strongfmc

22 ARCs found
The Penalty Box
Limited time
The Penalty Box

by Rebecca Zorg

Tropes: slowburn, forcedproximity, firstperson

Instant download

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
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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]

Love Twists and Knots
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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
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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
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Valley's Salvation, Book 2 of Valley's Rise

by Gina V. Badd

Tropes: forcedproximity, firstperson, characterdriven

Instant download

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
Masks and Moonbeams

by Kanika Singhal

Tropes: characterdriven, dualpov, magic

Instant download

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
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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
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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]

Obscura
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Obscura

by Taine

Tropes: slowburn, forbiddenlove, paranormal

Instant download

He heals fractured minds. She shatters them. But neither can resist the other. Psychologist Dr. Julian Cross is used to fixing broken people. But his newest patients share a terrifying pattern: shattered memories, hollow eyes, and a toxic obsession with a shadow they cannot name. Following the trail of ruined minds takes him straight into Obscura—a gothic nightclub ruled by a woman who defies every law of nature. Victoria Ashford is a centuries-old vampire. She is meticulous, lethal, and used to absolute control. To protect her kind's secret existence, mortals who cross her are swiftly erased. But Julian is a glitch in her world. He is the first human she cannot compel to forget. Instead of destroying him, she is drawn to him. Julian believes he's dealing with a normal human, but Victoria’s world is a dangerous, intoxicating unknown. As he dives deeper into her dark territory, a slow-burn tension ignites between them. Julian’s curiosity might get him killed. But Victoria’s choice to let him get close could destroy everything she has spent centuries protecting, especially as a dangerous figure from her past threatens to bring it all down. Obscura is an addictive, high-stakes vampire romance filled with intense yearning, forbidden love, danger and a powerful female lead. What to Expect: Forbidden Vampire Romance: Vampires must remain hidden from mortals Reverse Power Dynamic: Powerful Female Vampire & Mortal Male Doctor Slow Burn: Mutual restraint and yearning Gothic Aesthetics: A dark atmosphere with supernatural danger Dual POV: Get inside both of their heads **A note for ARC readers** Thank you so much for reading! My book is already live on Amazon and Goodreads, so you can post your honest review the exact moment you finish reading. Your support means the world to me. [Read More]

Javi: The Others
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Javi: The Others

by Kari Wiethop

Tropes: slowburn, characterdriven, foundfamily

Instant download

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
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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
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Poison Apple: Snow White and the MC Beast

by Katlyn S. Coen

Tropes: slowburn, forcedproximity, firstperson

Instant download

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
Hearts and Hairpins

by Kanika Singhal

Tropes: characterdriven, dualpov, strongfmc

Instant download

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]

Gaia's Dawn
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Gaia's Dawn

by Sapphire Rae

Tropes: firstperson, paranormal, strongfmc

Born of violence and awakened by the cruelty of men, I delivered justice through intimacy. But with every soul judged, the darkness pressed closer. Fearing I would become the monster I sought to destroy, I fled to a secluded island kingdom. There, I fell for a mortal king. But a goddess cannot be sustained by one man alone; I watched him wither beneath the weight of my power. To remain in mortal form and save our love, I must draw strength from a circle of bonds. Now, men travel from distant lands to be judged. Only the worthy will stand at my side as paramours. But a plague has come—a darkness that does not bargain. Saving my people will demand more than love; it will test the trust of my chosen men and the limits of my survival. Gaia’s Dawn is a dark fantasy romance featuring reverse harem devotion, high heat, and themes of justice and sacrifice. 18+ only. Note: This campaign is for the newly expanded/definitive edition. As the book is already live on Amazon, you may post your honest review immediately upon finishing! Join the team and help relaunch the series. [Read More]

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

Song of the Chintāmani: A Steamy Fake-Marriage Romance in Ancient India
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Song of the Chintāmani: A Steamy Fake-Marriage Romance in Ancient India

by M. P. Gupta

Tropes: forcedproximity, adventure, foundfamily

She is the only scholar who can decode a murdered woman’s secret. He is the warrior ordered to keep her alive. Gupta-era India, 400 CE. Vachana Devagupta has spent her life studying the scattered fragments her mother died protecting. When the imperial court sends her in search of the sacred relic concealed within them, she is placed under the protection of Commander Aryaman—a disciplined warrior who trusts duty far more than desire. Their search carries them across river roads, temple archives, gilded courts, and deadly ambushes. To move unseen, they must pose as husband and wife. One room. One bed. A marriage built on a lie. But the danger is real—and so is the desire growing between them. Song of the Chintāmani is a steamy, open-door historical romance featuring a brilliant scholar heroine, a protective warrior hero, fake marriage, forced proximity, political intrigue, found family, and an ancient mystery powerful men will kill to control. Perfect for readers who enjoy lush historical settings, high-stakes adventure, intense romantic tension, and a love story unlike anything they have read before. [Read More]

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

Instant download

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]

The Ripples of an Evil Prince
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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]

Guarded
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Guarded

by Eden Sloane

Tropes: forcedproximity, dualpov, foundfamily

Instant download

For a chance to save his daughter, he’ll do whatever it takes… Sebastian Voss has spent the last three years fighting for custody of the little girl who means everything to him. Between a narcissistic ex-wife, her polished new fiancé, and a steady stream of damaging headlines painting him as the NHL’s favorite womanizing disaster, Sebastian is running out of options. Then he lands on one reckless, desperate solution. He needs a wife. Kat Morrison should be the last woman he asks. She’s a sharp-tongued journalist he barely knows, a woman with storm-gray eyes, a guarded heart, and more secrets than anyone should carry. But Sebastian has been gone for her since the moment they met, and if marrying Kat gives him a better chance at keeping his daughter safe, he’ll risk everything. Even his heart. Kat knows saying yes is a mistake. Not because she doesn’t love him. Because she does. For three years, she’s been forced to write the lies that have damaged Sebastian’s reputation and cost him chance after chance in court. Blackmailed into obedience to save her brother’s life, Kat has become the weapon aimed straight at the only man who’s ever made her feel safe. Now she’s living in his house, wearing his ring, loving his daughter, and falling deeper for the family she was supposed to help destroy. But the closer Sebastian and Kat get, the harder it becomes to tell where the lie ends and forever begins. And when the truth finally comes out, Sebastian could lose more than custody of his daughter. He could lose the woman he’s loved all along. Guarded is a spicy contemporary hockey romance featuring fake marriage, a devoted single dad, a morally gray heroine, found family, secret betrayal, and a hero who falls first and hard. [Read More]

Pantheon
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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
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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]

His Little Witness
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His Little Witness

by Kindra Cress

Tropes: slowburn, forcedproximity, firstperson

Instant download

He was sent to make me disappear. He wasn't supposed to want me for himself. I recorded a murder. One shake video, one VIP room I should never have served, one man who looked straight into my phone and smiled, and now the most powerful men in the city want me erased before sunrise. Then he found me first. Silas doesn't ask. He doesn't comfort. He shows up like a blade in a tailored shirt and tells me I have ten seconds to choose: walk away and die, or come with him and lose every piece of the life I used to have. Cold-blooded, ruthlessly efficient, and absolutely not allowed to touch me, he's the man Blackwater sends when there's nothing left to save. But he touches me anyway.. Every safehouse gets burned. Every alias gets cracked. Someone inside his own organization is feeding me to the wolves, and Silas just promised he'd torch Blackwater to the ground before he let them take me. God help me, because I want to watch him do it. A dark, possessive, slow-burn romantic suspense for readers who like their heroes lethal, their heroines sharp-tongued, and their tension thick enough to cut. Forced proximity. One bed (eventually). A man who was supposed to be untouchable until he met her. HIS LITTLE WITNESS is Book 1 in the Blackwater series. Reader note:Steamy, explicit, and intense. Contains on-page violence, themes of stalking and surveillance, and a hero whose protective instincts run very, very dark. [Read More]