"You're atheist," I remind him. "You don't believe in god." "I believe in you," He murmurs, letting the cigarette hang from his lips. "I believe in whatever you believe." He says, letting the confession roll off his tongue as if it were that simple. As if god, the devil, heaven, hell-as if none of it really had meaning to him. "That's not how it works," I mutter as we walk down a few more alleyways-the city of Manhattan coated in a light blanket of snow. Henry Vitiello had never had anything to pray for, that is, until he met me-the only thing that had ever opened his mind up to the possibility of religion "Isn't it?" He argues, taking the cigarette by his middle and pointer finger before blowing the smoke out. "I'II dip my hands in holy water if it means I could touch you." "You'd probably burn." 𓆩♡𓆪 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎, the reaper. He's a prick. An asshole. A pretentious son of a bitch. He's not perfect. He's not even decent. But he's hers. She could be a bottle labeled poison but he was an alcoholic, and he had drunk her empty. Now he was hungover. 𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, the healer. She's known to be the perfect good girl, with perfect grades and a perfect life with a perfect family. They didn't know that behind the gated doors of their billion dollar estate, she was strapped down to a chair every night and picked apart just to be put back together in time for supper. 𓆩♡𓆪 star-crossed; adjective (of a person or a plan) thwarted by bad luck. 'star-crossed lovers' and that, they were. So they fucked under those very stars that tried so desperately to break them apart. 𓆩♡𓆪 ‼️DISCLAIMER ‼️ BOOK REFERENCES TO MARA DYER, SHATTER ME, MIND FUCK, ETC ARE ALL INTENTIONAL SO DONT BE RUDE. AS FOR TRIGGER WARN

After a nasty breakup, romance writer Joanna Wilson travels to a beach house for a much-needed escape. But when she runs into her best friend's older brother and longtime crush, the summer takes an unexpected turn. As old flames spark and secrets come to light, Joanna and Gabriel must decide if they're willing to risk it all. ***** When romance writer Joanna Wilson catches her boyfriend cheating, she sees her own happily ever after going down the drain. However, what should've been one of the worst moments of her life turns out to be a blessing in disguise when her best friend suggests she travels to her parents' beach house for a much-needed escape and an opportunity to write a new book. Without thinking twice, she jumps at the chance to get her life back on track, not expecting to find rock star Gabriel Morales - aka her best friend's older brother and lifelong crush - only wrapped in a towel the moment she opens the door. They've known each other their whole lives so they decide there's no harm in spending summer together-especially when they both need a break from the world. But when the sizzling attraction they've been nurturing for each other over the years comes out to play, they'll need to decide if they're ready to play with fire and confront the dark secrets that hover over their heads. *** [best friend's brother/rockstar]

"If you turn your back to me again, you better be bending over, sweetheart." *** Everyone warns you about boys who go looking for troubles, who have bruised knuckles and split lips, whose eyes are so dark that it seems like they could swallow oceans and come out alive, about the boys who look like danger, but no one warns about boys who stay silent for way too long, or ones with rings under their eyes, boys with sad eyes and boys who whisper things so sweet, so quietly that you wonder if he was an angel. Everyone warns you about the bad boys, but no one seems to warn you about the broken ones. Bar Red was a broken boy who finally finds someone to help mend his scattered pieces. Everyone saw him as the untrustworthy, unstable beast who was more than willing to punch anyone's face in. Swear words and bad habits mixed with smirks and wicked grins are enough to ward anyone off. But, apparently for Clementine, that's exactly what pulls her in. She has no clue what she's getting into but she's about to find out. She wasn't innocent, not by far, but she had dignity, a warm aura, niceness, and stubbornness that could rival a mule. Mix that with Bar's possessiveness and overprotective behavior, some interesting situations will definitely arise. Adding in the fact that Clementine had to tutor Bar for the rest of the school year and his almost instinctual urge to be apart of her life, they are bound to get close. Bar swears, Clementine hates it. He fights, she glares while bandaging up his knuckles. She reads instead of eats and he refuses dinner until she joins him. He is rude and she ignores him until he apologizes. Both, easily, frustrate the other while simultaneously falling into love. Broken boys are the only ones that can fix themselves so will this broken boy manage to do so before he drives away the one girl who wiggled her way past every barrier? This is the story of a broken bad boy clashing with the sad good girl. * #1 in the Red series Stand alone

Hunted for her magic, Beth teams up with her enemy Clark to save herself. Can they resist the magic bringing them together to save their town? ***** When Beth receives an assignment for history class, she doesn't expect to have her world flipped upside down. Discovering her dead parent's magic, she's being hunted by vampire-like fallen angels as the last of her family line. Clark is like her hunters, and he's been framed for murder. He must restore his reputation or risk being dethroned from his coven. Beth and Clark work together to save their town and themselves, but resisting each other won't be easy. [[Featured, March 2018]] [[Hidden Gems Awards 2017, Paranormal Winner]] [[Watty's Longlist 2018]]

In the distant future there are two powers that control Merridian city. The first: A dictatorship known as the Silver Sun, whose militant soldiers enforce the law. The second: A crime lord known as Scorpion. She controls the entire black market, faction gangs, and every other killer for hire in the city. They are Division 52. When sudden and lethal attacks with Silver Sun marks start littering around the upper class sectors action must be taken swiftly. The chaos quickly climbs on both sides and tensions within sectors reaches its boiling point. But the game all changes when Scorpion discovers that the Emperor of the Silver Sun has a daughter. This girl is impulsive and illusive. Nothing of the pampered royalty that was first suspected. With different agendas and impossible backgrounds, the pair are quickly caught between wanting to kill one another and build something much more in the farthest depths of Merridian...

Venus Castellanos, trained killer and daughter to the most powerful mafia lord in the states never chose her life or the risks that come from planning to murder a mafia prince. But when faced with a forced marriage and a mutual threat, will she find freedom with her greatest enemy- as every instinct tells her to run? *𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬*

When she was 14, Dalia was sold to Matteo Martinelli, the former leader of the largest Italian mafia. Flash forward with his son, Vittore Martinelli as the new leader, Dalia is given to him as a birthday present after years in spent in the "safe house". Dalia struggles to fulfill a promise she made and get her old self back as Vittore tries not to fall for the black beauty. Will they go through all the lies, jealousy, betrayal, envy, lust and murder together all in the name of love? Because at the end of it all, she is still Property Of Vittore Martinelli. * * * "Lift your hand," I said looking at how he held onto his bicep with a tight grip. "Let me take a look at the bullet wound." "No tesoro. I can do this myself," Vittore grumbled and I gave him incredulous look. "Don't start that bullshit with me Vittore. Remove your arm and let me help you or..." I trailed off, not able to say more. I was still in shock but I could do this. "Just... just let me help." "No." I glared at Vittore. "Why are you being so damn egotistic?! Let me help you! Do you know what it was like to find you like... and to..." I couldn't even get all the words out. "Let me help you. Please." Begging wasn't something I'd ever do but I just needed him to let me help him. "No-" "Why?!" I suddenly exploded. "Why won't you just let me help you?!" "Because I don't know how to handle it ok?!" Vittore suddenly exploded, his dark eyes glaring at me. "I don't know how to handle these... feelings. Fuck tesoro you drive me crazy! Don't you see that? You make me question everything I've ever known and... I can't..." I watched Vittore as his expression turned determined. "Fuck it." He leaned forward and pressed his lips on mine. * * * WARNING! Mentions of death, torture, gore, abuse and other things related to the mafia.

Sixteen-year-old Faith Everett, reeling from her parents' divorce, is angry at being uprooted to the quiet town of Meadow. Guarded and defiant, Faith resists connection, seeking solace in solitude and substances. Her pain is fiercely private-she refuses to let anyone, least of all her well-meaning mother, in. Hope Chamberlain, the minister's daughter, is known as Mother Theresa in Meadow. She's devoted to her faith and her community, and is always looking to make a difference. Hope's world revolves around service and tradition, and she leads the church's summer camp with unwavering optimism. When Faith is forced to attend church camp, her path crosses with Hope's, and the two could not be more opposite. Hope sees Faith as her newest mission; Faith wants nothing to do with Hope. But beneath their differences, an unexpected bond begins to form-one that pushes both girls to confront painful secrets, question their beliefs, and redefine what family and friendship truly mean. In this moving coming-of-age story, Hope and Faith learn that loving and losing, defiance and healing, are all part of growing up-and sometimes, the path to redemption begins where you least expect it.

It only took one night to change her life. A night that she doesn't remember. Jordan Taylor was trying to stay in the shadows of her prestigious private school as she finished her senior year, but when she fainted at work and woke up the next day surrounded by police officers, she knew things would never be the same. Already labeled an outcast, Jordan must team up with people she doesn't trust and do the unthinkable to clear her name.

||AMBY'S FAVORITE 2024|| (Editor's Choice July 2022) [LGBTQ+ Teen Fiction] High school junior, Callie Washington, is currently in a dilemma. Attending an all-girls, Catholic high school means most of her peers are focused on college, SATs, and the nearby boys at their brother school, Holy Spirit. But since the start of the school year, Callie can't forget the silky hair and gleaming brown eyes of her former Chemistry partner, Isabella Sandoval. After escaping from her Homecoming date one October evening, Callie runs into Aurora Gray, a smart, charismatic senior, who seems to be having as rough of an evening as Callie. After realizing they are in the same Calculus class, Aurora begins to shift Callie's life in ways she cannot comprehend. Deep down, Callie knows she must confront the thing inside her that is troubling her deeply, but what hurdles will she have to face to get there? (Published: 2020)