Books to read before you die
13 stories
Duke of Camellias by flowersforleah
flowersforleah
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Emmanuel, Duke of Thornton, is handsome, wealthy, and most of all, unmarried. Nicknamed the Duke of Camellias by his admirers, he seems to have the world in his hand, but harbors a secret nobody knows. Blair Millais, on the other hand, has lost it all. His sister passed away and the short stories he publishes hardly earn enough for him to live on. When Emmanuel Waterhouse invites him over to be the writer of his very own biography with a superfluous salary, it seems too good to be true. Yet soon Blair realizes how society looks upon gay men in Victorian England, and a betrayal which has made Emmanuel unable to love anymore. So when he learns who exactly the Duke of Camellias is, and the reason behind the sadness in his eyes, can he ignore the impending fate that awaits him? TRIGGER WARNINGS: child abuse, assault, rape
Aries by firedance_icesong
firedance_icesong
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[COMPLETED] Lyra is a human living among wolf-shifters. Without being blessed with a beast, she tries her best to fit in the pack. Just when she thought her life could not get any worse, the next alpha of her pack, Ethan returns with Harper, his chosen female. One glance tells Lyra and Ethan that they are true mates. But Ethan rejects her for the female he had chosen. Driven by jealousy of the mateship, Harper orders Lyra to be banished. But Lyra never expects the banishment to be sweet. Especially when it introduces her to him. To Aries. On the journey of finding herself, she gets entangled with the Royals, the Moon's gifted and with the Warriors of Moon, who she thinks are nothing but a myth. And for all she knows, she could rise more powerful than the Alpha who left her bleeding, than the pack who abandoned her. [BOOK 1 OF WARRIOR OF MOON SERIES] Lovely cover made by @Wizard-Hunter
The Drive Home by Tayfetata
Tayfetata
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A matchbox clutched in my fist, I stand and watch my house disappear under billows of black smoke. Flames tear up the walls, licking and slurping like rabid dogs, and smoke pummels into the air like a beacon for the whole town to see. Debris falls like snow as all me and my parents' stuff goes up in flames, crumbs of white ash and black leaves drifting to the ground. Wait. No. I didn't set fire to any leaves. I see it then: that flicker to the left, beyond the melting corrugated iron of my bedroom walls. The bush is on fire. I've caught the bush on fire. ~*~**~*~*~~*~**~~**~*~ After burning down his family home and accidentally starting a bushfire, Pavo flees to the desert. His past looms like a churning black cloud of smoke, figuratively and literally, and the last thing he expects is to form a life-changing friendship with another traveler. He's convinced his life is over, but this traveler shows him another side of life - a tender side - and Pavo realises that maybe he has a life to fight for after all. But will he be able to outrun everything he's done?
In 27 Days (Watty Award Winner 2012) by HonorInTheRain
HonorInTheRain
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Hadley Jamison doesn't know what to think when she hears that her classmate, Archer Morales, committed suicide. She didn't exactly know him, but that doesn't stop her from feeling like there was something she could have done to help him. So to Hadley's surprise, on the very night of Archer's funeral, she has a run in with Death himself and is offered the chance to go back in time to stop Archer from ending his life. The catch? She only has twenty-seven days to do it. And if Hadley doesn't succeed? Well, she doesn't want to think about that.
Love & Exorcisms | 18+ | COMPLETE | by HarleyLaroux
HarleyLaroux
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| 18+ | Damian looked so different with his shirt off and a crop in his hand. He felt more real: no longer wearing the mask of the good doctor, he was the Exorcist, the master over my wildest fears, the stones on the shore over which my ocean of madness could crash without fear. He trailed the crop over my throat, down my chest. "Your demons have not been playing nicely," he said, a warning in his tone. Goosebumps prickled up my arms as the smooth leather teased over my navel. "No, sir. They haven't. They don't much like you." He grinned, and it was such a wicked sight that my stomach clenched up with desire. I desperately wanted to feel those teeth, the softness of those lips. Patience was nearly impossible. "I must admit I don't much like them either," he growled. "Turn around. Hands on the wall. Spread your legs." I obeyed, my breath catching in my throat. I felt him lean close, his breath hot on my neck as he left kisses along my hairline. "But they don't own your body, do they, darling? Who owns this body?" "I do, sir." My breathing shuddered. The crop tapped between my thighs. "That's right. And who have you chosen to give your body to?" "To you, sir." × × × 18 year old Samara Garfield is on the run - from her past, from her desires, from the wicked voices in her head. Everything seems to be catching up with her when she meets Damian Hearst, a doctor with perverted desires of his own. With a legion of demonic beings eager to overtake her, the good doctor may indeed be the only one who can save her. But as their dark pasts become ever more entangled and hope for salvation begins to fade, can love grow in the face of death? × Highest Rankings × #1 in Steampunk #1 in Kinky #40 in Horror
Persephone and Hades by Kaos-Emslie
Kaos-Emslie
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We all know the myth of how Hades saw Persephone and just had to have her as his wife. In the myth, there is an abduction and other negative things that paint Hades in a horrible way. But, what if the truth of that myth was something beautiful and filled with love and longing and destiny? What if Demeter, Persephone's mother who was heartbroken at her daughter leaving her and enraged by the fact that she would be in the Underworld, spread lies about their story? This tale sheds new light on what happened between Persephone and Hades, and it shows that there can be light in the darkest of places, and darkness in the sunlight.
Strength and Sensuality [Completed] by HeraHarker
HeraHarker
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A modern Pride and Prejudice story. Only sexier. Mira is a refugee, starting a new life far from home. She has to deal with her troubled past, her son, and her enigmatic boss, while her only weapon is her killer sense of humor. It's a slow-building love-hate story, with a strong female lead; two control freak lawyers, fighting for dominance, in denial of their feelings; an alpha discovering his submissive side; lots of humor and humanism. ~73K words ~~~ Warnings: - Mild language. Characters talk like white-collar workers usually do in real life. - Chapter 43 has mild sexual content. It isn't very graphic, it's emotional, rather, but if you don't want to read about it, just skip it. It won't affect the story. ~~~ Featured: - WP Romance's Read Together and Head Over Heels reading list - WP ChickLit and Women's Fiction reading list - WP New Adult's Romance reading list - WP Adult Fiction reading list - WP Classic Authors Twisting Austen's Magical Moments reading list - WP Retold reading list ~~~ Reviews: "You have a lot of literary elements going for you: your style is chock full of subtext, humor, and intelligence. There's a careful craftsmanship in world-building, character development, and theme." Scripturam Awards "A truly unique story with a quite remarkable a plot! It has the ability to convey the emotions stirred within the characters to the depth of readers heart!" The Graphomania Awards "I am beyond impressed with this work. The characters feel real; three-dimensional. The narration does not feel forced in any way, it flows as it reads." The Dream Awards "Some books lead with suspense and cliffhangers that even if you don't want to continue the book you do so just to sate your curiosity. But then a rare gem like this comes along and without any cheap tricks it pulls in, you just continue and keep reading it and you may not even know when you reach the end." Shadow City Awards
Lady in Rags by Spiszy
Spiszy
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Verity Baker has spent her life cleaning up after her father's mistakes. But one day, he goes too far and sells her, for one night only, to a local lord to pay his debts. What kind of man would buy a woman? What kind of woman would agree to be bought? COMPLETED
The Bad Boys' Soft Boys' Lonely Hearts Club - The Full Package by Sam_le_fou
Sam_le_fou
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Four bad boys, Ayden, Hayden, Brayden, and Okayden, try to form a school club to learn how to fight their bad boy instincts, or succumb to cliches trying. ******* When Ayden's six-pack appeared when he was nine, he realized that he was born to be a bad boy. Far for embracing it, he has dedicated his whole life to avoid every cliche in the book, from girls with mysterious pasts stumbling into him in the hallways, to always changing schools to be the "mysterious new kid," to ancient beings asking him to be a chosen one every other day. But a fated encounter with the captain of the football team makes him realized that he is not the only one cursed with being a bad boy. There are others like him. Alone, they are weak. Together, they are strong. Sort of. With the mission to finding others cursed with being bad boys, Ayden and his new friends will work together to make a school club where they can help each other avoid the trappings of cliche and finish the school year unscathed. That is, if they can convince the student council president to let them form the club in the first place. [SEASON 1 COMPLETED] [SEASON 2 COMPLETED] [SEASON 3 COMPLETED] Cover by @Feralshadow
Talon the Black (Dragonwall Series # 1) by addicted2dragons
addicted2dragons
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**Preview Only** When a wounded dragon falls from the sky, Claire Evans runs into a cornfield to rescue it. This isn't just any dragon, he's a shifter, one of six royal protectors, and helping him has consequences. Claire finds herself traipsing--or rather, flying--across the kingdom of Dragonwall. She must face Dragonwall's king. King Talon is not like those before him. Troubled and temperamental, he is scarred by more than the events that shaped him. Worst of all, he is mateless. With no queen and no heir, his subjects are demanding he abandon tradition and marry into nobility. There is a rising threat at his borders, whispers of a sorcerer. Soon, he will have greater problems than that of finding a wife. Modern meets medieval in this seven-book series filled with magical creatures and adventure. This epic fantasy is a slow burn romance that follows multiple POVs, woven together around Claire, a small town Indiana gal. If you've ever wondered what it might be like to get sucked into a fantastical world beyond our own, look no further! **Read Exclusively On Wattpad**