2854 Book(s) Related to synopsis of woman on fire: a novel

Celeste Ashford believed she had left her former life behind, and Caspian Hayes, the man whose name used to send her heart racing until the day she found herself standing outside his door. However, as her family's house hovers on the brink of foreclosure, fate pulls him back into her life. Seizing the opportunity to right the past, Caspian makes her a disturbing offer: if she becomes his wife until he succeeds his father as head of the empire, he’ll save her house.

Years earlier, Celeste had disappeared from his life at his most vulnerable moment. Now, Caspian’s resentment is deep, but so is his desire. Bound by debt and obligation, they sail a treacherous sea of corporate demands, family meddling and smouldering emotions neither can ignore. When vengeance collides with yearning and secrets unspool in the unrelenting desert heat, they must each wrestle with what matters more: punishing the sins of the past or creating a love that might redefine their futures.

From growling beasts in the woods to possessive men in penthouses, from scandalous threesomes under silk sheets to Santa's very naughty lap...Crave is a shameless collection of erotic shorts where anything goes and no fantasy is too filthy.
Whether it's a witch getting wrecked by her summoned demon, a sweet librarian bent over by her best friend's dad, or two enemies going down instead of throwing punches...this book doesn't slow down for breath. Straight. Gay. Monsters. Mortals. Magic. Each story is short, dirty, and unapologetically hot.
You're not here for love. You're here to get off. So get in, stay wet, and Crave harder.
18+ ONLY | EXTREMELY EXPLICIT | ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

Alina Winters had it all—luxury, fame, and Kieran Blackthrone, her foster brother who loved her far too deeply.
But when he vanished after a fight with his father, her world shattered.
Five years later, he’s back—famous, cold, and still completely hers.But now he has deadly secrets about her biological family,and he is tied to them in a way he cannot escape.
Alina is changed too—scarred, guarded, and engaged to another man.
When Kieran saves her at a skating event, old feelings ignite, and buried secrets resurface.
Because behind the fame and headlines, someone is hunting her.
And Kieran would cross every line to protect her.
Love was never safe for them. Obsession was where it began.

"Isn't it ridiculous? Who would marry a lame man?”

“Even if he is not lame, no one wants to be his ninth wife!”

"One Billion Prize For An One-Year Marriage"" was an announcement posted on the wall of the University. It made Liona not think much about who she would marry. In other words, a sum of money could make her do anything.

Who would have thought that the man, Lucas Fernando, she was going to marry was not a lame man?

A successful man, the CEO of a big company, is ruthless and famous for being untouchable. Also, famous for his eight marriages.

Liona hoped that one year would end soon so she could leave Lucas, but an unforgettable night changed everything.

Why did Lucas get married eight times? Would Liona become his final wife or just one of his ex-wives?"

She's unwanted. Her mate left her to burn. But fate wasn't finished with Rhea.

When Rhea was chosen by her destined mate, she thought it meant freedom. Love. A future.
Instead, it meant betrayal. Left for dead in the aftermath of a fire set by her mate, Rhea awakens disfigured and broken, her wolf silenced by trauma. And the final blow? Her best friend has taken her place as Luna beside the man she once loved.

Forced to flee the only home she’s ever known, Rhea seeks refuge in Shadowhills, an unforgiving land ruled by Lycans. Silverfang Citadel is her only chance to train, to endure, and maybe, to reclaim a life stolen from her. But she doesn’t fit in here either. She can't shift. She can't forget. And she definitely can't trust anyone. Rhea must fight tooth and claw to earn a place among wolves stronger, faster, and deadlier than she’s ever known.

Yet as trials begin and bonds are tested, Rhea starts to feel something stir, deep within her blood, her bones, and her very soul.

What happens when the fearsome Lycan King claims her as his?
Would Rhea open her heart to love again?

Ruby Steele, 30, beautiful, fit, seems just like any other ex-pat hiding out in the Bahamas and playing local bartender. But unruly patrons find out the hard way: Ruby is a mixed-martial-arts pro, and not one you’d want to cross.In fact, Ruby would be a champion if she hadn’t been forced to walk away and hide out in the Bahamas.Because Ruby knows too much. She knows where the bodies are buried. And she knows when it’s time to get out of town.But what Ruby doesn’t know is why there is a dead tourist in the dumpster behind her seedy bar.Or why, she, of all people, had to find it.Or why this guy was out at 3am when he had a pretty fiancé waiting in a hotel room a mile away.Or why the local cops are pinning her.Or why she’s gonna be forced into a choice: find the killer, or do hard time herself.For Ruby, good choices have never been her strong point.And this one’s definitely not going to be good…Welcome to the Bahamian world of Ruby Steele, replete with her local dive bar, her wily pet monkey, her major drinking problem, her (way) too many fights, her inability to get herself out of trouble, and her fists made of stone. Ruby’s life is a complete wreck. But there’s one thing she’s good at: capturing your heart.ON THE ROCKS (A RUBY STEELE COZY MYSTERY) is the debut novel in a page-turning cozy mystery/thriller series, one that will linger with you long after the last page is read. Books #2 (EXTRA DIRTY) and #3 (FULL-BODIED) in the series are also available.

His name is Andre Cimaro; Young, handsome and ruthless. He becomes the leader of the Red Cobra Mafia Family during a period of war between them and a rival family after his father dies. His tenure will prove to be the greatest in his family’s history and nothing can stand in his way…until he meets the beautiful, yet mysterious Gabriella.

With the face of an angel, the gaze of a predator and the heart of a saint, she invades the high walls around his heart and leaves him vulnerable for the first time in his life…a vulnerability that his enemies attempt to exploit.

Daisy is the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Hubert. His company went bankrupt, so he asked for help from Drkov's house. They agreed to help Mr. Hubert but with one condition. One of his two daughters must marry their nephew - Atlas Drkov. Atlas Drkov is a billionaire but he is disabled and uses a wheelchair. Yaretzi—daughter of Mr. Hubert's official wife—does not accept marrying a disabled man. She and her parents make a plan. They kidnap Daisy's mother, threaten her, and force her to marry Atlas. To save her mother, she accepts. However, after getting married, she falls in love with this man, and so does he. Difficulties start from here.

“It feels good, doesn't it," Gabriel asked as his hands roamed my body, stopping directly on the swell of my breast. His hands crept downwards until he was fully cupping my boobs.

I hummed in response, too distracted by his hands fondling me to say a word.

“Words, baby," He whispered into my ear.

I gasped, my chest heaving in anticipation. “Yes…yes…yes. It feels so good."

His hands moved up my thighs, stopping dangerously close to my pussy. “Did your ex-husband make you feel this good?" I shook my head immediately, not having to think before answering.

He chuckled, placing his mouth beside my ear. “But you know what will make you feel better?" He whispers. “Making everyone who hurt you pay. They would beg for mercy but get none. Be my Luna, Meliora, and let me help you get revenge."


Meliora has always loved her quiet, peaceful life but everything changed drastically when her jealous step sister framed her for adultery and she lost her position as Luna. Her saving grace came in the form of Gabriel, her fated mate, who promised to help her get revenge. Would they succeed or would their enemies be one step ahead of them and defeat them?

Someone at Ravenwood High is a killer.
After a brutal murder leaves the school locked down, ordinary students suddenly become suspects, and one of them knows far more than they're willing to admit.
Rina thought she knew her friends. She was wrong.
The ex-boyfriend the police are certain is guilty, even when the evidence doesn't add up. The charming boy who watches her like he's waiting for her to remember something. The quiet girl who knows every secret and shares none of them. The mysterious new transfer student who seems to be hunting someone of his own. And the detective Rina has trusted with the truth since the very first day.
Any one of them could be hiding the answer.
As more secrets surface, and someone starts coming after everyone who gets too close to the truth, Rina realizes the murder isn't the beginning of the nightmare. It's the return of one that started three months ago, a night everyone else seems to remember except her.
The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes to keep asking: what really happened at the pool, and who has been deciding, all along, what Rina is allowed to remember?

She entered his court as a servant of shadow. He will rule it on a throne of blood and scale.
For years, the Vampire Lord Kaelen’s cold reign has been absolute. For Elara, a hidden dragon shifter living as a lowly maid, it is a reign that must end in ash. Her vengeance for her slaughtered clan is a fire she has carefully banked, waiting for the moment to reduce his world to cinders. That moment comes on the night of the Blood Moon Masquerade, where a single, searing encounter with a masked stranger offers the perfect path to revenge.
It was only meant to be a weapon. A way to get closer to her enemy.
But one night of forbidden passion unravels everything.
Now, Elara carries an impossible secret—a child that is both fire and blood, a living symbol of the war between their kinds. Her destiny is no longer just vengeance, but survival. When her dragon nature can no longer be concealed, Kaelen discovers the truth: the woman he cannot forget is the same one he has never truly seen, and she holds the key to his destruction… or his legacy.
A night of passion. A lifetime of consequences. A war of bloodlines.
As ancient enemies close in and the truth of the past ignites a new war, Elara and Kaelen must choose: will they cling to the hatred that defined them, or seize a throne built from the one thing that can save or damn them both—their forbidden love?

My roommate acted strangely—an eye peeking through the door crack, a lingering stench, and the shadow of a serial murder closing in. I struggled to find the truth, only to discover her rotting corpse in the wardrobe. It turned out, she was the first to die, and the fear had only just begun.

Step into a world where passion is dangerous and desire burns without mercy.

From candlelit ballrooms to storm-lashed beaches, from secret libraries to the hidden corners of enchanted realms, Fifty Shades of Desire unveils fifty dark, intoxicating tales of lust, obsession, and consuming love.

Forget gentle courtships and sweet promises. These stories explore the jagged edges of surrender and the intoxicating madness of obsession—where one forbidden touch can mean total ruin.

Each tale will leave you breathless… shaken… and aching for more.

Explore your wildest desires, embrace forbidden temptations, and dare to surrender to the darkness.

She thought she was happily married - until she was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer.
Then came the truth: her "devoted" husband Lucien had been poisoning her for years, all to avenge a dead lover.
On her deathbed, Calliope made a vow:
If life gave her one more chance, she'd rewrite every ending-starting with his.
Now reborn seven years earlier, she tears off the wedding dress and walks away from Lucien's lies.
To protect her family and reclaim her stolen legacy, Calliope proposes a marriage of convenience to Conrad: a cold, enigmatic firefighter with more power-and more secrets-than anyone realizes.
But Lucien is also reborn. And just as cruel.
But this time, she's not the naïve bride.
She's a tech genius. A business queen. A woman with nothing to lose.
And Conrad?
He's not just fire and steel-he's the weapon she never knew she needed.
They're not here to survive.
They're here to win.

Betrayal begets the darkest shadows, within its grasp, wealth transforms into a catalyst for revenge. Victoria Hamilton, once a privileged heiress, faced a terrifying death orchestrated by her family, leaving her legacy in the hands of deceitful kin. Fate, however, is inclined to rewrite cruel tales, and death is not always final. Reborn as Lily Turner from an humble background, Victoria carries the flames of revenge, armed with intelligence and fueled by ambition.

As Lily, Victoria embarks on an unwavering journey to rebuild the empire stolen from her in a past life. Guided by an unyielding desire for justice, Lily navigates the vicious world of business, rising from the ashes into a formidable force. Memories of the past propel her forward, and scars become her stepping stones to triumph.

"The Rebirth of a Scorned Heiress" unfolds as a tale of vengeance as Lily Turner, once an abandoned heiress, will stop at nothing to reclaim what is rightfully hers, weaving an epic of ambition, resilience, and the savoury taste of revenge. In this contest with shadows of the past, a new legacy emerges in the crucible of Victoria's unwavering determination.

Will her empire be the sweetest revenge, or will the haunting shadows of the past persist?

Ignite Your Darkest Desires
Do NOT open unless you're ready to BURN
Do NOT read unless you crave the HOTNESS.
A filthy, pulse-pounding collection of taboo erotica crafted exclusively for 18+ sinners who live for the forbidden rush.
Inside, you'll devour:
Stepfather-stepdaughter secrets: that drip with guilt-soaked lust, his rough hands claiming what he shouldn't, her tight, trembling body arching under him in the dark.
Exhibitionist thrills: strangers' eyes devouring every exposed inch as she's fucked against fogged glass, her cries muffled by his palm.
Voyeuristic obsessions: hidden cameras catching every slick slide, every gasp as step-siblings finally snap, bodies colliding in a frenzy of sweat and sin.
Kinky one-shots that push every limit: cuffs biting wrists, blindfolds heightening every wet lick, every brutal thrust until you're begging for release.
Each story is a standalone inferno, different bodies, different taboos, same blistering heat. Feel the throb between your thighs, the slick ache building, the shudder when they finally give in.
Lock the door. Let the flames consume you. You've been warned.

In her first life, Ivy was abandoned. Starved. Forgotten. When the Shaws finally threw her out like garbage, the only people who came for her were strangers with guns.

Now she’s reborn. She knows how the story ends. And she’s running toward the killers instead of away from them.

Dad’s a hitman with terrible aim and a lazier temper. Mom’s a chef who butchers people in the basement. Big Brother runs the Dark Web. Little Brother builds death traps for fun.

They’re the worst family in the city. And they’re exactly what she chose.

With her five-year-old eyes, every murder looks like cooking.

Every severed finger is a toy. Every bloodstain is just Mommy’s new perfume.

Ivy doesn’t see killers. She sees the only people who ever loved her.

Jazzie Zamora is a well-known model in the Philippines. She's rich, beautiful, elegant and has many other qualities that you will admire.
Everyone believes that she has a perfect life, but little did they know that it was the other way around.
Hellish; it's the exact word you can use to describe her life. Being a secret wife of a mafia boss was a dream that turned into a nightmare.
Despite of all those shits happening, will she still choose to stay?
How much can she put up for her ruthless husband?

I couldn't get my eyes off my window as I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Outside there in the darkness that was gradually going down due to the faint morning light, I continously stared at a thing no word in the English dictionary can explain.
*It was a black wolf with red eyes. So big that I could bet that it was two times bigger than Zane in his wolf form. But that wasn't the scary thing. The scary thing was that, it had a round substance on it's mouth. And since I know that I could see clearly in darkness, I activated my night gaze and discovered that it was the head of another wolf. Not just another wolf, but the kind of wolf Luca said I was... "A WHITE WOLF!"


The wolf world has been in a war for leadership, blood sheds so many that one could swim in it. A white wolf was born, his name is Lucian and he's destined to end the war between the two Wolf Delimitation.
Lucian goes through a lot of pain and betrayal, he lost the person that guided him through life to the cold hands of death. Will he survive the many temptations to end his life? Find out in this interesting story of Love, hate, betrayal and passion.

My name is Balen. Father once said every lion cub is born to run wild across the vast grasslands.

At seven years old, I only mimicked my elder brother’s limp to make him laugh. That innocent jest was regarded as an unforgivable sin by Mother. She forced bitter medicine down my throat and condemned me to a wheelchair, hoping that by enduring pain myself, I would learn empathy and pity.

During those three long, tormented years in the wheelchair, I bore my punishment quietly, believing my brother suffered alongside me. Until I overheard Mother talking to him and learned the brutal truth. It was only after death that I finally gained the strength to run. I could only watch silently as my family drowned in belated guilt and remorse. Their apologies came far too late; they could never give back the freedom they had stolen from me.

Warning: 18+ only🔕🔕
Featuring hardcore taboo, filthy age-gap erotica, and the darkest forbidden fantasies that will wreck you for anything else. This is a super steamy boxset loaded with thirty wild stories of raw, dripping desire. Think twisted, sweat-soaked, heart-racing adventures so naughty and intense they'll leave you squirming, gasping, and desperate for more on every page.

These aren't cute little love stories, honey. These are straight-up ruthless, rule-breaking romps where older men take total control and younger women melt into the kind of sin that has you soaked and shaking all over.

If you're not eighteen or older, close this right now, babe. You're seriously not ready for the fire that's about to hit you.

I’m on my knees again, wrists bound tight behind my back with silk that bites just enough to remind me who owns me tonight. He circles slow, leather boots echoing on the marble, and I can already taste the salt of anticipation on my tongue. When he finally grips my hair and yanks my head back, his ck—thick, veined, leaking—slaps heavy against my cheek. “Open,” he growls. I do, and he thrusts in deep, no warning, stretching my throat until my eyes water. The wet, choking sounds fill the room—gluck-gluck-gluck—as he f*s my mouth with brutal rhythm, hips snapping, balls slapping my chin. Every plunge forces a gag, spit dripping down my chest, but f**k, the burn in my jaw and the way he groans low makes me leak onto the floor. He pulls out just to slap my face with his slick length, then rams back in, deeper, claiming every inch until I’m nothing but his hole.

**

This collection plunges headfirst into the raw, unfiltered world of explicit gay dominance and submission, where powerful alphas—billionaires, mob bosses, ruthless mentors—claim their willing (and sometimes reluctant) boys with iron control and unrelenting hunger. Every story drips with dark MM heat: contracts signed in sweat and cm, red rooms equipped for flog, boge, edging, and total power exchange. Expect gric, immersive scenes of throat-fu****g, a-pounding, br**ding fantasies, impact play that leaves marks, and aftercare laced with possession.

"Sloane, where there's smoke, there's fire. If you're really clean, why is it only burning you?"
In my last life, when those fabricated hotel records went viral on the company Slack, I scrambled to explain. I cried. I begged.
What I got was a suspension, a blacklist, and a foster mother who died on a hospital bed because I could no longer pay for her meds.
The person who started it all? Walked right over my corpse into a partnership.
Then I opened my eyes—and I was back. Three days before the promotion list dropped.
I stared at the pixelated "explicit screenshot" on my screen, and I didn't cry. Didn't rage.
I just smiled and hit screen record.
This time, I'm not proving I'm clean.
I'm proving they're guilty.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. 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) TINTED WINDOWS (A Chloe Fine Mystery) is book #6 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has over 1,000 five-star reviews. When a popular personal trainer is murdered in a high-end suburb, FBI VICAP Special Agent Chloe Fine, 27, is summoned to sift through a small town filled with cheating spouses and figure out who may have wanted him dead—and why.Behind the manicured lawns, Chloe learns, lie broken marriages, lonely spouses, secrets, and endless lies—all hiding behind the veil of perfection. Beneath the carefully built façade of a polished, upstanding community lies a populace dishonest to its core.What secrets led to this man’s being murdered?And who will be next to die?An emotionally wrought psychological suspense with layered characters, small-town ambiance and heart-pounding suspense, TINTED WINDOWS is book #6 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Lydia's POV

"The patient in Bed 7 has been here three months now, right? Not a single family visit."

"Her husband just pays the bills and leaves. Doesn't even look at her. Poor thing."

I lay in the hospital bed, listening to two nurses whispering outside my door. My fingers rested weakly against the edge of the mattress.

Three months ago, I was diagnosed with late-stage cancer.

My husband, Sebastian Carter, came once. He stood in the doorway—didn't step inside—signed the papers with a blank expression, and never came back.

Sebastian was a writer. He locked himself in his study all day, leaving me to spend night after night alone in the living room. We lived under the same roof like strangers from different worlds.

I'd grown used to this hollow marriage. I didn't even bother calling him anymore.

Footsteps echoed outside.

I turned my head toward the door. Sebastian stood there in his familiar charcoal coat, his face expressionless.

"You came." I was surprised. I forced myself to sit up, my body weak and trembling.

Sebastian didn't answer. He walked straight to the bedside and set a document on the nightstand. "Sign it."

I picked it up. The words at the top read: 'Divorce Agreement.'

The dealership called to inform me that my Rolls-Royce Starlight Headliner had been replaced with a pink one and was ready for pickup.
I was bewildered. I hadn't driven that car in ages—why would anyone change the headliner without my knowledge?
I confronted my husband, who managed our garage, demanding an explanation.
"Honey, maybe they got their wires crossed. I'll swing by the dealership later and sort it out."
I wasn't about to waste my breath. Instead, I called my friend directly—she happened to own the dealership.
"William's having an affair. I'm going to catch him red-handed."

Haven Center for Omegas. A place where Omegas can be protected until they reach full maturity and move on to find the perfect pack.

Well, that's what they promised me. When I lost my parents at fourteen I was sent to Haven and promised the world. When my time came though, the pack I chose drugged and sold me. I woke inside a cage alongside rows of other Omegas. There I waited for two years until my number finally came up. I'm going up for auction tonight...

That is until my guard stumbles in drunk and I see my chance to escape. I'm too weak though and when he catches me and promises to keep me for himself I think my chance at freedom is gone. Then four Alphas storm in and save me, but my problems are far from over.

I'm too dangerous to keep alive, but I can't trust the one place in this country meant to protect me. Plus, these Alphas are not at all the sort of pack I would consider trusting or choosing for a lifetime. They are violent and rough. Yet, they promise to help and protect me until I get justice and I intend to take them up on their offer. The one request I have...I want them to teach me to be as bad as them. I want to be someone the people who screwed me over will fear.

Hell hath no fury than an Omega wronged...or something like that.

My name is Elise, and I'm about to get my unhappily ever after.

(This story takes place in the same universe as The Sweetest Sound and the two books are now combined as "Omegas of Haven" for better viewing:D )

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. 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) NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Mystery) is book #1 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. FBI Evidence Response Team intern Chloe Fine, 27, finds herself forced to confront her own dark past when her troubled twin sister needs her help—and when a body turns up dead in her small, suburban town.Chloe feels life is finally perfect as she moves back into her home town, and into a new house with her fiancé. Her career with the FBI looks promising, and her wedding is on the horizon. But, she learns, all is not as it seems in suburbia. Chloe begins to see the underside—the gossip, the secrets, the lies—and she finds herself haunted by her own demons: her mother’s mysterious death when she was 10, and her father’s imprisonment. And when a fresh body is found, Chloe soon realizes that her past, and this small town, might hold the key to solving both.An emotionally wrought psychological suspense with layered characters, small-town ambiance and heart-pounding suspense, NEXT DOOR is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #2 in the CHLOE FINE series will be available soon.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. 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) SILENT NEIGHBOR (A Chloe Fine Mystery) is book #4 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has over 1,000 five-star reviews. When a flashy, new neighbor flaunts her wealth in a suburban town, it isn’t long before she’s found murdered. Did her flaunting ways upset her envious neighbors? Or was there a deeper secret to her husband’s fortune?FBI VICAP Special Agent Chloe Fine, 27, finds herself immersed in a small-town world of lies, cliques, gossip and betrayal as she tries to separate truth from lies.But what is the real truth?And can she solve it while also dealing with the release of her troubled father from jail, and the spiraling down of her troubled sister?An emotionally wrought psychological suspense with layered characters, small-town ambiance and heart-pounding suspense, THE SILENT NEIGHBOR is book #4 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #5 in the CHLOE FINE series will be available soon.

Arianna finally stopped holding back when she felt Pierce’s tongue replace his finger. She screamed her release. It was so good that she was slapping the bar top with one hand, wanting to cry uncle and for him to keep going at the same time. She ground against Pierce’s face, trying to ride out the rest of her orgasm. She silently fell back on the counter and released him. She was speechless. Not only from the soreness she felt in her throat from the yelling but also from the mind-blowing orgasm that she just had.

Pierce stood up, wrapped a hand around Arianna’s neck, and pulled her up. His tongue found hers, and the next thing they knew, her legs were wrapped around his waist, and he was jogging upstairs for round two.


Welcome to Elite San Antonio, the most premier country club in the world, which caters to the wealthiest clients and their every whim. Arianna Carter (18) completed high school and is now working as a receptionist at the exclusive country club due to her parents’ unfortunate gambling issues. They gambled away her college tuition, forcing her to take a gap year or two to save for college. Arianna is fed up with all the married men hitting on her and propositioning her for an entanglement. She even heard there was a running bet to see who could get her in bed first! Arianna considered swearing off men until she gives a tour to handsome and recently divorced Pierce White. The 32-year age gap should’ve turned her off. Still, Arianna figured with age came experience, and Pierce White might be worthy enough to give her virginity to. Arianna isn't the only one feeling the instant attraction. Once Pierce lays eyes on the young receptionist behind the front desk, his first thought is to bend her over it and have his way with her.

Sparks instantly fly between the two, resulting in a steamy, scandalous age-gap romance that rocks the country club. Will Arianna and Pierce make it in the long run, or will his hang-ups about their age gap, future, and his conniving ex-wife end their relationship?

“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.

To everyone in town, I was just a sixty-five-year-old retired man.
I lived in an old house, drove an old car, and showed up at the same diner every night to eat the cheapest meal on the menu in my usual corner.

Then one night, the waitress who always refilled my coffee sat across from me after closing, eyes red, and told me her boyfriend had disappeared.
People were watching her, pressuring her to hand over a “ledger” she had never even seen.

I wanted no part of it.
I had left that kind of life behind a long time ago, and I had sworn never to use my hands for anyone again.

But the next day, she didn’t show up for work.
Her phone was dead. She was gone.

I went into their territory alone.
They thought they were dealing with nothing more than a nosy old man.
By the time I started moving, they realized they had picked the wrong target.

Everyone thinks Lily is just a small-town girl trying to marry into wealth. They couldn't be more wrong.
When Lily arrives at the magnificent Sterling estate to fulfill her late father's wishes， she's greeted by five handsome brothers and a cold， calculating mother determined to send her packing.
According to an ancient agreement between the families， Lily must choose one of the brothers as her husband—a prospect that fills all the brothers with disdain.
But Lily is hiding secrets that would shock the entire Sterling family. Behind her quiet demeanor lies a brilliant business mind who built a multi-billion-dollar empire from nothing. She's also an internationally acclaimed singer who performs under the name Nightingale， and a technological genius known as Anny who can beat anyone at their own game.
As she navigates the complex politics of the Sterling household， Lily finds herself drawn to the coldest brother of all—William， the CEO who regards her with nothing but suspicion.
William's mother has already chosen his perfect match: Fiona from the Foster family， his childhood friend and sweetheart.
However， the word "surrender" has never existed in Lily's vocabulary.

He left without breathing a word of it to you, and you still believe he's gonna come back? How sure are you?"

I didn't speak, cause I'm not sure..

"What if he doesn't come back until your baby is born? Let's say two years later?"

"I don't know" I shook my head.

Arthur sighed.

"I spoke with my dad before coming here, he said it'll be dangerous for you if you keep it"

Doctor Morris is his dad, I forgot to mention that.

"It's better you abort now, it might cost your life..you know about your cervical condition"

I blinked and looked away from him, my gaze focused on the rain.

"That's all the more reason I shouldn't abort it. Who knows if I'll ever be able to conceive again?"

He didn't say anything after I said those words.. he sighed.

"I told you not to trust college boys, but you paid no attention.. now you've been played" he grumbled.

He opened an umbrella, which I didn't know he was holding.. then led me to his car.

He opened the door for me and I slide into the passenger door, he rushed to the driver's side as I was fastening my seatbelt.

"Whatever your decision is, I'll stand by you!" He said.

For three years, I hid my identity as the heir to the Vanderbilt fortune and played the role of a broke scholarship student—all for love.
I ate cheap sandwiches to protect his ego. I gave up my scholarship. I did everything to make him feel like my equal.
But the only thing I got in return was betrayal.
My roommate stole my mother's one-of-a-kind vintage gown—worth fifty million dollars—and my boyfriend helped her do it.
She wore it to the annual gala. He threw me into the snow like garbage and told me to "know my place."
That night, I stopped pretending.
They thought I was just some poor girl they could trample on.
They had no idea they'd picked the wrong person.
Now? They're about to find out.

Everyone knows that Qin Sicheng is desperately in love with me. To cure my depression, he gave up the opportunity to study abroad and stayed by my side.
But on the day of my birthday banquet, he disappeared.
When I found him in a corner of the back garden, he was pitifully clutching the hem of my best friend Qiao Anran's dress.
That man—usually so devoted and obedient to me—now had red-rimmed eyes and a trembling voice.
"Anran, how much longer do I have to keep acting? Lin Jiaqi is already better. Please, just look back at me, won't you?"
Qiao Anran closed her eyes, her face twisted in pain, then coldly pushed him away.
"Qin Sicheng, I'll say it again: as long as Lin Jiaqi is alive, you can only be her husband. This is what you owe me, and what I owe the Lin family."
I covered my mouth, staring at the diamond ring he had just given me, my heart shattering completely.
So the husband who had always loved me so deeply—it was all an act.

“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.

I didn't know the stranger in the club was a devil. I didn't know he’d been watching me for years.

Dmitri Thorne is the undisputed king of Hudson University—a hockey star with a lethal slap shot and a heart of ice. To the world, he’s a god. To me, he was a one-night mistake I never intended to see again

Then my mother married his father.
Now, the "Devil of the Ice" lives across the hall. He doesn't want a sister. He wants a captive. He has turned his family’s penthouse into my golden cage, clearing a path through anyone who dares to look my way. But as the secrets of our fathers’ pasts begin to bleed into the present, I realize Dmitri’s obsession isn't just dark—it’s a trap.

Four years ago, I ran to the edge of the world to escape him. I traded my name for a lens and my heart for a camera. But the Devil doesn't forget. And he’s finally come to France to collect his debt.

Fake dating the beast was never supposed to make her howl.

Micoy "The Beast" Ronan is the NHL's most feared hockey enforcer and an undefeated underground boxer, a dominant werewolf alpha barely containing his feral power. When a leaked video nearly exposes his glowing eyes and claws mid-fight, his career and the secrecy of his pack are on the line.

Elisa Voss is a bold sports journalist and physical therapist tasked with destroying his reputation. But when their explosive first meeting turns into a desperate deal, she becomes his fake girlfriend for the cameras. One icy public kiss is all it takes for the pretense to ignite into something dangerously real.

Behind closed doors, Micoy claims her with raw, primal hunger, rough locker room fucks, sweat-slick nights in the boxing ring, and moonlit knotting sessions that leave her marked, aching, and addicted. His possessive touch awakens the latent wolf in her blood, blurring every line between fake and fate.

As rival packs attack, jealous exes strike, and the league closes in, their fake relationship becomes the only thing keeping them alive. With bloody championship games, brutal underground fights, and a mating bond neither can deny, Micoy must protect his woman while Elisa decides if she's willing to surrender to the beast who could ruin or complete her.

Ever since she was a little girl, Avery had a secret crush on her father’s best friend, Ethan. There was something captivating about him: his tousled caramel hair, those piercing blue eyes that held a hint of mischief, and a smile that could make her heart skip a beat. But there was one undeniable obstacle that stood between them—a considerable age gap of twenty years.

As Avery grew older, her feelings for Ethan intensified, making it increasingly difficult to keep her desire hidden. She desperately longed for his touch, his kiss, but the societal norms and the marked difference in their ages placed an invisible barrier that seemed impossible to dismantle. Yet, whenever Ethan would visit, Avery couldn't help but find reasons to be near him, to feel the barely-there brush of his arm against hers, sending electric currents up her spine.

Until one day, a sleek envelope arrived in her mailbox. Avery’s world came crashing down when she found out that Ethan, the man she had loved so fiercely, the one who had occupied her heart for years, was about to marry someone else. Bitterness surged within her; a tempest of emotions she struggled to contain.

Determined not to silently endure this heartache, Avery hatched a reckless plan. Ensnared by jealousy and fueled by her unrequited love, she convinced herself that if she couldn’t have Ethan, no one could.

BLURB:

Wren Davis is the school's favorite target…plus-size, nerdy, invisible except when someone needs a punching bag. When she becomes the live-in babysitter for star quarterback Cole Hensley's family, she walks into enemy territory.

Cole watched her get bullied and did nothing. Now they share a house. At school, his cheerleader ex Jade makes Wren's life hell. At home, Cole defends her in ways that confuse everything she thought she knew about him.

Their deal was simple: ignore each other at school, stay civil at home. But deals break when feelings get involved. And when Cole looks at her like she matters, Wren realizes the most dangerous thing isn't Jade's cruelty. It's wanting something she was taught she could never have.

Violet Hayes has spent her entire life being told two things: girls don’t belong on the ice, and Omegas don’t belong anywhere near Alphas.

She intends to prove everyone wrong.

No woman has ever played for Blackwood Alpha Academy’s legendary hockey team. No Omega has either.

Violet intends to be the first.

Women aren’t strong enough for Alpha hockey. Omegas are meant to follow, not compete. And an Omega female stepping onto the ice with some of the most powerful male wolves at the academy?

She’s practically asking to get hurt.

Violet has a different opinion.

They’ll have to catch her first.

There’s just one problem.

Ethan Cole.

Blackwood’s arrogant Alpha captain doesn’t want an Omega anywhere near his team. Ethan owns the ice, dominates his opponents, and is headed toward a professional hockey career. He expects Violet to last ten minutes at tryouts.

Then she beats him.

Suddenly, the Omega Ethan wanted gone is wearing his team’s jersey, challenging his records, invading his locker room, and getting under his skin in ways he never expected.

Their rivalry becomes the talk of the academy. Their arguments get hotter. And every time they collide on the ice, it becomes harder to ignore the attraction burning between them.

But Violet didn’t fight her entire life for this opportunity just to become known as the Alpha captain’s girl.

She came to Blackwood to prove an Omega can compete with Alphas.

Then fate delivers the cruelest joke of all.

The Alpha determined to get her off his ice may be her mate.

And his Omega has absolutely no intention of obeying him.

A young woman trying to make it in a small town. She was born and raised here, everyone knew her and she knew everyone. That does not make life easy. The lies, manipulation, cover ups. Everyone knows the secrets, they see the scandals but no one is brave enough to say anything. To stand up for her. They will help when it seems like the time is right but they also use and abuse her when the time is right. How will she ever break free and become her own person. Abuse can come in many different ways. Mental and physical are the most common. She nees to get away from her home and everyone in this town. But at what means. What all will she lose?

My water broke on the coldest night of winter.

My fated mate, Alpha Cassian, wrapped silver chains around my wrists and threw me into a freezing dungeon.

"Lucian's son must be born first," he snarled, forcing wolfsbane down my throat as I screamed through contractions.

Above me, his sister-in-law Sienna rested in silk sheets, surrounded by healers and warmth. She was carrying his dead brother's heir—the future of the pack. And I? I was nothing. Just the Omega he'd been forced to mark, the one his pack blamed for Lucian's death.

As silver burned through my skin and ice water rose past my chest, I felt our baby's heartbeat flutter. Then slow.

"Please," I begged. "Our child—"

"You owe him this," Cassian said coldly.

When the chains finally came off, he'd lost us both for good.

Zoe was never meant to obey. Born to power and raised in chaos, she and her notorious Shadow Gang ruled Diamond Ville with pranks, secrets, and strength. But one explosive mistake lands them in Asheville Academy—a brutal school for the supernatural elite where silver fences bite and trust is a liability.

When Zoe discovers she’s fated to five powerful, unpredictable mates—each from rival packs—the stakes become deadly. Love was never part of the plan. Neither was betrayal.

Now the Shadow Gang must survive training rooms that break bones, enemies who play nice with knives, and a prophecy that could end everything.
Zoe’s heart might not survive five fates. But the world won’t survive what happens if she rejects them.

Witty, wild, and addictive—every encounter with the Alphas is where danger kisses destiny.

What do you do when everything doesn't go to plan? At 33, Demi’s five-year plan is on track. She’s moved in with boyfriend, Wil, and is waiting patiently for her father to retire so she can take over the running of the family café. But when her father blindsides her by handing the café to her older brother Nick, and discovers Wil is hiding something, Demi’s five-year plan crumbles like crostoli. Determined to get her life back on track, Demi travels to Italy to learn about her Italian heritage and mend her frayed heart — hoping her father will come to his senses while she’s away. However, Demi’s Italian escape isn’t so perfect. Long-held family feuds, a love triangle from the past, and a surprising new friend in Leo, find Demi questioning everything; especially her five-year plan. Will Demi get her plan back on track? Or will she learn that the best plans are the ones you don’t make? The Five-Year Plan is contemporary women’s fiction with a touch of humour and a lot of heart. It will appeal to readers who want to be whisked away from their day-to-day life and immersed in a feel-good story full of food, travel and romance.

I thought I was dead for sure. Hell, my blood has already run cold.
I snapped my eyes open only to realize the gunshot wasn't meant for me. But now, I'm being used as a human shield.
The first thing I saw was a man in all black holding a gun to my face.
He stands gallantly menacing, less than five yards from me. And despite the low light, I can see his shirt is only buttoned halfway as a jacket drapes loosely over his broad shoulders.
He is like Hades in a shirt.
"Answer me, motherfucker! Or I swear I'll kill her!" Blondie yelled, jabbing his gun at me and pulling me closer to shield himself.
"Who the fuck are you!"
The stranger returned his attention to my captor;
"You seem to have misunderstood this situation," He said with such calm and vindication, you'd think my life didn't matter.
He continued;
"I'm not the hero that saves the damsel in distress..." He paused,
"...I'm the Grim Reaper."

< Gunshot...! ><<
I froze in my spot, but I didn't feel dead.
"You're safe now." He said, walking up to me. He brushed hair from my wet cheeks as he pulled me closer.
And I just fell on him.
Without hesitating, I rise to my toes and capture his lips in mine.





***

Sapphire Sanchez is just a girl looking for momentary happiness when she makes a rather impulsive move.
Life hasn't exactly been fair to her, and her mother's condition isn't making it easier for her. Then everything turns upside down when a stranger saves her from three hoodlums.
Or maybe the right side up?
Either way, she just met Dimitri Griot, the terror of Silicone City, the Grim Reaper himself.
He has built his empire with the same ruthless vindication he delivers his judgment. And fussy romance wasn't on his agenda when a lowlife cunt got his heart beating in the wrong manner.
He wants her just as much as he hates the weakness.
She wants him even though he incites terror in her.
The condition of romance is clear, and the rules for power are final. It's one of nothing: Power, Vengeance, or Love
Neither of them can have it all. But the question is, which will either of them choose?