ruin that follows.

He’s power and poison. She’s the spark that might burn it all down.

He was a young and intelligent 22yr old man who had recently gotten his masters, a few years after he'd graduated from college. Oh, he sure had attended the best schools. He'd attended highschool in a prestigious school in Istanbul, and had gotten his first degree in Dubai. As well as his masters. He was quite educationally accomplished at such a young age. One thing that made his parents very proud.

The only thing, that made his parents proud.

My husband and I had a secret marriage for three years. When I finally got pregnant with his child, he demanded a divorce.

After the divorce, he immediately turned around and married his first love.

On their wedding day, I was rushed to the ICU covered in blood...

When he learned about this, when he found out I was pregnant with his child, he was completely stunned!

"It seems you are still not satisfied. Let me give it a try then."
"You’re crazy! Let go of me!"
"Be still and behave yourself for me."
Slap
"Today, I shall teach you a lesson."
"I have done nothing against morality and ethics; what gives you the right to question me?"
"The right, you ask? Ever since you set foot in the palace of Helios Kingdom, you have been mine. Today, I will show you what rights I have over you."
"Listen well: from now on, you belong only to me."


From being a superstar with millions of admiring fans, he suddenly finds himself trapped in a tragic yaoi script, becoming the consort of a handsome yet ruthless emperor. To him, this is nothing short of a nightmare. Where is his dignity, where is the pride of a superstar? He can’t bear to play this role any longer. He wants to escape this cursed script and return to being the superstar he once was. Someone, save me…

"A man like me usually has patience. But with you, I’ve exhausted it all. Everyday, you leave me craving you, needing you in my bed like a mad man. Scarlet, what do you want from me?" He growled, staring deep into her green eyes. "Time." She whispered, her voice barely audible. I don' t have time!" His voice rumbled with slight annoyance and a hint of jealousy. "Your heart is torn between me and Brad, "Brad is my mate, my fated mate. And- "And who am I to you?" He pulled her closer to himself. "You’re mine, Scarlet. Every inch and depth of you is mine. And I won' t let that undeserving boy have you. May the best man win your heart."

Bullied and mocked her entire life, Scarlet always dreamed of the day she would find a mate. Someone to love and cherish her. But on her eighteenth birthday, she was rejected by the boy she was fated to love. Unusual red hair, awkward social life, and a complete nerd, she did not expect to be ever wanted again by anyone. But everything changed when she realized she was given a second chance mate—a lycan prince. Driven by jealousy, her first mate wants her back and the prince would rather die than let her go. Now desired by the two most powerful boys in college, what choice would she make? And how would she navigate her complex love life with them?

He hung up on me while the killer's knife plunged into my body.

Seventeen seconds. That was our final call after seven years of marriage.

He was at the hospital with my "depressed" stepsister, convinced I was just being dramatic again. He didn't even let me finish.

I died that rainy night, taking a secret with me he'll never know.

Three days later, my husband—the city's chief medical examiner—caught a brutal case: female victim, face destroyed by acid.

He worked the autopsy with his usual precision. Methodical. Clinical. Until the facial reconstruction software completed its rendering.

When he recognized my face on that screen, blood exploded from his mouth.

He hit the floor hard.

"Congratulations! You are going to be a widow in three months."
It was the second time for Kendall to experience a forced marriage.
The first time, her parents forced her to be a millionaire's fifth concubine. She escaped.
The second time, her parents tied her up and sent her to a so-called half-dead guy's bed.
It was said that her future husband was an old and ugly weirdo, who was going to die soon. No one expected she would marry into the Michaelson family this way.
The Michaelson family was the richest family in the world. Its heir, Alexander, was a super hot gentleman that almost every girl is trying hard to marry!
However, he fell for Kendall at first sight. To trap Kendall in his sweet love, he pretended to be a dying man and made use of Kendall's soft-hearted...

They don’t know I’m a girl.

They all look at me and see a boy. A prince.

Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires.

And, when they storm into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervene to protect her. I make them take me too.

The plan is to escape with my sister whenever we find a chance.

How am I to know our prison will be the most fortified place in their kingdom?

I’m supposed to stay on the sidelines. The one they have no real use for. The one they never mean to buy.

But then, the most important person in their savage land—their ruthless beast king—takes an interest in the “pretty little prince.”

How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy?

And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave?

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This is a dark romance—dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+.

Expect triggers, expect hardcore.

If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in!

My five-year-old daughter is being bullied at school, and the one behind it is the son of someone who claims to be the Luna. That means one thing: my Alpha mate has cheated on me. I am the daughter of the wealthiest Alpha, and after my mate bonded with me, he inherited my father’s Alpha title. Little did I know, I had been hiding my true identity as an Omega for years, only to end up in this tragic situation. Now, I’ve decided to stand up for my daughter and take revenge on that scumbag! It’s time to show these wolves who the real Luna is!

When twenty-five-year-old Sonja steps into her regular BDSM club, she expects another night of disappointment or maybe a nice encounter with a nice Dom for a change. As the night went on it seems more like disappointment was facing her yet again, but then she meets John – a Dominant twice her age who she never seen at the club before. With his steady hand and rare ability, her plays with her and guides her into subspace for the first time since she joined the BDSM world. What begins as a single night of trust quickly deepens as John checks in on her every single day afterwards, proving that intensity his dominance comes with care and not just pain, like so many before him. After the first week she already knew he was different she just didn’t know how different he really was.

But by Friday, fate twists their lives together in ways neither of them expected: John is announced as the new CEO of Bradford Rynn Properties the company Sonja works at which means she will be working directly under him as she was the CEO’s personal assistant. Suddenly their secret dynamic collides with the working world. Can they balance the electrical pull of their Dom-sub relationship with the boundaries of the office? Will they want to? Will colleagues, family, friends or the weight of power destroys what they build? What happens when love and an unexpected pregnancy threaten to turn their carefully negotiated roles into something far more complicated?
A story of desire, trust, and impossible choices, this novel ask: how far will they go to protect both their careers and their hearts? Does John’s career even matter to him at the end?

They married on terms and conditions, but she fell for him along the way and hoped he would open up to her one day. Her joy knew no bounds when he finally consummated the marriage close to their anniversary.
Who knew the supposed rosy next morning, he would serve her divorce papers?
And the reason?
His beloved was back!


"Sign these." He demanded. "Divorce papers."
My eyes widened, and my fingers trembled as it gripped the papers tightly. "Why?"
"That night a mistake." He interjected. "I don't love you, Valenticia."
"You said... you said you'd try. You promised." I clapped back, my voice rising.
"I promised nothing. This was a business arrangement, and now it's over." He replied, coldly. "And in order to prove myself to my grandfather, I married you and lost the love of my life. But, my grandfather is dead and I don't have to be with you anymore."
I stumbled back, the edge of the bed catching me. My knees buckled, and I sank onto the mattress. "I know you love me, Dmitri."
"Stop it, Valenticia!" He barked. "Natasha is back, the woman I love is back. So I don't need this anymore."

Debby Alessandro received a sudden text from her fiancee that he had anulled their engagement. Terribly heartbroken, she ran to her bestfriend's house to cry out her sorrow but she unexpectedly saw her fiancee and her bestfriend having s*x.
She felt like her heart was being butchured by an heartless murderer. Having no where else to run to, she landed in a club where she angrily and recklessly drank herself to stupor. She unexpectedly woke up naked beside a strange man.
She immediately parked her stuff and left the country. She came back five years later with her handsome boy.
She didn't expect for her son to get her in trouble by deflating one of the tires of a Mercedes-Maybach.
How will she deal with the fact that the owner of the Mercedes-Maybach was not only her CEO but that he also has a striking resemblance with her son?

They married on terms and conditions, but she fell for him along the way and hoped he would open up to her one day. Her joy knew no bounds when he finally consummated the marriage close to their anniversary.
Who knew the supposed rosy next morning, he would serve her divorce papers?
And the reason?
His beloved was back!

Candice never imagined she would have to marry a man who had been to prison and was extremely poor, but when her father kidnapped her mother to avoid breaking a promise, she had no choice but to take her sister's place. However, the man she thought would be terrifying turned out to be kind and respectful, giving her a sense of security she never expected.

But when she discovers her husband's hidden identity, everything she thought she knew about him - and herself - is turned upside down.

On their wedding night, Candice's heart was pounding in her throat. As she closed her eyes, she felt a force wrap around her waist and she fell into his arms, only to be pushed onto the bed. Her mind went blank as she realized there was much more to her husband than met the eye. As she tentatively reached out her hand to hook around his neck, she whispered, "You're my husband, so it's okay to do anything to me... shall we start?"

Little did she know, this was only the beginning of a dangerous game of secrets and desire that would test the limits of her love and loyalty.

When Chrissy agrees to go camping with her new, hot boyfriend, she never imagined she'd be roughing it under the stars, or that she'd get lost.
When Luther, the werewolf, went for a run in a summer storm, he never expected to get pinned under a tree and rescued by a curvy, slightly crazy version of a brunette Barbie.

Now Chrissy thinks Luther is her new 'puppy',
Luther's new name is Fluffy,
And back in the city, the pack is about to have the laugh of their lives.

But try as he might, Luther can't seem to bring himself to leave her, and Chrissy could never known that there was an underground battle in Seattle for who would get to claim the city as their pack's territory.

Love is not part of why Kane Beaumont marries Emilia Taylor.
It was purely a contract deal to him and nothing more. Saving her family's business from the claws of evil loan sharks is Emilia's motive for marrying a man she barely knew.
However, she doesn't count on being hopelessly attracted to him even when he treats her like a worthless peasant.
Their relationship is chaotic, thanks to Kane's lover who is determined to ruin any opportunity of their romance ever blooming.
Even if it means putting Emilia's life in danger, setting her up, and turning the world against her.
When sparks begin to fly between Kane and Emilia after an unfortunate accident, their relationship goes through a tough test that destroys the tiny flames of love burning between them.
Will love eventually find a way in the end or will this marriage continue to be a high-stakes business deal with dangerous rewards?

"Tell me, Miss Robin, when was the last time you disappointed someone who trusted you?"

The question hung in the air like a loaded weapon. My hands trembled beneath the mahogany table as I stared into the cold, green eyes of the CEO. He wasn't just my interviewer. He was Leonard Conti—the man I had destroyed four years ago.

"I... I believe everyone makes mistakes," I whispered, my voice barely audible in the silent boardroom.

He leaned back, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Mistakes? Is that what you call finding your girlfriend half-naked with your best friend on prom night?"

The other interviewers gasped, shifting uncomfortably, but Leonard didn't break eye contact. He was enjoying this. He held my resume like it was a piece of trash he couldn't wait to discard. I needed this job to save my family from bankruptcy, and he knew it. He knew he held my entire future in his hands, just like I once held his heart before I crushed it.

"Here is my offer," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper that sent shivers down my spine. "You can walk out that door now and never come back. Or you can stay, work for me, and face my wrath."

I looked at the man who used to look at me with love, now looking at me with pure hatred. I had no choice.

"I'll stay," I said.

"Good," Leonard replied, his eyes darkening. "Then let the nightmare begin."

Dear readers, I'd like to recommend another novel of the same genre: Wedding Night, He Called My Sister’s Name

The day I was diagnosed with leukemia was the same day I discovered my husband of five years was having an affair.
His mistress had deliberately taunted me, leaving a torn piece of sexy lace underwear on my bed...

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense. A TRACE OF HOPE is the final book in the Keri Locke series, bringing the series to a dramatic conclusion.In A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, is closer than she’s ever been to finding her daughter. Finally, she gets a fresh lead—and this time, she will do whatever it takes to bring her home alive.At the same time, a new, urgent case is assigned to Keri: an 18 year old girl has gone missing after being hazed by her sorority. As the race is on to find her, Keri plunges deep into the world of pristine college campuses, and comes to realize that all is not what it seems.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF HOPE is book #5 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, follows a fresh lead for her abducted daughter. She winds her way through a twisted underworld, and step by step, she gets closer to finding her daughter.Yet she has no time. Keri is assigned a new case: a dad calls from an affluent community and reports that his teen daughter vanished on the way home from school.Shortly after, ransom letters arrive. Twisted, filled with riddles, they make it clear that there is little time to save the girl. They also make it clear that this is the work of a diabolical killer who is toying with them.Keri and the police must scramble to find the kidnapper, to understand his demands, to decode the letters, and most of all, to outwit him. But in this master game of chess, Keri may find herself up against a foe even she cannot understand, and for the missing girl—and her own daughter—she may just be too late.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF CRIME is book #4 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #5 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter, years before, never found. Still obsessed with finding her, Keri buries her grief the only way she knows how: by throwing herself into the cases of missing persons in Los Angeles.A routine phone call from a worried mother of a high-schooler, only two hours missing, should be ignored. Yet something about the mother’s voice strikes a chord, and Keri decides to investigate.What she finds shocks her. The missing daughter—of a prominent senator—was hiding secrets no one knew. When all evidence points to a runaway, Keri is ordered off the case. And yet, despite pressure from her superiors, from the media, despite all trails going cold, the brilliant and obsessed Keri refuses to let it go. She knows she has but 48 hours if she has any chance of bringing this girl back alive.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF DEATH marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #2 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

Alpha Syd is a side-story of Scars.
“I was reborn the heartless demon wolf, Syd Vicious. I became a nightmare, an urban legend, folklore, a monster.” The only daughter of the fallen White Ridge Pack’s Beta, Sydney Eld, was forever changed on the “Night of Raids.” Losing the last of her family and fighting against her own pack. Her natural wiry flame-red hair and amber eyes leave others shaken with fear. It’s no wonder the goddess has chosen Sydney to take over as Alpha as she has proven again and again to fight for what is right and will not let anyone stand in her way.
She is not without opposition, as pack elders are not thrilled with the prospect of a female Alpha. She also has to fight off a group of rogues led by a Rogue Alpha hell-bent on seeing the White Ridge Pack burnt to the ground.
Sydney’s only light and hope are her Lumiere (a term for male Luna), Silas Youngblood. He is the third son of the Amaris Pack's Beta and her destined mates. Can Silas pull Syd out of her dark path? Can she learn to trust again? Can this fated mated pair rise above to bring prosperity back to their pack?

Ashley Sullivan is forced to marry Edwin King, the ruthless heir rumored to be dying, all to replace her sister. But this mute bride hides a powerful secret—she’s a miracle doctor.
On their wedding night, she realizes Edwin is the same man she saved the night before, the one who stole her first kiss. He plans to humiliate her, but she shocks him by taming his wild tiger and saving his grandmother with a single needle.
When he demands to know who she really is, Ashley meets him with a cold smile and a needle at his throat. “Mr. King, it’s time we settle the score.”

"It was just one night stand, and now I'm pregnant with triplets? Gosh!"
Josephine Jade never thought that she would have to run away from her own family while pregnant. She was alone, without money, without connections, with three fetuses in her stomach. How can she survive?
However, Josephine couldn't give up now, until she managed to reclaim her arbitrarily seized property and get back at everyone who tried to get rid of her.
A sick child, a past crush that comes back, a mysterious eccentric man, and a family that hates her, will weave together the journey of Josephine Jade's new life.
"You have no right to separate me from my children, you bastard! I will survive and you will submit to me. Just watch!"

Clarissa Wang thought getting into her dream Ivy League university would be the best day of her life until she walked in on her boyfriend tangled in bed with another girl. Heartbroken and humiliated, she finds solace at her sister's appointment, only to find it already occupied by someone from her past, her enigmatic step-cousin, Damien.
Tall, brooding, and dangerously charming, Damien has just transferred from the U.S., carrying secrets and scars that run deep. The tension between them ignites instantly, fueled by forbidden memories and undeniable chemistry. But family ties and dark oaths make their attraction taboo.
As Clarissa tries to rebuild her life, she finds herself torn between the boy who betrayed her and the man she was never supposed to want. When a drugged drink, a bear assault, and a steamy night threaten to expose their secret, Clarissa's world spirals into chaos. And when Damien is framed for a murder he didn't commit, Clarissa must decide: walk away, or risk everything to prove his innocence.
Love, betrayal, and obsession collide in this steamy college romance where every kiss is a sin… and every secret could be deadly.
Forbidden never felt so right. But what happens when love becomes a crime

The woman with a secret to keep, if love is pure, even if it hurts, will endure for the beloved, pretend so that she is not hated by everyone, but as a result, she is rejected by the people she loves, especially her husband.

The woman is stunned by love. Strongest in the whole world but weak when it comes to love. She is Charmaine Wextricca the woman who will do everything just to make her husband love her.

But what if the one she loves, loves someone else. What will she do? and she was kicked out by her own family, can she handle it all?

What if she found out she was pregnant? what will she do, will it go away? For the good of her and all? She will return, to her former self, as one of the strongest women in the world.
Let's follow the story of our heroine, Charmaine Wextricca with her beloved husband Kibb Monteverde, who did nothing but drive her away and hurt her.

“Come back to me, Ivy,” the man whom she used to love with all her heart said.

“No, no,” Ivy shook her head and backed away from him. Her body trembled as fear consumed her whole being. He was the reason her baby was gone! He was the reason for all her suffering!


Ivy thought she was the luckiest woman in the world - she was married to the man of her dream.

But that was just her illusion. On the day she received her pregnancy report, she found her husband in bed with his best friend. Before she had the chance to tell him about her pregnancy, she was forced to divorce and her family was driven to bankruptcy by that one man she loved.

Since then, her life went south. She married a governor in another country whom everyone thought was a gentleman. Everyone envied her, but no one knew he was a sadist who loved to abuse her.

Five years later, the man she used to love met her by chance and begged her to come back.

But would she be able to give her heart again, when all she felt toward him was fear and hatred? Knowing that he was the sole reason her life had turned to be what it was today with endless suffering?

Torn between the man she loves, and the man who loves her....

Cordia has always been strong-willed, but she knows her family expects her to accept the hand of her childhood friend, Jaris, in marriage. As the conflict continues to escalate, Cordia hopes it will last long enough for her to find a way to free herself without breaking her friend’s heart.

On the eve of war, Cordia meets a mysterious newcomer. There’s just something about Will that she finds both intriguing and dangerous. She makes a plan to write to him. Perhaps by the time the war is over, Will’s feelings for Cordia will have blossomed into love.

But by the time war begins to wind its way through Missouri, one of these men will be dead, and Cordia will find herself betrothed to a man she loathes. Will she have the courage to follow her heart, or will she do as she is told and acquiesce to a loveless marriage to a heartless traitor?

Bonus story Cordia's Hope!

Forbidden love on the frontier....
Hope is content staying in her hometown of Lamar, Missouri, focusing on her life as a schoolteacher instead of finding love. But when she hears the truth about her parents' romance during the Civil War, how her mother Cordia set out to find her father Will after a deadly battle, Hope is determined to have that sort of adventure as well.

Accepting a teaching position in a frontier town in Texas isn't quite what she was expecting--there are no marauders or gunslingers--but there is one man with a shady past, and when the entire town tells her to stay away from Judah Lawless, Hope finds herself drawn to him.

Is Judah dangerous, or will Hope finally find the romance she's been looking for?

Sibel returned from the war, she took advantage of the recovery period disguised as a maid, with the help of beta into omega to explore the toiling life of the bottom of the pack people, but was abused and punished by gamma, she knew the same as omega's servant Jolie, how should they fight back?

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter. Encouraged by the new lead that has landed, the first in years, she pursues it with all that she has, determined to find her daughter and bring her back alive.Yet Keri, at the same time, receives a phone call from a frantic husband, a famed Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, who reports that his wife has been missing for two days. A wealthy socialite with no enemies and little reason to leave her life, he fears the worst has become of his wife.Keri takes on the case, assigned a new partner whom she hates, as Ray still recovers in the hospital. Her investigation leads her deep into the elite Beverly Hills world of the idle rich, to encounters with lonely housewives, and those with shopping-addicted, empty lives. Keri, in over her head in this world, becomes increasingly puzzled by the conflicting signals: did this woman, with a stalker and a lurid, secret past, run away, or was she abducted?Or did something far more sinister happen?A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF MURDER is book #2 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #3 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

Adeline had one choice: marry Grayson Archer, the ruthless billionaire, to save her dying mother and erase her father’s gambling debts.

Five years as his contract wife meant enduring cold indifference, sharp words, and a life overshadowed by his manipulative family. When the contract ends, Adeline shocks everyone—especially Grayson—by walking away.

But Grayson isn’t ready to let her go. Determined to win her back, he devises a new plan, only to discover feelings he never expected. Just as their fragile bond begins to heal, a devastating secret from his past and a betrayal Adeline can't forgive threaten to destroy everything.

Can love survive the ultimate test, or will Grayson lose the only woman he’s ever truly wanted?

My fiancé of five years lent the white rose greenhouse—the one we built for our wedding—to his junior for her graduation project.
"Postponing the wedding to next year won't change anything. Elara, we've been together for five years. A few more months won't matter, right?"
He was certain I couldn't live without him, expecting me to wait around for him to cash his empty promises of marriage, just like I had countless times before.
I handed over the key, my voice flat. "She can have the greenhouse. But I'm done waiting for a five-year-old promise."
He froze for a second, then his brows furrowed, assuming I was just throwing a tantrum again. "Fine, act out all you want. I'll make it up to you once I'm done with this busy period."
Until a month later, when he scrolled through his social media feed and my wedding photos popped up on his screen.
Surrounded by a sea of white roses, I was in a wedding gown, smiling radiantly.
Staring at the screen, Julian was suddenly struck by the memory of the night I handed over that key.
My best friend, Maya, had practically gritted her teeth as she asked me:
"Didn't we agree that once this garden bloomed, you'd put on your dress and be the most beautiful bride in the world? He just carelessly gave away your wedding venue with a single sentence. What does he even take you for?"
I fought back the last bit of foolish obsession in my eyes and gave her a smile. "The wedding goes on as planned."

Letty has a passionate once night stand on the night of her divorce. After waking up with fuzzy memory of the night before she heads off to work as a sports writer. When she shows up to an interview of a difficult sports superstar she runs right into her one night stand. Is this the beginning of true love?

Everyone at Harlow University knows Callum Voss. The starting point guard, the dean's favorite headache, the boy whose smile has cleared more disciplinary hearings than any lawyer on retainer. He is the kind of person the campus bends around without being asked.

Nobody knows Wren Aldae. That is entirely on purpose.

Wren has spent two years building a life at Harlow that no one can touch: one close friend, zero social media, a journalism scholarship that pays tuition, and a rule about never writing stories that could blow back on her personally.

Then Callum Voss appears at her desk with a proposition. Someone has started a bet pool about his love life and the resulting media circus is one week away from costing him his athletic standing. He needs it to stop. She needs a front-page story before the scholarship committee meets. A fake relationship with a visible timeline and a clean public ending would solve both problems.

Wren knows better than to say yes. She says yes anyway.

Neither of them accounts for the fact that proximity is its own kind of problem.

Nora Vale inherits three million dollars and a ruined seaside motel from an aunt her family called impossible.

She tells no one. Not even Rowan, her exhausted mechanic husband, who has spent years letting his family drain him dry.

Instead, Nora tells one dangerous lie: her design studio has collapsed, and she has lost everything.

Rowan does not blame her. He does not leave. He takes her hand and says, "Then we rebuild. You and me."

But the inheritance is not just money. Harbor Mile Motel hides records of a predatory company buying coastal properties through debt, fear, and family pressure. Rowan's brother is involved. Nora's aunt may not have died as quietly as everyone believed.

Now Nora must learn that money can buy time, repairs, and lawyers, but it cannot buy trust. And Rowan must decide whether the woman who lied to test his love is still the woman he wants to build a future with.

Nora Vale inherits three million dollars and a ruined seaside motel from an aunt her family called impossible.

She tells no one. Not even Rowan, her exhausted mechanic husband, who has spent years letting his family drain him dry.

Instead, Nora tells one dangerous lie: her design studio has collapsed, and she has lost everything.

Rowan does not blame her. He does not leave. He takes her hand and says, "Then we rebuild. You and me."

But the inheritance is not just money. Harbor Mile Motel hides records of a predatory company buying coastal properties through debt, fear, and family pressure. Rowan's brother is involved. Nora's aunt may not have died as quietly as everyone believed.

Now Nora must learn that money can buy time, repairs, and lawyers, but it cannot buy trust. And Rowan must decide whether the woman who lied to test his love is still the woman he wants to build a future with.

"I want to taste you, can I?" He asked pleadingly. I was gonna say no, but the thobbing in my nether region said yes.
"Yes," I breathed shakily. He then started to kiss my hip bone trailing as he pulled my paties off.
"Raise your legs," he instructed and I obeyed. He pulled my legs apart and inhaled. "Exquisite," he praised as he lowered his head and gave me a long, luxurious l*ck.
Dionnah Delaney is a hardworking, ambitious African American. She is headstrong and knows exactly what she wants in life. She does accounting plus she runs a successful design business with her other sister Danielle, who is engaged to Johnathan Mulroney. Johnny cannot stop raving about his other brother Mikey who has retired from being a Navy seal and he's coming home just in time for the big wedding.
Dionnah doesn't want love and commitment after her first love broke her heart several years ago. But things change when Mikey steps into the picture. He's a billionaire playboy, who is smug and conceited on top of all that. Even though the two butt heads they can't deny their undeniable attraction. After one night of steamy sex, Dionnah and Mikey agree to never talk about it again, until weeks later when two pink lines show up on a pregnancy test.
What will happen when Mikey wants more than what Dionnah has to offer, will she be able to let love in her heart, or will her ambivalence cause her to miss her chance at happiness and her forever after?

When a botched attempt at love ends with Jake, Myra's crush of five years embracing an unknow woman at a party, fate allows her to meet and spend a night with charming older stranger, Hart.

Believing that being with Hart will help her forget the pain of her failed love, Myra decides to take a second chance at love, only to be pulled into Hart's unordinary life filled with twists and struggles.

Just as Myra starts believing in fate again, Jake reappears in her life witha secret between their families: a secret she needs to fulfil.

Read along to find out who is the destined prince of Myra's love story.

On the 26th of my birthday, my true love gave me divorce papers and a broken heart.
One meant to wound. One meant to finish me.

Life has a way of giving gifts that are both unexpected and profound.
If the people you love the most can hurt you this deeply, then perhaps it is only fair to return the gesture, quietly and carefully.

This is a thick and cruel world.
But I am still here.
And some gifts are returned with interest — Bianca Winter.


“Please, Bianca,” Charles Warren begged, crying on his knees. “Give me a chance. Give us another chance.”
“Dear ex,” Bianca Winter replied coldly, “I would have to be blind to walk your way again and even blindness wouldn’t excuse that mistake. You already showed me the darkness, Mr Warren, and I will not step back into the shadows.”
With no trace of remorse, Bianca turned and walked away with her head held high.

"You were just a tool, Imogene."
Her heart stopped. "And I was foolish enough to believe you cared."
Imogene Scott had always known her place—by Damien Shaw’s side, even when his love was a distant dream. Marrying her only because of an unexpected pregnancy, Damien’s affection never blossomed. Instead, her devotion turned him from a mere sales manager into the billionaire CEO of IMU, one of Europe’s most powerful tech empires. But her sacrifices weren’t enough. After losing their baby, Damien’s coldness deepened, sealing their marriage with an unspoken “no meddling” rule.
Imogene’s reward? Watching Damien parade countless mistresses, all while she buried her own dreams to fuel his. She believed, naively, that one day he’d see her worth. But when he fell in love with her stepsister and served her with divorce papers, Imogene’s world shattered. Realizing she was nothing more than a pawn in Damien’s game, she vanished—pregnant and determined to protect her unborn child.
Three years later, Imogene returns, not as the broken woman who fled but as a renowned artist and mother to their two-year-old daughter. Now, Damien realizes what he’s lost and wants her back. But this time, Imogene is ready to fight, and she’s not making the same mistake twice.

I am the worst "loser" in London's underground boxing ring, getting beaten bloody in every fight.
Nobody knows that I was once a top agent who struck fear into the hearts of the entire CIA—"Death" Marcus Kane.
Seven years ago, I was falsely accused of treason and forced to live in anonymity, making a living by throwing fights.
I just want to see my daughter live one more day, even if it means being humiliated like a dog in the boxing ring.
Until that day, I watched with my own eyes as my enemy poured my daughter's life-saving medicine on the ground and forced my wife to marry someone else.
I picked up that satellite phone that had been gathering dust for seven years...

A horrific car crash left me paralyzed.
The doctors said I'd never walk again. With no family left, my Aunt Martha and Uncle Thomas took me to their isolated farmhouse.
They cared for me, promising their treatments would help me walk again. After everything I'd been through, I thought I'd finally found safety.
Until today, when the feeling in my legs suddenly came back—but something told me not to tell them.

"I could never choose an Omega like Ava."

Damon's voice was absolute ice as he cradled his mistress. "In our world, no one believes an Omega woman can lead a pack. They're meant to be protected, marked, locked in bedrooms pumping out heirs, not standing at the negotiation table redrawing the map of power."

Ava stared down at the thousand-dollar lingerie clinging to her skin, the sick realization crashing over her: the Alpha who once called her his treasure had only ever seen a tool for his bloodline.

Heart in shards, she walked into the driving rain with nothing but a few crumpled bills in her pocket.

Then her phone rang.

"Ava Crawford, you are the female heir to the strongest pack on the East Coast. Welcome home."

But the instant she set foot inside Crawford territory, rejection flashed like a blade. "An Omega as heir? Take a million and vanish, or name Lucas Alpha."

Claws flexed, closing in—until a voice cracked through the hall like thunder.

"Bloodmoon Pack, the mightiest of them all, welcomes Luna Ava Crawford."

Adrian sat like a king, his gaze pinning her, dark, feral, thrumming with raw power. "If wolves can't accept Omegas... if we can't accept strong females... then our kind is already extinct."

Ava didn't blink. Stubborn fire blazed behind her eyes as she slid her hand into his.

"I'll marry you."

Can Ava shatter the pack's iron hierarchy and prove an Omega can rule?

When Damon crashes to his knees in regret, and Adrian offers an alliance even deeper than marriage... what choice will she make?

In a world where swipe-left culture reigns, a disillusioned young woman, jaded by the superficial connections of her generation, has lost faith in the idea of true love. Convinced that genuine relationships are unattainable, she adopts a carefree attitude, seeking fleeting encounters and casual connections instead of investing in meaningful relationships.

However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she stumbles upon a profound connection with someone. Despite her initial reservations, she finds herself drawn to this person, and as they spend more time together, she begins to challenge her assumptions about love and relationships.

As she navigates this newfound connection, she must confront her own fears and vulnerabilities. Ultimately, she decides to take a chance on love, embracing the possibility of true connection and intimacy.

Not all broken hearts are beyond repair. Davis Jones finds the world to be chaotic and overwhelming, especially since his fiancé died. But as the owner of a small-town hardware store, he enjoys fixing what is damaged--his life excluded. Attempting to escape his demons, he visits his family where they are volunteering in Thailand. All he wants is to help others in relative peace and quiet. But the beautiful and gregarious service director has other plans. Chloe Rodgers has lived in Thailand for the past fifteen years. As the director of a service organization, she spends her time in remote villages, rebuilding when disaster strikes. But when an attractive volunteer arrives, she’s torn between her philanthropic lifestyle and considering the possibility of building a life of her own. Davis and Chloe have spent so much time fixing other people’s problems, that it will take a miracle repairing themselves enough to find the love they deserve. Building on Love is the fourth book in the Starlight Ridge romance series. If you enjoy stolen kisses in exotic locations and second chances at love, you'll love this small town love story. Grab Building on Love and read this sweet romance today!