WATTYS 2023 SHORTLIST Sarah Kennedy's life has fallen to pieces. Her family is broken, she's growing apart from her only friend, and it's been a while since she's stopped dreaming about anything better. She embarks on a trip to Latin America, joining a retreat she hopes will mend her dwindling friendship and escape her miserable day-to-day life. Bad turns to worse, and her hopes are shattered when she is kidnapped by a cartel. While her life is miraculously spared, she's kept captive by a daunting and narcissistic drug lord, Pablo. As his obsession with her grows, so do his favors and promises. Sarah soon finds herself in a gilded cage, living a life more lavish than anything she's ever imagined. But all that glitters isn't gold, and this luxury has a price. If Sarah wants to escape the violent, treacherous, and cocaine-fueled world of cartels, she'll have to fight the demons that keep her captive, as well as the monsters in her head, armed with nothing but a dry sense of humor and a fragile strength. But as she and Pablo both know- it's a long journey home when you don't have any home to go to. _____________________ DTOD is marked as mature for strong language, drug use, violence (and also dark humor) and the occasional steam/smut. Trigger warnings are included before sensitive or explicit scenes. _____________________ "Drugs, Treasons and Other Demons, a niche erotica for people who like men who keep their socks on." "A book that will make you cry whenever you hear a Pitbull song." "By the time I finished reading this whole book, I could have read the entire Hunger Games saga. But I would have had a lot less fun." "I went to read a few chapters of this book one night, and all of a sudden a whole weekend went by on me."

Three years after getting her heart broken by the only man she'd loved, Gianna Ricci is well on her way to success. With a job as a criminal lawyer in one of the top law firms in London, she feels like she has her life together. Until she doesn't. All it takes is the reappearance of the one man she would have been happy to never see again for all that to change in the blink of an eye. Sergio Agosta never had any regrets in life. That is, until he lost her. After spending three years in absolute misery, he can't believe his luck when fate drops a golden opportunity into his lap. A chance to win Gianna over again. Granted, it would take a lot of grovelling - but he was ready for it. He wouldn't let anything break them this time. At least, that's what he thinks until the truth is revealed, putting their love to the test. WARNING: ONLY FOR MATURE AUDIENCES (18+) [If you're reading this book on a platform other than Wattpad, please report it/let me know.] *Book 3 in the Untamed Love Series. Cannot be read as a standalone.*

___________________________ "You were mine the second you put your signature on that contract." He looked at me with pure lust and dominance in his eyes. "F*ck you." He smirks and moves closer to me, coming to my side of the booth and caging me against the window. "I'll give you what you want if you do." "And what do I want?" I question, holding eye contact. "My head between your legs." ❀❀❀ "Dating or not... you're still mine." Astoria always thought that the world was set up a certain way. That way being two levels of living. There were the rich people, and then there were the people who could barely afford a pack of ramen noodles. Obviously she was the ladder. She always hated the rich people she would see around the city. They had more money than they needed and didn't think to help the lower people. She was always alone. Her mother died when giving birth to her and her father gave her to her grandmother who died of old age before she could turn 3. She was orphaned and in foster homes her whole life, being alone was all she knew. On top of that her job as an exotic dancer barley covered her bills and she was late 3 months in payment. What was left for her? She had nothing. Until one of the club Clients offers her a deal that may change her life... Read Perfect Storm to find out how this predicament takes place... ❀❀❀ Ratings: #1 Contract - 8|13|2023

Arabella does not wish to marry, but her father has other ideas. Without even given a choice, on her eighteenth birthday, her surname will change to the countries most notorious and deadly man's surname. Reign. Reigns gang rules New York, all men fall under his order, including his two best friends. Roman was announced a psychopath when he was a child, his dark personality, inability to feel things, kill count higher than his age, manipulative nature- a made man by the age of eleven- and Arabella has to marry him. Luca has the looks, the tattoos and scars, but deep down, everybody knows the murderer, hotel owner, businessman is a softie, and he does have a strong soft spot for Arabella. Asher, originally a bodyguard, has his reputation in the states, Italy and China, thanks to his mother being the daughter of a Chinese Triad, and his father an Italian Made Man. Asher knows how to get what he wants and doesn't stop until he has it. Arabella has three of the countries dangerous men at her feet, and that makes her the target of many attacks, but these guys will do anything to keep her safe. Anything. 18+ !!!! - (2) started: 20/03/22 finished: 08/08/22 -

Highest Ranks- 1# Mafia 1#hostage 1#happyending 1#complete 1#good girl 1#italian 2#happy ending 2#opposites 3#Mature 4#morallygrey Editing* Rosie didn't have anyone, only herself. Growing up in the foster system she learnt that love did not exist, she learnt to be on her own, she learnt that in this lifetime, she would not be introduced to a happy life. Rosie moved into the busy streets of Brooklyn once she turned 20. She was a quiet and shy person, she never knew the true meaning of love...until she met the eyes of a devil, a devil with a heart. When a stranger strolled into the closed cafe at midnight, Rosie felt a sudden wave of shock when she looked up to see the most alluring man she had ever laid eyes on, a man impossible to be only crafted by one god. Luca knew from the moment he saw her, his world would no longer just consist of being the Don of the Italian mafia, he knew the moment he saw those piercing blue eyes that his world would consist of nothing but love...

❝𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠...❞ Barely recovering from her break-up, Art student, Katrina Diaz chases the unmistakable jolt of pleasure promised by a stranger, hoping for a one-night stand with no consequences nor intersections of their lives. Cold, calculating CEO of The Evans Group, Hayden Evans never considered marriage - for a wife is a nuisance he didn't need. Nevertheless when an ancient pact resurfaces, it traps him in a marriage with Katrina, plunging her into his world of power and chaos. Despite themselves, every smoldering touch, burning kiss and entrancing gaze inextricably twines them. When a series of events lead to Katrina's friend's death, something aberrant starts haunting her, the past that binds them refuses to stay buried. Sins, scars and secrets are unveiled. Will they survive a test of love and trial of trust? »--•--« || HEAVY SEXUAL CONTENT! PROCEED WITH CAUTION||

Layla was born into the mafia life. Her father is the Don of the Italian mafia, all her life has been filled with crime and the illegal things done behind closed doors. She knew what her purpose was, but when her parents spring an arranged marriage on her on the ripe age of 18, Layla doesn't know what to do. While she knows that there is no way out of it, Layla makes it known that she won't go down without a fight. Her betrothed is none other than Alexander O'Sullivan. Don of the Irish mafia and known to the world as the ruthless killer, who takes no mercy. He is the epitome of playboy and Layla knows this. Can she find it in her heart to love a monster or will it end up in tragedy? Is Alex willing to change his set ways? Will she be able to survive him and his lustful eyes or will she end up getting her heart broken? ***************** WARNING*** this book contains mature content and sexual scenes. 18 years old and older is recommended

If you ever met Jezzabelle Lemana you'd think she was a nice, sweet, loving person with the perfect life. But some things are not what they seem. This 17 year old is trying her best to get out of her senior year of high school without having to remember the fact that she's being abused by her stepmother and father at home. She built a wall so high that no one can ever know about her or her past. But what happens when someone breaks it down? Emmet King is the leader of the most wanted gang in the streets of Detroit. He is heartless and forgot about love ever since what happened to him in the past. Everyone fears him with respect when he walks past. What happens when these two collide? And Emmet makes what he wants his?! The only thing I heard when he towers over me is the word 'mine' ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ Highest Ranking: #18 Gangleader 11/14/22 Highest Ranking: #28 in Romance 12/25/17

"Apologize, amore." he said with a deadly tone of voice. "If I don't apologize, then what?" I replied with grin on my face. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to his body. He lowered his head down to my ear, letting out a whisper. "As much as I love you, I won't hesitate to punish you as soon as we get back home. It all depends on how well you behave and so far, it's not good." My body was heated by his words, I knew how much I wanted this and so did he. The teasing was only making this worse for the both of us. "Well, punishments are my best friend so I wouldn't mind them." I teased. "Oh believe me, piccola. You will change your mind and behavior once I'm done with you." ~~~ 20 year-old Ella Cage was just a semi-normal girl, the usual clubbing and working with her roommate known as Nicolas Rivera. She did one-night-stands in hoping she would find a perfect guy to spend the rest of her life with, but this time, the guy made the first move. And that one move would change her life, joining into the world of mafias. 34 year-old Lucifer Steel was the son of one of the most powerful mafia leader, along with his brother Oliver Steel. After their father had gotten ill, Lucifer did everything to prepare for the moment that he would be the new mafia leader. The one thing he didn't prepare for was falling in love with some girl from a nightclub. ~~~ Rankings! #1 in Cocky #1 in Kinky #1 in Recommend #1 in Mafia #1 in Richguypoorgirl #2 in BDSM #2 in Mafialove #2 in Submissive #3 in Killer

She the heiress to an empire and his darkest temptation. He's a ruthless attorney and her darkest addiction. Stella: I've been wrapped in the dark world of corruption all my life, becoming a picture-perfect daughter. The reins to my life were in everyone's hands except my own. It was time for that to change. Starting with a stolen two million dollars. Robbing my family was my escape from an arranged marriage and I took my chances. But I never expected my father to hire one of New York's most dangerous men to find the culprit. Rhys Romanov, the paragon of criminally intelligent. The bane of my existence. Rhys was a man with few morals and far too much power. A deadly lawyer and CEO with a devilishly handsome face to deceive this world. From the moment we met, we succumbed to animosity. Rhys had more power and authority than anyone else and with limited options, I struck a deal with the devil. Everybody had a blind spot. Rhys was mine. Making him my darkest addiction wasn't part of the plan... because it could ruin me. ... Rhys: Power, wealth, and control were the things I chased and thrived on. With only enemies in this world, I held my cards close to my chest and stayed elusive; I kept my secrets and used everybody else's against them. Running a tech company in the name of law, I ruled the world of corruption. But to lead this life, I lived by certain rules. Rules that one person dared to threaten. Stella Almonte, the epitome of elegance and grace. She had the power to draw gazes to herself. Whispers of seduction dripped from her movements that only I seemed to notice. Stella was always charming but she was far more dangerous than a weapon. Stella was poison disguised in jewels and sparkling eyes. With a stolen two million dollars in her pocket, she was the culprit I never knew I was chasing. Until we struck a deal. Everybody had a weakness and Stella was mine. She was my darkest temptation... and she could ruin me.