Joy seeps back in as educators recover from the pandemic. A "One-Shot" story written for the Coffee Community prompt: The last time you laughed really hard.

Bound By Hearts, Torn By Secrets. -♡♥︎♤♥︎♡⁃ Life as a college student has been nothing but smooth sailing for 23-year-old Aleesha, and now that she's graduated, her life is about to take a different path. After spending four years in the city, far from home, Aleesha decides to return home for two reasons; one being that she's finally found the strength to return home after her dad's passing, and the other reason is a secret, that she hopes will fade away before anyone notices. After returning home, Aleesha notices that her small hometown is not as it was four years ago, however, one thing has remained the same; and that is her long-time forbidden crush on her brother's best friend. Now taller, muscular, and manly, 24-year-old Jayden is just as handsome as Aleesha remembers him to be. However, being away from home for four years can come with a lot of changes, including Jayden who happens to have a secret too. The only difference between Aleesha's and Jayden's secret is that...one is Lethal. Can you guess whose secret it is? |New Chapters every Friday or Saturday | Rankings Life lessons ~ #30/1000 (09/15/24) Cafe ~ #70/1000 Mystery romance ~ #26/1000 (09/15/24) Contemporarylit ~ #2/1000 (12/30/24)

He's everything she ever dreamed of, and she's exactly what he needs. But fate is cruel, and so is her sister. Dani Valentine and her half-sister, Alyssa Romano, grew up on opposite sides of the world. Despite her rough upbringing, Dani has always tried not to envy what she doesn't have and has steered clear of the entitled and snobby Alyssa. But when broke and hopeless is about to become lost and homeless, Dani has no other choice and accepts a rare job offer from Alyssa as a live-in nanny. This gives her a bird's eye view of her sister's picture-perfect life, including her adorable little son, Gavin, and her handsome husband, Rocco. It doesn't take long to see that perfect is an illusion, and everyone is miserable. The relationship Dani and Gavin form is instant and easy, but her bond with her brother-in-law Rocco gets messy as the lingering looks grow longer and harder to ignore. The last thing Dani intended to do was get between her sister and her family, but how can she stay away when they need her so much? Rated: M for adult language, sexual references and some adult scenarios. There are no explicit scenes. This is an angsty, slow-burn romance novel.

[Complete] 🔥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

Anna Marsden met Todd D'Angelo on a live reality show, where they took third and fourth place as the whole of America cheered them on. As a self-proclaimed "dating guru", Anna has publicly declared that Todd is "the one" on every single one of her social media platforms. So when Todd dumps her on a TikTok live just days before they're about to start a race around the world for a million dollars (each), she's left utterly devasted. But when she starts losing her followers because of online rumors, she makes it her mission to move on as fast as she can and show the world she's not the person her ex says she is. Ian Scott was always a quiet child. But after suffering a terrible tragedy when he was a kid, he closed himself off entirely to anyone who was not within his very close inner circle. He's always felt guilty about the things his older brother sacrificed for him, and his guilt has kept him from really enjoying his life. When his brother convinces him to go on a race around the world together, Ian agrees, hoping it'll be the perfect opportunity to give everything back to the man who gave everything to him. But when unforeseen circumstances force his brother to drop out of the race before it even begins, Ian is left puzzled and horrified to find that the network has teamed him up with America's favorite laughingstock: the unbearable influencer Anna Marsden. Anna and Ian have nothing in common, but can they put aside their differences long enough to win a race for two million dollars? In this romantic sequel to The Line Between Us, Anna and Ian are about to discover that crossing the line between disdain and something dangerously close to love is far more complicated than winning any race.

Nadia swore she would never be like her mother - running from a past that is as dense as the fog that rolls into the strange village of Fisher's Bay. And yet, here she is. In a town that she's never heard of, clearing out the house of a grandmother she never knew. Running from the biggest screw-up of her life that has left her without a career, her journalistic reputation in shambles. And yet, there's something in the town hidden on the coastline of the Pacific Northwest that draws her in, even though she is followed by stares and whispers, all revolving around her grandmother. Perhaps it's the sense of mystery that shrouds Fisher's Bay, or the secrets about her family that she hopes to uncover, like just why her mother left all those years ago, cutting both of them off from a seemingly loving family. Or maybe it's the handsome, yet standoffish mayor Remy Hutchinson who conjures up wants and dreams in Nadia that she had never considered. But when local fishermen start showing up dead, the town turns on her, thinking she's responsible. Nadia wants to believe she's innocent, but she isn't sure of who she is anymore, experiencing odd blackouts and dreams, often waking up in her bed covered in sand and dirt. She wants to run, but can't bring herself to do so. She wants to know all the secrets that Fisher's Bay holds. The question is: Is she ready for it? Book 1 in the Fisher's Bay Series Content Warning: There are mentions of substance abuse, child neglect, and mental health issues. Some violence (though not much in this one - mostly mentions of it). Oh, and some steamy scenes.

Emersyn Collins is coming home. It's been four years since 19-year-old Emersyn has been back to her hometown of Coupeville, Washington. Four years since her grandma got sick, and she was forced to move in with her estranged mother in the city. Four years since she's seen her best friends. Four years since she's shared a meal with her Uncle Kiel. Armed with nothing but a bag brimming with clothes, art supplies, and a heartfelt letter from her grandmother bequeathing her the house she grew up in, Emersyn finds herself at a crossroads, uncertain about her future as she returns to her past. But everything changes when she crosses paths with Zeke Thatcher, an enigmatic stranger with his own quest on the island: to locate his father's grave and uncover a hidden connection to a family he never knew. For reasons Emersyn can't quite understand herself, she feels the need to help him. Before long, her days are spent obsessing over the charismatically distant stranger who seems to be struggling not to fall in love with her. And her nights are devoted to the images of gravestones as she tries to translate her new obsession onto blank canvases with the strokes of acrylic paints. But unbeknownst to Emersyn, Zeke is on a deadline to find that familial link. The clock is ticking, and if they can't uncover it before time slips away, they risk losing much more than a passionate summer romance. Hello, Goodbye is a poignant tale that delves into the depths of loss and the shadow it leaves behind. But it's also a testament to the power of love, and the ones who guide us back toward the light. Goodbyes are never easy. But the hellos are what make them meaningful.

Summer Lumen has always been a perfectionist. She's had straight As all four years of high school, is President of the student council, and has never missed a single day of school. Top of her class, Summer has already begun writing her valedictorian speech for her high school graduation in just under two years. But when her estranged father dies of a drug overdose, her therapist mother insists she take a week off to "process her emotions". Summer is frustrated to lose her perfect attendance record, but when she finds out that the week off cost her the number one spot in the class, she's furious. And who took her place? None other than Baker Scott, the mysterious high school football star who has no friends and always seems to be sporting a black eye. Summer, who isn't much of a sports fan, didn't even know he existed until she found out he replaced her as top of the class. Now she has to regain her position, which can only mean one thing: the war has begun, and Baker Scott is the enemy. This is a game Summer is sure she's going to win. The only problem? While Summer is playing the game of war, Baker is playing the game of love. And it doesn't take long before Summer is playing right along with him. There's a fine line between love and hate, and Summer is about to find out how fine that line actually is.

college hockey player Wes Graham has tormented Adare Wells since they were in the first grade. pulling her hair, breaking her crayons, calling her names-- anything to get her attention. they spend all of high school together, never giving each other the time of day until they end up on first day of university. there's only one empty seat, and it's next to Adare. even though Adare hates Wes and he's an asshole to her, they both have some baggage that only each other seem to understand.

For months Summer is trapped in a cellar with the man who took her - and three other girls: Rose, Poppy, and Violet. His perfect, pure flowers. His family. But flowers can't survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out...