E·phem·er·al (adj.) Lasting for a very short time ִֶָ 𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆★⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ Aurora has spent thirteen years surviving, not living. Trapped in a broken home filled with cruelty and violence, every day has been a battle against the monsters she was forced to call family. Stained by her striking appearance--skin, hair, and eyes devoid of pigment--Aurora has always stood out. But one night, when flashing lights and sirens tear through the darkness of her world, everything changes. Her nightmares have been taken away in handcuffs, and for the first time, Aurora is free. Or so she believes. Whisked away to a sprawling manor in New York, she's thrown into a new life with six mysterious older brothers she's never met, secrets buried in every corner, and danger that feels strangely familiar. As Aurora tries to rebuild, she begins to worry if the past is truly behind her, or if something even darker has been waiting all along. Meek, quiet, and resilient, Aurora is done merely surviving. She's ready to live and claim her new life as more than Ephemeral. Even if it kills her. ִֶָ 𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆★⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ ⏾ The first couple chapters are short but get longer as you go.

"𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭." ༄༄༄༄༄༄ "She's a fucking liability and you all know it." Damiano snarled, tossing the gun clip on the table. Inwardly a sigh escapes me, here we go again. I couldn't catch a break from him. Why can't they ever just have a normal dinner? Vincenzo squints, almost daring him to repeat himself. "You call her that again, and I swear to fucking God, Damiano-" Damiano didn't bother looking up. "You heard me. She's a weakness, and we can't afford that shit right now, not with the Bravata sniffing up our ass." Vincenzo didn't hesitate as he slammed his hand on the table, and suddenly grabbed the collar of Damiano's shirt, shoving him back into the wall so hard a frame dropped to the floor. "Shut your fucking mouth." He grits through his teeth. Damiano didn't flinch at all but his hands stayed down and his mouth clamped shut. "You forgot who the fuck I am?" Vince growled, deadly and murderous. "You think you're a man because you run your mouth? I don't care, brother or not, but if you come near her with that shit again, I will put you in the fucking ground." Damiano scoffed and turned his head away from Vincenzo's branding gaze in distaste. "If you ever question her blood again, you're gonna see how fucking loyal I am to her over you." ༄༄༄༄༄༄ Valentina Aria De'Luca was only six when she was taken from her family. For years, she lived a life that was never hers, until the day she's thrown back into the world she barely remembers. But Valentina has secrets, ones she can't afford to spill. The truth about where she's been, and what tortuous hell she's endured. She may carry the De'Luca name but she's not the same girl they lost.

"It's not what we are but what we do that defines us." Aylin Black has come to believe that she deserves all the misfortunes life throws at her. Yet she refuses to back down. At least not without a fight. But as her past comes knocking at her door she's forced to rethink all her beliefs. And she just might have to give up this losing fight much sooner than she expected.

In the heart of the perfect Qureshi family lies a graveyard of secrets, where smiles veil unspoken sorrows and silence masks secrets. Each member battles their own inner demons, but now, Zeher, driven by an insatiable curiosity, seeks to unravel the threads that bind their fractured souls. Will the truth set them free, or shatter the illusion they've so carefully crafted?

•Sequel to Contrasting Similarities. Cannot be read as a standalone• 'And if I'm not around, put your hand on your chest and feel the beat. My heart will be there, beating inside you, providing comfort in the form of a heartbeat.' The big heart left, but its love lingered. Basking in the warmth of its memories, the little hearts have survived each cruel day hoping to find some sort of hope and a source of happiness. Amira Levi Verlice was not very fond of the turn life took nor was she prepared for getting all the control she had on her life, ripped off from her. Suffering from Schizophrenia and dealing with the memories of her haunting past, she tries to hold onto that little thread of hope that seems too close yet so unreachable. The happiness she was looking for came in the form of five more siblings. Desperate to snatch back all she was ripped of, she starts finding the love, comfort and care in her new family. Little does she know, the hearts she was leaning on for support had a wounded side to them; a side they were trying hard to hide from the little hearts. As the curtain hiding their hearts is unveiled, the secrets from their past come forth into the light, bringing with them the buried trauma that the siblings were desperately trying to forget. Follow along the journey of the Mazzanti siblings as they go through each day desperate to make it better for each other, accepting the changes and dealing with the revealed secrets. Warning: Mentions of Schizophrenia, Physical and Sexual abuse, Self-harm and Violence.

How can people be so similar yet so different? How can situations be strange yet so familiar? Twins Amira and Aurora were put under the custody of their mother when they were five. So much has happened since then. But what was the worst was the loss they've experienced. The sadness one of them has felt and the pain she has endured. They live for each other. They have their contrasts and their similarities. But one thing for sure is common. Priorities. The first priority is their other half. Their twin. But what happens when the situation leads them back to their brothers who were left in their biological father's custody? What happens when they finally receive the sibling love they couldn't give each other yet they both craved? What happens when they are forced to escape their own bubbles and experience what true care and affection is? And along the way, they discover the contrasting similarities, that help them heal and discover a different kind of love yet so similar. TW: Mentions of Abuse, Death and Schizophrenia.

book 1 of the windows of the soul duology ✿ ✿ ✿ lucent: softly bright or radiant ✿ ✿ ✿ My brother's hand traces the cut on my right cheek for some minutes. I have no idea how a cut can be so interesting, but I won't judge a book by its cover. He unexpectedly moves and places a heartwarming kiss on my crown, brushing through the strands of my hair. But what startles me the most, is when he speaks, "Duerme bien, mi niña bonita." And just as I wasn't able to sleep hours ago because of my stupid fear, I let myself fall into a dreamless sleep as his soothing voice travels through my ears. ✿ ✿ ✿ Layla Rivera. A young naive fourteen-year-old who's just lost her childhood best friend and guardian. She's anxious and timid when meeting other people, so she usually cowers and distracts herself, immerse between the pages of books. When she is thrown into the lion's den - or also named as her older brothers' house - she's left fearful and intimidated by the six foot three males who she never had a clue about. Trying to make sense of what her new life will bring while being unaware of the dangers her new home beholds, she tries to make her way into her new family, but it doesn't seem as easy as she expected, or is it? ©️juststarsandbooks All written works on this account belong to Juststarsandbooks. I do not condone any reproduction/duplication of this book anywhere - app, website, etc - without my consent. Pics aren't mine.

Brynn Kingslee has spent a third of her life protecting herself from her stepfather as fiercely as a twelve year old can. Only to find, after his death, she has seven fiercely protective older brothers who didn't realise that not only would they be protecting her from their work, but also protecting her from her past, too.