"As fierce as I tried to appear on the outside... I couldn't lie. I was still scared. Not only of getting hurt, but also of losing whatever's left of who I was. What if I would wake up one day and wouldn't recognize myself anymore? Though, maybe that was the point. Maybe the old me wasn't worth saving anyway."~Adrian Hayes ... After his parents kicked him out for being gay, Adrian Hayes finds himself longing for control and respect. He fights himself into the gang, his cousin is also part of, desperate to free himself from the humiliation and shame that clung to his name. Though, he never meant to fall for the rival gang leader. ... "I was the leader of a gang that Rafael wanted gone. And Adrian, whether he liked it or not, was one of Rafael's now."~Caleb Silva

A misdelivered love letter meant for the school's cheerleader lands in her twin brother's locker, sparking an unexpected friendship that forces Oliver to face family secrets, his identity, and his growing feelings for the one boy he was never supposed to love. *** Oliver Grant wasn't trying to fall for Max Ellis. He had one job: slip a love letter into locker 166 and finally confess to Kate Ellis - the cool, untouchable cheerleader of his teenage dreams. Instead, it ends up in locker 168. Which belongs to Max Ellis - Kate's twin brother. Broody. Quiet. Star football player. Definitely not the person Oliver was supposed to fall for. And the worst part? Since that day, Max Ellis has been way too interested in Oliver Grant - showing up, sitting too close, smiling like he knows exactly what he's doing. The more Oliver tries to avoid him... ...the harder Max makes it to walk away. Now Oliver's life is spiraling into awkward hallway run-ins, mixed signals, and a growing suspicion that maybe - just maybe - the wrong locker wasn't a mistake at all.

In which an underground fighter in desperate need of anger management and a snarky mafia boss make a deal with an explosive reaction. ... Some people were born lucky with silver spoons in their mouths and trust funds established long before they were born; others were born with dirt underneath their fingernails, barely scraping by. Twenty-three-year-old underground fighter Linus Ward was used to the latter. Raised in the foster system and bounced from one bad situation to another, Linus learned early on that surviving wasn't a simple task but having his foster siblings did make it a lot easier. However, when Linus' foster sister got caught up in a con gone wrong, what should've been a routine identity switch and a clean getaway ended with spilled blood on her hands and a target on her back. To guarantee his sister's safety, Linus was forced to make a deal with someone as dangerous as the people hunting him: recently-named mafia boss Teodoro Raymond. A paid bodyguard position with guaranteed safety should have been a good thing. Yet, when sparks started to fly and the lines between protection and obsession blur, Linus was left to decide if he was clawing his way out of the world that's always tried to chew him up, or falling even deeper into it.

Levi has always had it easy-on the field, in the halls, and with everyone who thinks they know him. Popular, athletic, and effortlessly charming, he's the guy people expect to succeed... even if his grades say otherwise. Dakota is his opposite in every way: sharp-tongued, top of the class, and perfectly content to be invisible to everyone-especially boys like Levi. So when the school pairs them for tutoring, neither of them is thrilled. Levi thinks Dakota's a know-it-all. Dakota thinks Levi's a lost cause. But forced afternoons turn into inside jokes. Shared secrets slip through the cracks. And somewhere between late-night study sessions and unexpected sparks, Levi starts noticing things he shouldn't-like the way Dakota smiles when he forgets to hide it. Just when things feel almost right, a mistake shatters everything. Harsh words. Betrayal. Bad blood. And suddenly they're strangers again - hurt, angry, and pretending they never cared. [Mature themes] [Completed]

(mxm) Survival tip #1: Don't strangle your snowed-in roommate. Easier said than done for Miles Thompson, a college senior who just wants to cruise through his final semester with as few complications as possible. But when a freak blizzard traps him in Logan Arver's apartment, simple is officially off the table. Logan is smug, infuriatingly calm, and way too good at getting under Miles's skin. Miles is short-tempered, sleep-deprived, and certainly not interested in making new friends. But with the snow piling up, the power on the verge of cutting out, and nowhere else to go, they're forced to navigate more than just the storm together---long after it ends.

When shy former track runner Emery strikes a deal with charismatic athlete Beckett, they each have a goal: to help the other impress their crush. But as courtship slowly turns to jealousy, the two are left to confront their feelings as they fight to win each other's hearts instead. Season 1 of Crushed Hearts *** All that Emery Theiss wants is to become an English professor, knowing his ADHD medication means his days of running sprints are over. But when the track team star, Beckett Delroy, unceremoniously hits him with a football, Emery's bad luck changes gears. Beckett needs Emery's advice to help his crush warm up to him, and Emery could use Beckett's confidence to win over his best friend and secure his future. But while coming to an agreement is easy, Beckett is the track rival who broke Emery's coveted record, and he can't stop himself from flirting, even with Emery. The charmingly annoying teasing, however, reveals Beckett has a softer side. The more time he spends with Beckett, the less important impressing his crush becomes. Faced with the possibility of losing his chance at his future, will Emery chase love or settle for certainty to ensure his heart isn't crushed? *** Cover Design by Louise De Ramos

"You're scared of me," he accused. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation kicking in, but I shook my head. "No, I'm scared your blood will stain my couch." He blinked a few times and then a shadow of a smile broke out on his face. "I'll buy you a new one." ... A wife who died a mysterious death and a "my way or the highway" attitude, Manolo Raymond was not to be trusted. Anyone with ties to the underworld knew that, which was why Wesley did what he could to stay out of the mafia prince's path. He had one goal: to finish paying off his debt to Manolo's older brother and then never see their faces again. However, his plans were thrown out the window when he returned home one night to find his house broken into and an injured Manolo Raymond bleeding on his couch, demanding refuge.

"We're just friends." Seems to be like a motto for Vincent Chance and Soccer star Lucas Marshall. Whenever anybody asks about them all they say is 'we're just friends.' Everybody suspects they're more, Vincent's friends, Lucas' friends, the rest of the school, but they don't care what people think. It doesn't seem to matter to them that they really don't act like friends, because they're completely totally unequivocally just really very good friends. For the most part... Cover by: @enchantedpapers

To secure a crucial investment to save his company, CEO Clark Ashford strikes a faux relationship deal with an ambitious entrepreneur. But after romantic feelings and anonymous threats get involved, it jeopardizes everything they're working toward. Season 1 of His CEO Series *** Broken promises and fleeing investors throw Clark's company into a financial crisis. His only hope is to secure an investment from Ava Holmes, the hottest billionaire in tech. To catch her attention, Clark must attend an exclusive couples' retreat hosted by Ava. The only problem is he's single AF. Desperate and out of options, Clark reluctantly turns to a fake dating service where he hires the charming Elias Barnes to pose as his boyfriend. What starts as a simple arrangement evolves into something more after off-script kisses and cuddles blur the line between business and pleasure. With billions at risk, Clark will have to make a choice that not only places his future and heart on the line, but Elias' too.