characterdriven

The Penalty Box

by Rebecca Zorg

Tropes: slowburn, forcedproximity, firstperson

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He doesn't remember ruining her life. She's going to make sure he does. IVY Seven years ago, Gabriel Castellano took the best night of my life and turned it into a punchline. It cost me my spot on the national team and the only future I'd ever planned. Now he's here. Traded to Whistler, parked in my booth with his new teammates, telling me to surprise him like he's never seen my face before. As far as he knows, he hasn't. So I did what any professional would do. I "accidentally" poured a pint of our worst IPA straight down his six-hundred-dollar shirt. Surprise. Here's the problem: his team just partnered with The Penalty Box, keeping my late father's bar alive, and the town wants repairs that cost more than we clear in a season. Which makes the man I've spent seven years hating the closest thing I have to leverage. And every night he comes back, hating him gets more expensive. GABRIEL People have told me who to be since I was fifteen, and I've never once disappointed them. Golden boy. Franchise face. So I can't explain the bartender. She hates me. Openly. Specifically. Like she's had it ready for years. The worst part isn't that I don't know why. It's that I'm starting to think I should. A slow-burn, high-angst hockey romance with: - Enemies to lovers—he doesn't remember her. She remembers everything. - Forced proximity, one blizzard, one bar - A second chance carrying a seven-year grudge - A grovel that draws blood - Found family, a bar worth fighting for, and one mechanical wolf - Dual POV · Slow burn · Open door · Guaranteed HEA For readers who loved the grovel in Elle Kennedy's The Mistake and the BC-set slow burn of Stephanie Archer's Behind the Net. The First Line, Book One. [Read More]

Neighborly Chemistry

by Mary DCosta

Tropes: slowburn, firstperson, characterdriven

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She’s an overworked scientist. He’s a celebrity wellness guru. They share a wall—and an enemy. Victoria Darling has no patience for her infuriatingly serene neighbor. Determined to escape her parents' Beverly Hills dental empire, she's grinding through an MD-PhD program, working eighty-hour weeks in the lab of a Nobel Laureate. The last thing she needs is Stephen Souza. Stephen is Hollywood's favorite wellness guru, selling adaptogens, mindfulness, and immaculate vibes to A-listers who swear by him. Victoria sees him as everything wrong with modern health culture—until academic betrayal destroys the career she's spent her life building. Suddenly, the man she dismissed as a celebrity quack is the only person who can help—and the one person she never expected to fall for. Because Stephen Souza isn't who she thinks he is. And the man who ruined Victoria's future has a history with Stephen—one that could help her reclaim credit for a groundbreaking discovery and protect its future. A STEM romance for readers who want the STEM to actually matter. Expect real scientific detail, highly competent characters, enemies-to-lovers chemistry, humor, and a plot that depends on the science. [Read More]

Gold

by Runa Saevik

Tropes: forcedproximity, characterdriven, adventure

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Six weeks, a book about wine, no complications. That was the plan. Luca Casini's father left him one word before he died. Luca followed it across the border into Slovenia, telling everyone, including himself, that the trip was about research. Matej Kos makes cheese in a cave older than the border itself. He speaks rarely, builds walls that outlast empires, and has built a life in which no one can let him down, because no one is in it. Neither man came looking for company. Something fits almost at once, easy in a way neither trusts yet: coffee that goes cold while they talk, jokes pitched between insult and affection, whole days that fall into a rhythm before anyone decides they should. The wanting arrives, blunt and physical and impossible to talk their way around. But when a key hits the floor, everything quiet turns loud, and what the stone has been holding changes everything they thought they were building. Some places are inherited. Some are found. [Read More]

Love Twists and Knots

by Jo-Anne Carriere

Tropes: firstperson, characterdriven, adventure

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An accidental proposal, a charming sailor, a Mediterranean Romance that changes everything… Genny needs a new beginning. She takes a break from the corporate world, and spontaneously decides to go to the South of France for a carefree holiday. Enjoying her wine at a harbor café in Antibes, she cannot believe that the man sitting across from her is… HIM—the one she’s always pictured herself with. After their eyes meet, and a light chitchat, and more wine, she accidentally proposes to the charming Nick. Nick laughs it off, but he doesn’t run. Intrigued, he invites her for a sail on the Mediterranean aboard his 83-foot classic sail yacht. What begins as a magical starlit night on his yacht soon becomes far more daring when Genny loses her job due to downsizing—she risks everything, and leaves Vancouver behind to follow the man who has captured her heart. Trouble rises when Heidi, an envious work colleague appears on the quay hoping to be part of Genny’s adventure. Genny shooed her away, but Heidi finds a way… Their romance gets twisted in a knot when Nick’s past resurfaces. Desperate to settle his divorce, Nick sells his beloved yacht to a shadowy buyer, an acquaintance of his ex. The buyer has two conditions—he pays for the yacht only after it is delivered to Puerto Rico—and he insists that Heidi stay onboard for the journey, causing spiraling tension. Fate did not work in Genny’s favor—unable to cross the Atlantic, she leaves Nick and the crew in Gibraltar and reunites with Nick in Barbados. The romantic trip Genny had in mind soon turns into a web of perilous secrets and lies when they discover the buyer had a different plan. Genny must decide what she truly believes. Is Nick her anchor, or is she caught in his wake? To keep her chance at love, will she take risks to choose the wild and beautiful life her heart whispers for? [Read More]

Ribbons and Royals

by Kanika Singhal

Tropes: characterdriven, dualpov, magic

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What is divine without the devotee? Even the most powerful beings yearn to be truly seen. Five new stories from the world of gods, tyrants, princesses and rascals — and the one person in the world they cannot hide from. The princess of Mithila names her imaginary friend Vish, and tells him to come marry her. The princess who has decided the kindest thing she can do for the man she loves is make him hate her. The woman who lets a snake with an attitude into her house, and now he won’t leave. The princess of Chandanpur who recognises her childhood friend behind his disguise — and decides to have some fun with him. The tyrant who loses his entire reputation for tyranny because of one woman. Five stories. Five happy endings. No cliff-hangers. No exceptions. Gods and mortals, curses and kingdoms, love that outlasts every disguise. Ribbons and Royals is the third book in the Of Queens and Rascals series — fantasy romance rooted in Indian mythology, folklore, and history — fierce hearts, worthy loves, and the impossible relief of being truly known. [Read More]

Valley's Salvation, Book 2 of Valley's Rise

by Gina V. Badd

Tropes: forcedproximity, firstperson, characterdriven

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Valley Bates and her fiance, Bryan LaCoste, are left reeling after multiple shocking events. can they push past the trauma and fear to reach their own black rainbow? Book 2 in the duet, Valley's Rise. [Read More]

Masks and Moonbeams

by Kanika Singhal

Tropes: characterdriven, dualpov, magic

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To be loved is to be known. Princess Lata moonlights as a vigilante and finds an ally worth dying for. But what does this man have to do with her good-for-nothing fiancé? Chakor captures the Moon God. Now she needs to let him go. Or watch him die. To keep her promise to her dying queen, General Ria lives her life under a mask. But an old friend returns, and now she has a choice – lose her heart or break her oath. Chitrani falls in love with a Snake prince as a child. Years later, why does her fiancé look so much like the boy she lost? And Kalindi – the village healer – tries to evict a long-healed warrior from her hut by making him do housework. She doesn’t know he is a prince. “... being truly seen beneath expectations, titles, and carefully guarded secrets.” – Amazon Reviewer, Canada “The romances are tender without being cheesy and the mix of mythology and folklore gives it personality.” – Amazon Reviewer, Spain In this collection of clean fantasy romance, five women find themselves seen — truly seen — by the last person they expected. Five stories. Five happy endings. No cliff-hangers. Masks and Moonbeams is the first book in the Of Queens and Rascals series — fantasy romance rooted in Indian mythology, folklore, and history — fierce heroines, heroes who earn their place, and love that sees through every mask. “... a shiny gate to escape from the reality of modern, fast-paced life.” – Amazon Reviewer, Germany [Read More]

The Raven & the Lake, Book 1: Hoarfrost

by Rowan Ravenheart

Tropes: slowburn, forcedproximity, characterdriven

THEY SAID FAERY NEEDED A KING. THEY LIED. For three years, Jesryn Hallows called survival peace. Hiding from a fractured past in the human world, she thought she had successfully severed the threads of a destiny meant to break her. But when Faery's ancient ley lines buckle, the deep places of the world remember her name—and the gods come calling. The Veil between worlds is failing, the ley lines are breaking and Faery is teetering on the edge of magical collapse. To save her world and her people, Jesryn must return to Arcadia and take up the mantle of the goddess she refused. But returning to Arcadia means facing the prince that nearly destroyed her. Owyn Corey, Regent Prince of the Lake, has spent three years searching for the woman who vanished without so much as a goodbye, spiraling into darkness and obsession. But Owyn is no longer the boy Jesryn loved. As old magic stirs and destiny closes its hand around them both, Jesryn must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice for a crown she never wanted—and a world that demands nothing less than her life. Perfect for readers who love: • Fated mates • Celtic-inspired fantasy • Gods and prophecy • Second-chance romance • Dark fae courts • Ancient magic and broken kingdoms • Slow-burn romantasy with epic stakes [Read More]

The Sniper and the Swan

by Halle Macpherson

Tropes: slowburn, firstperson, characterdriven

Five years ago, the mysterious masked musician known as Il Cigno vanished. Her disappearance has haunted him ever since. Matteo Rossi has two equally challenging roles: mercenary assassin and guardian to his boisterous thirteen-year-old niece, Alessandra. He knows how to track a target, take down a threat, and disappear without a trace. What he doesn't know how to handle is a teenager who has started breaking the rules—or the feisty music teacher who is encouraging her to do so. When Mia Mills built her new life as a music teacher in the Italian lakeside town of Lacustria, she had one rule: keep her head down and stay out of trouble. But Mia has never been the type to walk away from someone who needs her help. When her talented student Alessandra secretly applies for a prestigious music summer camp, Mia is determined to help her chase her dreams—even if it means going head-to-head with her overprotective guardian. Mia knows getting close to people only puts them in danger. But as she is drawn deeper into the Rossi household, she finds herself wrapped in the warmth of a family she never expected to become part of. With each day she spends there, she indulges in the most dangerous ideal of all: hope for the future. As Matteo and Mia try to resist the magnetic pull between them, the truths they are both hiding threaten to destroy everything they've built. Because some truths can set you free. And some can get you killed. [Read More]

Carve Me Golden

by Mara J. Ova

Tropes: forcedproximity, firstperson, characterdriven

Trapped alone with your ultimate daydream crush while a storm rages around you… do you dare take the chance? Forced proximity · She’s also an athlete · Celebrity athlete and his fan · European alpine settings · High‑stakes sport · Overcoming traumatic past · Exotic settings and fresh sports After seven years with a toxic ex, Czech language teacher Zlata knows a new relationship is the last thing she needs. She’s finally thrown herself into ski racing, the real kind, with after-hours training and no rewards but the rush. But a girl is allowed to dream… and sometimes, dreams come true. A broken gondola. A violent storm. And Fabio Baier, her untouchable, world-famous ski racing crush, close enough to feel, to touch, to make her feel alive, if only for an hour. This was never supposed to be real. But when fantasy collides with reality, it doesn’t come softly. It burns. Because Fabio isn’t just every woman’s dream. He has demons of his own to outrun. And until they both face their pasts, all they have is craving. Carve Me Golden is a standalone in the Carve series, a high-heat sports romance filled with forced proximity, emotional scars, explosive chemistry, and a compelling couple who know that love must be earned. If you crave intense attraction, high-stakes passion, and a fantasy that refuses to stay just a fantasy, this book is for you. [Read More]

Javi: The Others

by Kari Wiethop

Tropes: slowburn, characterdriven, foundfamily

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Luxury, power, and intimacy. A voyeur discovers connection is the real risk. Javi Quintana didn’t come to the Mercer Estate to disappear into the shadows. He was hired to manage its memberships—the human side of an exclusive club conceived from discretion and desire. Trading his guest privileges for staff authority takes Javi inside the velvet-roped world where nothing is accidental. He doesn’t expect the sudden pull toward connection. It arrives in the form of Quinn, a brilliant and guarded administrator who belongs to this world in ways Javi never will. Built on restraint rather than impulse, their bond is a slow, magnetic draw neither of them anticipates. But it’s complicated by the powerful man who already holds a claim on her attention—their boss. As boundaries strain and feelings demand clarity, Javi learns that real intimacy requires more than patience. It requires risk. And in a world built on carefully negotiated control, choosing love may be the most dangerous act of all. A darkly intimate, slow-burn romance about confronting limits and risking heartbreak for something real. Perfect for readers who crave psychological depth as much as heat. [Read More]

Bonds of Shame, Bonds of Lust

by Jordyn Haart

Tropes: slowburn, forcedproximity, forbiddenlove

Dr. Lacey Bonds is a good girl. Smart, sweet, and modest. She also has a secret so dark she hides it even from herself. When she catches her husband with two of his university students, her marriage is shattered and she has a second chance to find out what she really wants. To her surprise, it’s a craving completely at odds with her repressive upbringing. Guided by the beautiful young guitarist Ricardo and her hedonistic best friend Janice, Lacey enters the world of the notorious Second Circle Social Club determined to experience everything she’s denied herself. Unbeknownst to Lacey, Derek Harrington, chairman of her hospital board, widower and father to her favorite patient, has been watching her transformation with increasing interest. But the gruff, former Special Forces officer, has a secret of his own… As Lacey uncovers the dark source of her obsession, her carefully organized world starts to unravel, and she risks losing everything important to her. Through it all, Lacey knows Derek is the last man who can be allowed to see what she's become. But he’s the only one she wants to show. Bonds of Shame, Bonds of Lust is the first book in this super spicy dark contemporary romance duology. [Read More]

Poison Apple: Snow White and the MC Beast

by Katlyn S. Coen

Tropes: slowburn, forcedproximity, firstperson

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White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony. Fairy-tale beauty made flesh had one rule: Nobody gets close to her son. Fate—or the Norse Gods—had other plans: Shove me on a pitch-black parking lot. Drop a six-foot-six Sons of Ragnarök patch-wearer—inked, ruthless, and fourteen years my senior. I’m frozen in terror. My fearless two-year-old with zero sense of danger? Both arms. Open wide. And the Beast takes my boy like he’s always belonged to him. — Annika’s already buried one man she loved. She’s still haunted by the ghosts of her past. Drugs. Whores. Viking brutality. Ronny “Leif” Reinhardt rules the Sons of Ragnarök with absolute power. Innocence has never been his weakness. Until a tiny redhead barrels into his life and the beast finally meets his match. The feeling is foreign, dangerous, and fuckin’ addictive. Suddenly he’s everywhere. Watching. Guarding. Smirking. He calls it coincidence. Her head? Calls it obsession. Screams: run! Her body? Starts sending SOS. But the most terrifying part? He doesn’t rip Annika’s clothes off. He looks her in the eyes and asks, “May I?” There’s no going back. The poison apple is already bitten. ONE BITE, and you’ll be stuck in Germany’s industrial wasteland where the darkness hits harder—not for lack of light, but because hope, love, and beauty only increase the level of destruction. A dark, twisted Snow White retelling × outlaw biker romance. ONE BITE, Snow White… and the Beast never lets you go. Five books. One arc. This is where the saga begins. One warning before you bite: It is not for soft Disney princesses. But it’s not for those expecting blood, grief, and questionable consent on every single page either. The full dark romance × twisted Brothers Grimm fairy tale retelling potential isn’t delivered like instant soup. Think of a five-course menu. It doesn’t start with the heavy tastes. It starts with an amuse-bouche. [Read More]

Hearts and Hairpins

by Kanika Singhal

Tropes: characterdriven, dualpov, strongfmc

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We all hide. And we all deserve to be seen. Princess Sindhu enters enemy territory to save a man she has long been in love with. Except, he doesn’t know her. Veena finally has the undivided attention of Sardar Vindhya. So what if he is the most ruthless teacher in the military academy, and she is his only student? Archer Ratna and Mage-Prince Shyamak are the best in their fields. Unless they are around each other. The Queen of Malinivan offers her husband the mercy of forgetting, and quietly refuses it for herself. Tarini has disguised herself as a man for years. Then she is ordered to take a diva prince through the Himalayas. Five new stories from the world of queens, princes, rascals, and divas — and the inconvenient people who see right through them. Five stories. Five happy endings. No cliff-hangers. No exceptions. Just love, in all its stubborn, spectacular inconvenience. Hearts and Hairpins is the second book in the Of Queens and Rascals series — fantasy romance rooted in Indian mythology, folklore, and history — fierce hearts, worthy loves, and the impossible relief of being truly known. [Read More]

The Roman Prince of Chaos: A Spicy Slow-Burn Italian Football Romance

by Mara J. Ova

Tropes: slowburn, firstperson, characterdriven

He’s every woman’s dream. I’m just scared of what happens when I wake up. Alessandro Moretti is the most dangerous striker in Italy, a Golden Ball winner, and the Sexiest Man Alive. Watching him on screen has been my guilty pleasure for more than ten years. Then he became the face of my Baroque restoration campaign, said some stupid things about Baroque that I couldn’t let stand, and I corrected him. In front of a hundred people. It became a meme on Instagram. Now he wants me to teach him history—officially, so he doesn’t make an idiot of himself again. But I know why he suddenly pretends to admire Roman architecture. He wants me. On the pitch, Alessandro is hungry, aggressive, and used to taking what he wants. Off it, he’s a master seducer who knows exactly how to make a woman feel like she’s the only person in the room. But I mean to resist him, no matter how my pulse quickens when I feel his warmth. Because Alessandro Moretti loves the chase, and I refuse to become just another conquest. Except he says this isn’t about conquering me. He says he wants me. All of me. And he wants to make me happy. How am I supposed to believe that a man who has had a roster of supermodels on his arm could truly want a curvy scholar with limited time in Rome? And even if he does, the whole world will be watching, ready to decide whether I’m worthy of him. I’ve spent years building my professional reputation. I will not risk it for one charming, adorable footballer. Even if the most wanted man in Italy seems determined to prove that, for once, he isn’t playing to win. He’s playing for keeps. The Roman Prince of Chaos is a slow-burn, spicy sports romance packed with hilarious banter, irresistible pursuit, and electric chemistry, all against the beauty and chaos of Rome. Because Rome has been messing with young lovers since the beginning of time. Take a look inside and discover what happens when a legendary striker finally meets the one woman he can’t simply win. [Read More]

How To Ruin A Princess: A Steamy Short Prequel Sports Romance Novella

by Mara J. Ova

Tropes: slowburn, firstperson, forbiddenlove

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She is ice and scandal. He is speed and sin. When they meet, their Olympic night turns heat into a weapon they cannot stop using. Nico Reiner is Austria’s new golden boy, hurtling toward an Olympic silver that could cement his place in ski-racing history. The world sees swagger and shine, but behind the grin and glory, every gate is a dare not to choke, not to prove his doubters right when it matters most. Élise Moreau is the exiled heiress of a disgraced French empire, trained to smile, obey, and weaponize her beauty for her father’s ambitions. Slipping into the Olympic Village under a stolen press badge, she wants one anonymous night where no one knows her name, no one owns her choices, and no one can turn her into a pawn. When Nico recognizes the mystery girl who once scorched him with a single look, their collision in a quiet athletes’ lounge detonates into flirting as combat, touch as challenge, and sex as the only language reckless enough to match them both. Silver Course is a steamy forbidden prequel to Carve Me Free, a high-stakes sports romance where a reckless speed king chases an uptown ice queen across the World Cup circuit. If you like scorching chemistry, messy rich-girl rebellion, and dangerous men who race as they love, you’ll devour this Maraverse novella. [Read More]

The Crash Course: A Short Steamy Sports Romance With A Golden Boy Star Skier (The Carve Series)

by Mara J. Ova

Tropes: firstperson, characterdriven, dualpov

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A Steamy Origin Story Prequel to Carve My Heart (A Short Olympic Sports Romance) One‑night stand that won’t stay one‑night · Very steamy · Celebrity athlete · European alpine settings · High‑stakes sport · Binge in 90 minutes Katharina Berger has spent years fantasizing about Austria’s hottest ski champion from behind a screen. She never planned to crash into Thomas Kern on a glacier—let alone drag the Olympic god back to her hotel room and make every filthy daydream come true. On the Hintertux glacier, one “accidental” collision turns into drinks, teasing, and a night where Thomas worships her body like it’s the only finish line that’s ever mattered. He’s used to fangirls and casual hookups. She’s used to keeping her distance from athletes who eat girls like her for breakfast. But Katharina isn’t interested in being another anonymous conquest. She wants to own every hungry look, every groan, every wicked promise he makes against her skin—and walk away with her heart still intact. Thomas tells himself she’s just another distraction before the season starts. So why can’t he stop replaying the way she tasted on her fingers, the way she dropped to her knees like she’d been imagining it for years, the way one night with her feels more dangerous than any race? When dawn comes, and real life pulls them in opposite directions, neither of them knows they’re about to collide again—this time with careers, reputations, and Olympic dreams on the line. This steamy prequel novella to Carve My Heart is a slow-burn-igniting, no-fade-to-black sports romance packed with filthy fantasies finally fulfilled, an alpha ski god brought to his knees, and the bold heroine who refuses to be just another notch on his race skis. [Read More]

Her Heart's Wish

by Dawn Baca

Tropes: slowburn, characterdriven, dualpov

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Can a woman who built her life around everyone else finally choose love? Leila Durand has spent years being exactly who her family needed: a devoted mother, a doting grandmother, and the steady heart of the farm that saved her after loss. But when Yuri Petrova asks her to come to Saint Petersburg, the quiet life she has carefully built begins to feel less like safety and more like a beautiful cage. Yuri has always been a man of stars, students, and solitude—until one unforgettable Frenchwoman makes his orderly world feel suddenly incomplete. From their first meeting at a family wedding, Leila’s warmth, strength, and laughter unsettled him in ways no equation ever could. After three years of calls, letters, and longing, he is ready to stop loving her from a distance. Leila is falling for Yuri, but loving him means facing the grief, guilt, and fear she has buried beneath decades of devotion. Yuri is falling just as hard, but winning Leila’s heart may mean leaving behind the life, career, and country that have defined him. When distance, family ties, and old wounds threaten to keep them apart, Leila must decide whether being wanted is worth the risk of finally being seen. Will she cling to the life that made her feel necessary—or open her heart to the man who makes her feel chosen? Her Heart’s Wish is an emotional later-in-life romance about second chances, found family, healing after grief, and the brave, terrifying joy of beginning again. Perfect for readers who love mature heroines, patient heroes, slow-burn longing, complicated families, European settings, and love stories where the biggest battle is learning to believe happiness is still allowed. Read Her Heart’s Wish today and fall in love with a romance that proves it’s never too late to choose your own happily ever after. [Read More]

The Ripples of an Evil Prince

by Rebeka Volarević

Tropes: characterdriven, adventure, strongfmc

When Faery escapes an arranged marriage by journeying to parallel worlds, a sinister bond with a mysterious prince forces her to question who she is before the secret within her destroys everything and everyone she has fought to protect. Faery thought she was escaping her destiny, putting it on hold. She never imagined she was running straight toward it. In a medieval world where the existence of other realms is almost commonplace, Faery, a noblewoman bound to an unwanted arranged marriage, longs for escape. When she meets Astrifer, a scientist from another realm, that dream becomes possible. Defying duty, Faery, her wary guard Gawain and Astrifer set out on a journey across worlds, joined by Leon, a modern-day judge quick to accept the impossible. But her path grows darker when Prince Lucius appears, drawn to her by a mysterious and unsettling bond. What begins as freedom turns dangerous, as hidden truths surface and Faery is forced to confront not only the fate she tried to outrun, but the possibility that her own identity holds the greatest secret of all. [Read More]

Pantheon

by Lacunae

Tropes: slowburn, characterdriven, multipov

Instant download

Vivienne Ho has run Praya Capital for five years: no press, two photographs on the fund's own site, both of the other founder. Vivienne Ho is a face Circe fixes by hand before seven each morning, and a life that became real to the woman wearing it. Circe has spent six years being nobody in particular. By the end of the season a house in Geneva has published half a billion dollars for her body. Damien Tang loses a container terminal to her on a Thursday and wants her by the weekend. His family opens a file, and he lets it run. The man who loves her has money, no training, and no idea what he is buying. Circe can wear any face in the world. What her craft cannot survive is being looked at properly, at close range, by somebody who is not going to stop. He is not going to stop. A romantic conspiracy thriller for readers of Red Sparrow, First Lie Wins and The Night Manager. Romance and conspiracy carry equal weight, and both are explicit on the page. Book one of a trilogy; it stands alone. Contains explicit sexual content and graphic violence. Intended for adult readers. [Read More]

Episteme

by Suzy Bernard

Tropes: characterdriven, darkromance, multipov

Fox sees all. That’s the warning Aegis has been whispering across Washington and the threat to Episteme, the company that put a computer inside the minds of half the nation. It’s also a promise Edward Gareau intends to keep, especially when it comes to Dior Barnes, his co-founder, his undoing, and the only mind in the city sharp enough to challenge him. Edward will change every law, conceal every secret, and bury every version of himself to keep her. But somewhere beneath the politics of the DC elite, a woman called Tabby wakes up with no memory of who she is or where she came from—and only she can destroy everything Episteme has built. As Edward grasps for the one thing money and power can’t buy back, Tabby searches for a name, a past, and a truth someone doesn’t want her to remember. Some secrets aren’t meant to be found. Some find you first. A dark political romantic suspense where privacy is currency, love is suffocating, and surveillance is the law. FOR FANS OF: A true villain x villain love story High spice Morally black characters He falls first Soft only for her Fake engagement Amnesia The romance and political intrigue in H.M Wolfe's Daggermouth and ABC's Scandal The dark suspense of S.T. Abby's The Mindf*ck Series and Netflix's Black Mirror Content Warnings: EPISTEME contains dark and potentially disturbing themes, including but not limited to: child abuse (past/referenced), murder, human experimentation, explicit sexual content, non-consensual third-party present during sexual act, attempted non-consensual surgical procedures, invasion of privacy, hacking, car accident, alcoholism, opioid epidemic (past/referenced), opioid addiction and overdose, substance abuse, depictions of homelessness, mistreatment of vulnerable individuals struggling with substance abuse (related to human experimentation), use of Rohypnol (roofie), death of a parent, description of corpse, medical content, blackmail. In short, the FMC and MMC are VILLAINS. [Read More]

The Silence Between Us

by Mila Rowan

Tropes: slowburn, characterdriven, adventure

The road was supposed to help David Bennet figure out what came next. Falling in love was never part of the plan. After selling a software algorithm for more money than he ever imagined, David leaves his old life behind and sets out on a cross-country road trip in a camper, hoping the open road will help him decide what to do with his future. Mara Callahan has a different reason for joining him. For years, she's admired the quiet, thoughtful man who always seemed just out of reach. When David reluctantly agrees to let her come along, Mara sees an opportunity she never expected to get—a chance to know him beyond the polite conversations that had always kept them apart. As miles roll beneath their wheels, friendship deepens into something neither can ignore. Between mountain trails, desert sunsets, roadside diners, and nights beneath endless skies, David begins to lower the walls built by past heartbreak, while Mara discovers that love is rarely as simple—or as safe—as she imagined. But when old wounds and new fears threaten the future they're building, both must decide whether the risk of loving is worth the possibility of losing. From the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone and everywhere in between, The Silence Between Us is a heartfelt contemporary romance about second chances, healing, and finding home in the person who chooses to travel beside you. [Read More]

The Last Cheesecake

by Cassidy Denever

Tropes: slowburn, characterdriven, steamycontemporary

Love created a home. When love ended, it call into question whether that home had ever existed. Living far from their countries of birth, Carsten and Lilian meet in a vast city in Southeast Asia. He is analytical, guarded, and accustomed to relying on himself. She is shy at first, then bright and playful once she feels safe. What begins with a morning at a board-game café grows through daily rituals, weekends together, late meals, rain-soaked malls, family crises, a toy spaceship, and desserts that becomes his name for her. For Carsten, their shared life becomes proof that he has finally found somewhere—and someone—to belong. But beneath the tenderness, they carry different ways of handling fear, distance, grief, and emotional strain. The things they cannot say begin to shape the relationship more than the things they can. When one withdraws, the other is left with the humiliation of being treated as though the bond had never existed. Inspired by real events, The Last Cheesecake is an intimate, psychologically observant novel about cross-cultural love, abandonment, memory, and the damage caused when one person seeks meaning from someone who can offer only distance. This is a literary romantic drama. It does not have a traditional happy-ever-after ending. It is intended for readers who value emotional realism, slow-building intimacy, flawed characters, and devastating heartbreak that makes one question what was real and what wasn't. [Read More]