[2025 Wattys Shortlist] After getting cut off by her wealthy, business-obsessed parents, Emily Grayson finds herself broke, stranded in a small town, and working at a boba café, something she never imagined in her wildest dreams. Her first days on the job are a disaster, her patience (and Jake Sherlind's) running thinner than the tapioca pearls she keeps burning. Jake, the charming yet hardworking guy with big dreams, has no patience for entitled rich girls who don't know how to hold a job. But when Emily starts proving him wrong, their tension brews into something neither of them expected. Between spilled drinks, late-night confessions, and an orange stray cat that won't leave the back door, Emily begins to wonder... maybe losing everything was exactly what she needed to find herself. A small-town rom-com about growth, second chances, and love that's better steeped with time.

Maxwell Rossi is a star. He's in the NBA and quickly becoming a legend. Until an injury takes him out of the game and ends his team's season. Now, he has to figure out his future while also coming to terms with his past. The one thing he wants more than anything? Rylie Thomas. Rylie is still healing the wounds of her past when Maxwell shows up in her life again. It's hard enough for her to ignore him on the screen, now she has to ignore him in her every day life. Thing is, Rylie has always had a soft spot for him, even against her better judgment. The question is-- When is it the right time to get your happily ever after? And do they even exist at all? * Intended for 18+ due to adult content and language. TW: Parental Abuse & drug use. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT :)

Book IV of the UNC Series Carter Blake has a bone-deep hatred for the world-and especially for the people in it. All he wants is to keep his head down, focus on school and basketball, and avoid the mess of human connection. After enduring years of pain at the hands of his alcoholic mother, he's determined to cut ties with her and her endless web of lies. But the past isn't content to stay buried, and the universe seems intent on collecting on debts he's been trying to forget. Addison Kelton has always been called a bitch, long before her best friend's death hardened her even further. Now, her walls are sky-high, and she's determined to keep everyone out. She drowns her invisible scars in ink, pouring everything into her art and the future she promised her best friend she'd fight for. Nothing else matters-not her overbearing stepfather and certainly not the memories that refuse to stay in the past.

[WATTYS 2025 HONORABLE MENTION] 🔥Rated R for mature sexual content and graphic language 📚For fans of You've Got Mail (and underwear kinks) OR as one reader put it: "A yuletide story of what happens when his package gets shoved in her box by mistake." *** Zoey Franklin's post-college life is a mess. She's jobless, newly single, stuck living with meddling parents, and forced to hang out with her parents' friends, the Londers (AKA complete strangers), for Christmas. The only thing maintaining her sanity? A flirty, banter-filled text exchange with a mystery man, sparked by a package mix-up. Tristan Londer is finally going home for Christmas for the first time in forever. While he hoped for some much-needed quality time with his family, instead he gets a house full of strangers taking over his space. Especially that one stranger--the one with the voice, and the eyes, and the sass, who's claimed his bedroom as hers for the trip. Even though Zoey Franklin is the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, he can't stand the entitled princess. Good thing he has his mystery woman to text with late at night. If there's anyone who can turn his mood around, it's her. *** Cover co-designed by @LNRoberts1 and myself

[18+] Ellis Sutton, the sweet and caring Instagram influencer, has never felt the need to be romantically involved with a man despite her online fame. Everything seems fine until a two-week fling one summer when a handsome cowboy shakes things up. Thoughts of him won't leave her mind, and the growing pressure from her massive Instagram following is starting to take a toll on her. Rhett Lawson, a true cowboy and part owner of the rugged Diamond Creek Ranch, a cattle ranch and lodging haven, is facing financial woes. In a desperate bid to rescue their family legacy, Rhett's sister hatches a plan - bring in the famed Instagram sensation, Ellis Sutton. The hope? That her massive following could breathe new life into the struggling ranch. However, the plan takes an unexpected twist when Rhett realizes that the same Instagram sensation his sister has invited is none other than Ellie - the two-week fling etched in his memory for over a year. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at that bar that summer was actually a global phenomenon: social media influencer Ellis Sutton.

Can you fall in love with someone from the sound of their voice? No, that's silly... Eight years after losing her parents, Juneau's aimless drifting is a far cry from the stable, love-centered life her heart craves. Buried under student loan debt, she becomes an adult phone line worker. Instant sparks fly with her new client, Damian, a police sergeant whose investigations leave him jaded and burned out. Within the frenetic energy of New York City, Juneau and Damian are unaware of how closely connected their lives are, but repeated hot, anonymous conversations demand both to investigate if they've developed a true connection or if it's just a hotline fling. Formerly It's Just Phone Sex. Original 2021 story was edited & refreshed in June 2023. This story is complete & free. Thank you for finding it! Humbled by: *2022 Watty's Bootcamp. Many thanks to my mentor @TeaNHeartache. *Featured on Wattpad's Editor's Picks *Featured on Romance, New Adult, WattpadAfterDark, Humor, Creators Highest ranks: #1 cute, humor, newadult, phone, romcom, drama, matureaudience, maturethemes, newyork, phonesex, sexscenes, eroticromance, policeofficer, bravetogether, & youngadultromance #2 hot, comedy, steamy, funny, angst #5 youngadult, sexy #39 love #74 romance

Official bonus novella to High School Hit List. Maddy Danton should have never returned. She's collateral damage, trapped within a cage of secrets, a risk to the reputation of a boy held on a perfect pedestal. And maybe freeing herself from her shackles is as unrealistic as it is dangerous. But lies can only last as long as their facade survives. And Maddy is sure she is dying. A deeper, darker, and steamier insight into the characters of High School Hit List. Find out what happened to the royalty of Arlington once they left the kingdom. » can be read as stand-alone, however, contains spoilers to its predecessor » #8 in ChickLit » cover: @glueeater © 2016 AUTHERAS

A jilted, curvy accountant joins a gym on a journey of self-love. The last thing she plans for is to fall for her grumpy trainer. ***** Who needs men, anyway? Certainly not Joanna Lozano. The youngest of five and the only girl, she has learned at a young age the importance of survival in a man's world. It's what drives her to be a successful accountant in the corporate world of Chicago. When her boyfriend of six years unceremoniously dumps her--though her pride is wounded--she accepts the rejection as an opportunity to rediscover herself, starting with a reluctant agreement to join an eight-week fitness boot camp. Sage Kingston is a straightforward gym owner who appreciates and lives by the monotony of his life. His only goals are to provide and care for his young son after his divorce left him jaded. He doesn't have the time or patience to play games that come with dating or relationships. Who needs that headache, anyway? Yet, with a new season of boot camp at his gym underway, he's instantly attracted to the curvy and feisty participant, Joanna. However, his work is cut out for him since she's not easily charmed or swayed by his bulging biceps or six-pack abs. But even Joanna can't deny the mounting tension after each draining and sweaty training session. As they grow to know each other, so does their affection and both must deal with overcoming their hurt pasts and decide if unexpected love is worth the risk. ©2022 LJ Rae

Olivia Mikelson has had a crush on her brothers best friend, Logan James, since she was seventeen but one drunken night ruins any chance she had of him seeing her the same way. When he leaves for three years Olivia vows she'll never feel anything for him again, but when he comes back, so does her feelings. When the two get trapped in a hotel for Christmas what Olivia thought was ruined may now be within grasp. Sequel to: Boyfriend for Christmas (but can be read as a stand-a-lone) Huge thank you to Marissa on Instagram for the gorgeous cover!

How exactly did I end up the best friend of the guy I hated my entire life? Listen, this is going to be a long story. Let me take you to the beginning. The year was 1992... ENEMIES-TO-FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS Victor Manning has been infuriating Becka since she sat behind him in 7th grade English. He's cocky, self-centered, and obnoxious. When High School ends, the college dynamic slowly turns Victor into the one person Becka cannot live without. "The best slow burn I've ever read." YA/NA, for cursing. Set in the 1990s.