Books read and loved

I don't care what my cousin says; I am not the queen of impossible relationships. I mean, just because my last boyfriend tried to kill me and left a bit of a scar on my neck, then forced me to move across the country and legally change my name to Reese Randall to escape him, does not mean-

Oh, who am I kidding? For a freshman in college, I have to have the worst dating track record ever.

It's no wonder love is the last thing on my mind when Mason Lowe enters my life. But the chemistry between us is like bam! Our connection defies logic. And he's just so freaking hot. Being around him makes me feel more alive than I've ever felt before. I even like bickering with him. He could be my soul mate...except for one teeny tiny glitch.

He's a gigolo.

Boy, do I know how to pick them.

Junior in college. Star athlete. Constant attention from the opposite sex.

On this campus, I’m worshiped. While seven hundred miles away, back in my hometown, I’m still trailer park trash, child of the town tramp, and older sibling to three kids who are counting on me to keep my shit together so I can take them away from the same crappy life I grew up in.

These two opposing sides of myself never mix until one person gets a glimpse of the true me. I never expected to connect with anyone like this or want more beyond one night. This may be the real deal.

Problem is Dr. Kavanagh’s my literature professor.

If I start anything with a teacher and we’re caught together, I might as well kiss my entire future goodbye, as well as my family’s and especially Dr. Kavanagh’s. Except sometimes love is worth risking everything. Or at least, it damn well better be, because I can only resist so much.

-Noel Gamble-

Once upon a time, there was this pampered rich girl who was kind of full of herself. She really only cared about appearances and hiding all her dark, ugly secrets under the guise of an opinionated snob. But then Eva Mercer got pregnant, shot by a psycho, and kicked out of the only home she knew. Now she’s broke, unemployed, and has to start anew with a newborn to raise. But how?

On the other side of town, sexy, tattooed orphan, Patrick Ryan, can’t get a break. He’s out on parole for defending the last damsel in distress while trying to help her support her child, but all he wants is to find his one true love. He knows this woman by scent, smile, and laugh, but he’s never actually met her. He doesn’t even know her name. He just knows she’s the key to fixing everything.

One kind of hero can save you from physical harm. Another can rescue you from a different kind of doom. To reach their dreams, Eva and Pick can save each other. But first, they must open their hearts and learn how to trust.

I used to think everything was black and white, truth or lie, easy or hard, that if I could just escape my strict, overbearing, abusive father, my life would be perfect. But since I’ve found a reason to risk his wrath and leave, to help a friend in need, I’ve come to realize everything I thought I knew is wrong.

Friends have their own agenda, honesty comes with a dosage of lie, easy doesn’t even exist, keeping secrets sucks, and love...love is the most painful thing of all.

Maybe if Quinn Hamilton hadn’t asked me to skip classes for the day and help him pick out an engagement ring for my best friend, I wouldn’t have fallen for him so completely on that sunny Tuesday afternoon and I wouldn’t feel so conflicted. But I did, and I can’t take it back, no matter how hard I try. So I have to deal with the fact that even I’m not as good, or honest, or caring as I’d always thought I was, and no matter what I do next, someone’s going to get hurt. Probably me.

-Zoey Blakeland

Let your hair down, Caroline, they said. It'll be fun, they said.

I know I've closed myself off in a major way in the past year, ever since “the incident” where I messed up my life completely. It's past time I try to live again or just give up completely. But this is quite possibly the craziest thing I've ever done. In a last ditch effort to invigorate myself, I'm standing outside Oren Tenning's bedroom, I just peeled off the sexiest pair of underwear I own, and my hand is already raised to knock. My brother would disown me for doing anything with his best friend, and he'd probably kill Oren. But if I play my cards right, no one will ever know about this. Not even Ten.

Maybe after tonight, I’ll finally get over this stupid, irrational crush I hate having on the biggest jerk I’ve ever met. Or maybe I’ll just end up falling for him even harder. Maybe I’ll discover there’s so much more to my crude, carefree hunk than meets the eye.

I fell in love once.

It was amazing. She was amazing. Life was amazing.

I lived for each time I could see her, and nothing else mattered, not that our families were enemies, our time together was forbidden, or we had to meet in secret.

Our love could conquer all.

Until it didn't.

So I was ripped away from the love of my life and shoved into hell, forced to continue without her.

It shattered me, broke the best parts of me, left me permanently damaged.

Or so I thought.

Years later, I swear history’s trying to repeat itself because she’s back in my life, and I’m just as drawn to her as I was before. But I'm older and wiser now, and I know she should stay away from a worthless piece of ex-con like me.

So, I will not let her in. I absolutely refuse to hurt her. I will keep her away.

Then again, sometimes risking your greatest fear to get to a smile makes everything worth it, and besides, I’m not sure I can resist her, anyway.

This is the story of how Felicity Bainbridge changed my life forever, starting one summer day long ago after I was forced to change a dirty diaper...

--Knox Parker

Here’s the same old “girl posing as a boy” story but with a rock-n-roll twist.

Remy Curran dreams of one day being in a band, except the group she wants to join refuses to hire a girl drummer. So, she auditions as a guy...and makes the cut.

Becoming “Sticks,” a member of Non-Castrato, isn’t quite what she dreamed it would be, though. She spends most of her time keeping up the subterfuge and learning how to walk, talk, act, and drink like a man.

But what’s even harder to deal with is acting oblivious when the band’s heartthrob lead singer, Asher Hart, treats her like one of the guys and not a woman. She never imagined he’d be so much more than a pretty face with a nice voice. But he’s better than perfect. He’s perfect for her.

When love and lies combine, Remy must keep up the act or lose everything. But who knew lying to reach one dream could prevent you from attaining an even bigger dream?

Three things in my life were fact.

I needed Sarah to survive.

I needed sex to remain sane.

And I could never mix sex with Sarah.

I just knew—deep in my marrow—that if I did, I’d somehow lose her. All my deepest darkest secrets would crack open, bleed out, and ruin everything between us. I wouldn’t unleash the shit inside me on my worst enemy, let alone her. So she stayed strictly in the friend zone.

People probably thought I never went there with her because of her cerebral palsy, but fck them. She knew she was the most important person in my world, and I wasn’t about to risk hurting our relationship just to make my cck happy.

Until the moment she begged me to take her virginity.

Now it’s all about to hit the fan, because how the hell do you resist the one person forbidden to you when she says please?

--Brandt Gamble

I might’ve ruined any chance I ever had at a meaningful relationship when I decided to become a male prostitute at eighteen, but that was okay.

I paid off my mom’s debt, the rent, my sister’s hospital bills. I put food on the table and kept eviction notices at bay.

It was worth it.

But was it worth the price of my soul?

Two years later, this job has begun to kill me in every way but physically, until SHE comes along.

Reese is the breath of fresh air I need. She makes me smile, she makes me laugh, she makes me want more. But how can we ever be together after all the choices I’ve made?

Listing one mistake after another, these are my confessions and how we came through to the other side.

The Forbidden Men series concludes with THE PRICE OF MASON by looping back to the beginning and retelling PRICE OF A KISS through his eyes.

Just when you thought you knew everything, here’s the rest of the story.

Don’t you just hate it when someone destroys all your carefully made plans?

I mean, I had goals: college to graduate in one semester, a future I was working hard to reach, and an image of myself I wanted the world to see. My life was stacked into these precisely placed blocks. But then Colton Gamble came along and knocked them all askew.

I hated how he messed everything up, how he could hog all my attention whenever he was around, how he made my pulse quicken—but only because he ticked me off...not because I was attracted to him. Oh! And I hated how he knew how attractive he was too, the shallow, full of himself, doesn’t take no for an answer, too flirty, too cocky, extremely irritating jerk.

The boy had all the qualities that turned me off. Or so I thought.

One night he wasn’t quite the brainless, overconfident jerk I assumed he always was.

One night, he took care of me when I was at my lowest. He opened up to me and made me open up to him.

Now I’m learning maybe he’s not what I first thought he was. And maybe I’M not what I first thought I was. Maybe it’s okay to rearrange a couple of my perfectly set blocks. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll stop worrying about what I’m afraid everyone else will think and finally reach for something I really want. It’s possible some of my plans need to be destroyed, and Colton Gamble is exactly the kind of mess I need in my life.

What do you think? Should I give him a try?

Desperately seeking your advice,

Julianna Radcliffe

She walked away from fame. Now she's ghostwriting hits in secret—until her manager ropes her into working with the one man who grates her nerves and makes her pulse race. Levi is a brooding rock god who needs help finishing his album. Diana's songs are fire. Her glare is sharper. But when sparks fly in the studio, and secrets start to slip, neither of them is ready for the noise they're about to make together. Tension is high. Chemistry is off the charts. And someone’s about to hit a note they can't take back.

Bria Blossom is the Beta's daughter. She never gets into trouble. She's a golden girl, responsible, sweet, and eager to meet her mate.

When she finds out that her mate is none other than the pack's black sheep, Rhett Tiercel, she doesn't know what to think. She panics, worrying that Rhett will reject her. Resorting to the pack witch for help, she has a spell cast to temporarily hide the bond from Rhett. She has two weeks to find out if they can be together or not.

Can the bad boy fall in love with the golden girl? Or has the Moon Goddess made a mistake?

Evony is heir to the Winter Moon Pack and, despite being mistreated by her father, will one day become alpha. But everything changes when her pack is invaded and her father flees. Alpha Axton is in charge now and he hates her. Or does he? Either way, Evony is his prisoner and she is going to find out exactly how it feels to be the alpha’s pet…

Age Rating: 18+

Evony's life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers her true heritage and the dark secrets of her pack. As she navigates the treacherous world of werewolf politics, she must confront her past, protect her unborn child, and unite her pack against a common enemy. With the help of her newfound father, Alpha Nathaniel, and her mate, Axton, Evony embarks on a journey of self-discovery, love, and survival. Will she be able to reclaim her rightful place and bring peace to her pack?

For nine long years Katie has been held captive by her father, a sadistic rogue alpha. Just as she’s ready to give up on life, she manages to escape, only to be captured by the Blood Moon Pack and their alpha, Kane. Expecting to be killed or worse, Katie is shocked to discover a welcoming pack. Unfortunately, her father follows her—along with some dark secrets from her past!

Age Rating: 18+

Cleo accepts an invitation to the new carnival in town, hoping for a distraction from her recent breakup. What starts out as an evening to forget how sexually deprived she is, quickly blossoms into a night of intense and ridiculous pleasure. The members of the circus are rough, unhinged, and not exactly human. And for tonight? They're all hers. Welcome to Kinky's Carnival, where nothing is as it seems, and you just might be the star of the show.

Age Rating: 18+

“Like what you see?” Liam asks, knowing exactly how his gaze affects my sensitive body.

Well, two can play his game...

Ember has always run solo—no pack, no strings, no mate bond. But when a missing rogue pulls her into the tangled world of pack wolves, resistance gets a little harder… especially when one teasing, cocky wolf knows exactly how to push her buttons. Sparks fly, tempers flare, and the pull between them only tightens with every glance, every dare, every delicious threat. But in a world where loyalty can cost you everything, trusting the bond she’s sworn to avoid might be the riskiest move of all. Play nice? Not a chance. Play hard? Always. But when the turns into something real, will Ember let herself play to win?

Ten doors. Ten monsters. Ten sessions of interactive data collection.

With a PhD from MIT and crushing student loans, Cat Woods accepts a suspiciously well-paid job "collecting samples" from creatures in an underground lab focused on STEM (Sex, Tech, Experiments, and Monsters).

Cat should be terrified… so why does she keep wanting to open the next door?

TW: nonstandard penetration, fluids (various), cumulative data, butt crawling, bodymorpherotica, impossibly large peens

Mackenzie agreed to the trial out of desperation. The $50K was worth the risk—even if the drug could kill her.

The scientists said the pheromone created raw, uncontrollable lust. She’d be sealed in with a stranger for 12 weeks.

She thought she was ready.

Until HE walked in.

The Alpha who left her broken years ago. Who rejected her from the pack for being a hybrid. He was as dangerous as she remembered.

But his eyes had a brand new blaze of heat. “Looks like fate’s got a twisted sense of humor.”

Stella's been in love with Nate since she was a little girl. But being five years older than her meant that Nate only saw her as a little sister, even when they both grew up and sadly apart. Now he’s back in town, and this time, he wants her…but not for the reason she thinks! They say the truth will set you free, but when it comes to winning some serious cash, who can you really trust?

Age Rating: 18+

When Amelia’s alpha father tries to marry off her sister in an attempt to improve relationships with the Montana Pack, Amelia steps in and volunteers. She’s nobody’s puppet, but she’ll be damned if she watches her sister be sold off against her will. Alpha Liam of the Montana Pack has no idea what he’s in for. If he thinks he’s getting some submissive luna, he’s got another think coming. Amelia may also be surprised by Liam, though!

Age Rating: 18+

Her: A human afraid of two things: love and wolves.

Him: A wolf determined to prove that alphas can be kind.

After escaping an evil mate, all Maisie wants is a regular human life. She’s willing to sacrifice everything to get it… or is she? When she meets a kind-hearted second-chance mate, she must decide if love is worth the risk. Will Maisie learn to love again before her secrets catch up to her?

Jade: I’m an omega, the lowest ranked member of the werewolf community. I’ve learned to keep my head down and stay out of the way, beaten and broken by life. I’m as plain and bland as they come, with nothing to set me apart from the rest. I don’t dream of finding my mate. Real life is nothing like a fairytale after all. All I want to do now is keep away from dominant males. But then he comes, shattering all my walls.

Alaric: There’s an ache that gnaws at me and nothing can ever numb it. My father sent me on this tour of diplomacy in hopes that it would temper my hotheaded ways and perhaps lead me to my destined mate, who would soften my heart. But I’m the Bloody Alpha, feared and respected by all, and no one can change me. That is, until I meet her.

Age Rating: 18+

Maggie’s used to dealing with strangers as a call center worker, but she could never predict a client talking dirty to her over the phone…more than once…nor that she’d like it. Successful businessman Asher is determined to get the alluring woman on the other end of the line to play along, and he’ll stop at nothing to turn their naughty phone calls into reality. A workplace romance with a twist!

Age Rating: 18+

Her: Twenty years old, forced by her father to marry a violent man.

Him: The Mafia boss who sees her at the hospital and feels called to protect her.

Harper knows exactly what sex with her husband is like. It’s awful.

“I’m sorry,” she says.

Her husband smiles. “Show me how sorry you are.”

Harper takes a few quick breaths to steady herself. She drops to her knees and takes him in her mouth.

He pulls her hair, forcing her to take all of him. She gags.

“Two years,” he says, thrusting his hips with every word. “And you still haven’t learned how to suck my dick.”

What she needs is a savior. When Dante finds her, he wants to be that savior. He vows to get her away from her violent husband for good.

Age Rating: 18+ (Assault, Attempted Rape, Domestic Violence, Offscreen Rape)

In a world where ancient gods and primal instincts collide, Artemis and her mate Aeros navigate a treacherous path of love, power, and destiny. When Aeros is possessed by the god Fenrir, their bond is tested by supernatural forces and deadly enemies. As they journey to reclaim Aeros's birthright and confront a tyrant king, they must harness their inner strength and the power of their pack to survive. Will their love endure the trials of gods and men?

In a world where rogues are outcasts, Simon and April navigate the treacherous politics of pack life and forbidden love. As Simon grapples with his rogue status and April defies her family's expectations, they uncover dark secrets and face powerful enemies. Their journey is one of love, betrayal, and the fight for acceptance, leading them to question everything they know about loyalty and destiny.

"I can't wait any longer," Ada gasped, her fingers tangling in his hair. She risked everything by doing this. But in the heat of the moment, she didn't care.

Ada, a lycan fleeing her dangerous past, never expected to find love. But when she meets Owen, the instant connection endangers not only herself, but the entire werewolf way of life. Is Ada willing to risk it all for a chance at a place she truly belongs?

The blood moon ritual was the night that started it all for Lorelai. It was the same for the three alphas she claimed. Find out what Nikolai, Braxton, and Derik thought during that first fateful night in this short story.

When Sebastian and Lyla are whisked away on a secretive mission by Sebastian’s enigmatic Uncle Arthur, they find themselves entangled in a web of ancient prophecies, werewolf attacks, and a quest for the Moon Goddess’s scepter. As they navigate through perilous forests and hidden caverns, they uncover shocking truths and face formidable enemies. With the fate of their world hanging in the balance, they must confront their deepest fears and unite against a powerful adversary.