A marriage of convenience. A heart never meant to be involved. When Clara Evans loses her sister, she'll do anything to protect her niece-even marry a man who doesn't believe in love. Alexander Graves is cold, powerful, and emotionally unreachable. To him, marriage is a contract, not a promise. Their union is meant to be simple: shared custody, shared space, no feelings involved. But living with a man who touches her without tenderness and walks away without regret slowly breaks Clara in ways she never expected. And when she stops hoping, stops asking, and starts choosing herself, Alexander realizes the truth too late- The woman he never meant to love is the one he's about to lose. A slow-burn, emotionally intense romance about sacrifice, silence, and learning the cost of taking love for granted.

Esme and Matt can't stand each other, even if they have to play nice for the cameras. As public speculation about their chemistry heats up, they're forced to confront what's real versus what's just for show. ***** Esme Mendoza is everything Matt Crain isn't--polished, optimistic, and proud of her golden girl image. He's brooding, arrogant, and impossible to work with. As co-stars in an indie romance film, they're forced to act like soulmates on screen while barely tolerating each other behind the scenes. When their banter and lingering stares spark fan speculation during the press tour, their PR teams jump on the opportunity, but Esme and Matt aren't too thrilled. Suddenly, they're everywhere--public appearances, exchanging snarky remarks in interviews, and fueling endless rumors. As their forced chemistry starts to feel a little too real, Esme and Matt are left questioning: are they just playing a role, or could this be end game? ***** WARM HANDS #1 Open Novella Contest -- prompts 45 & 127 [[OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 ROUND 2 AMBASSADORS' PICK]] © 2025 caterina george // all rights reserved

Evania lives a quiet, book-loving life, working in a cozy mini library café where stories feel safer than reality. Everything changes the day Callahan walks in for coffee. Their eyes meet across the counter, the moment charged with something neither of them expects. But before Evania can gather the courage to speak to him, he's gone. Callahan's world is built on power, pressure, and expectations. When his parents give him an ultimatum- marry or lose the company- he's forced into a search for a suitable wife. Yet no one compares to the barista he can't stop thinking about, the woman who didn't even know his name. When fate brings them together again, Callahan makes a shocking proposal: a fake marriage. Strict rules. No emotions. To his surprise, Evania agrees instantly. She doesn't negotiate romance or affection-only that she gets to spend his money. Her easy acceptance unsettles him more than refusal ever could. As they step into their carefully staged marriage, Callahan struggles to read her. Is her affection real, or is she simply playing her role? The more time they spend together, the more their arrangement begins to feel dangerously real, blurring the line between pretending and falling.

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Jade Alarose doesn't believe in love-not anymore. After too many heartbreaks and one too many second chances wasted, she's built walls lined with sarcasm, iced-over glances, and books she can hide behind. Then there's Kayden West. Star of the hockey team. Reputation? Dangerous. Smile? Trouble. Heart? Unavailable... until her. When the golden boy with a past meets the girl who refuses to fall, everything changes. Slowly. Softly. With tension, banter, unexpected late-night talks, stolen glances, and a love that neither of them saw coming. He was the last person she wanted. She was the only person he couldn't walk away from. But with graduation looming, old wounds resurfacing, and one shot at forever on the line-will love be enough? A slow-burn, swoon-worthy college romance full of healing, soft angst, and heart-melting firsts. Highest rankings: #3 college 08-28-2025 #4 slowburn 08-31-2025 #1 dualpov 09-03-2025 #2 protective 09-10-2025 #1 swoonworthy 9-1-2025

#1 Teen Fiction | #1 Young Adult | #1 Romance "We all need someone to drive us mad." - The Wombats. He stared arrogantly down at me, a smirk plastered across his face. I sneered up at him with distaste, wanting to wrap my fingers around his neck and strangle that smirk off of him. He brushed my golden hair from my face, his long, slender fingers sparking electricity in my skin, making my knees wobble together. "Will you ever, forgive me?" he whispered huskily, his eyes intently staring into mine. His face was only mere inches from me. I just needed to reach out a little further to kiss him... "Yeah. Over my dead body." I snapped, before throwing my arms out forcefully, shoving my hands into his chest, pushing him from me. -*-*-*- He, is Carter Williams. I, am Lacey Adams. We were once, inseparable. The 'Golden Couple'. The unbreakable best friends, that everybody envied. Nothing could get between us. A part from being tighter than white on rice, we updated our status from friends to being in a relationship, frequently. We were neighbours, which meant our families were all close and even co-owned houses around our town. This, all is, until the day of my sixteenth birthday. Everything changed. The loving relationship we shared, was severed and torn apart. I couldn't hardly stand to look at him any more, without spitting fire that is. Every day is torture being around him. He was in all my classes at school and the window in my room was even directly aligned with his. So, what happens? My mother's mum gets sick, so dad and her fly out. Just them. Leaving me to stay with Carter and his parents, who are never home. We would be alone. In one house. Under the same roof. If I was insane before, I have no idea what I am now. © 2016 by LaurenJ22. All rights reserved.

He broke her heart. Now she's back-with scars, secrets, and no intention of forgiving him. Angel and Samuel were best friends since childhood, bound by loyalty and love. Until one night... one kiss... and one heartbreaking mistake changed everything. Three years later, Angel returns home-no longer the girl he once knew. She's colder. Stronger. Guarded. And the boy who called their love a "mistake"? Now he's the one begging for a second chance. But Angel isn't here to fall again. She's carrying secrets she'll never speak of-and pain she refuses to share. Samuel is ready to fight for her, but how do you fix something that's already broken? Can love truly heal old wounds? Or will the ghosts of their past ruin them... for good? 💔 A slow-burn second chance romance filled with angst, emotional tension, and heart-pounding drama. Perfect for fans of strong female leads, broken boys with soft hearts, and love stories that hurt before they heal. It gets better chapter by chapter, I promise!😌 So, please give my story a chance!🤧🙏 Grazie!!😌 #151 in backstabbing out 12.7k as of 18/12/24 #410 in anxiety as of 18/12/24 #32 in angst as of 19/12/24 Started: September 12, 2024 Finished: July 13, 2025

Emory James has always known she doesn't fit the mold her family built for her. While her parents and older sister thrive in courtrooms, Emory's heart belongs to helping animals and finding her purpose in quiet acts of compassion. Her mother and sister have always been supportive, but her father still insists she's "too smart to waste her life on animals." Now, after years of hard work, she's finally graduating as a veterinary technician and is ready to prove that following her heart was worth it. On graduation day, she's running late while also juggling her cap, gown, and nerves as she races through the city's hockey arena where the ceremony is being held. She ends up crashing straight into Callum Bennett, the hockey star of the BrooksRidge Sparks. Callum Bennett has never had trouble getting attention on or off the ice. With a killer smile, easy charm, and enough confidence to fill an arena, he's the kind of guy everyone recognizes and few really know. The son of a retired hockey legend and a brilliant college professor, Callum's been under pressure since he could walk. After losing his older brother years ago, he learned that keeping things light was safer than letting anyone close. Hookups? Sure. Relationships? Never. Feelings just slow you down. A few weeks later, fate intervenes when Emory's clinic partners with Callum's team for a "Paws & Players" adoption event. One glance and neither can pretend their hallway collision was just a coincidence. Between camera flashes and undeniable chemistry, Emory and Callum find themselves breaking every rule they swore to keep. They both don't do relationships. But sometimes, the best kind of love is the one that wasn't in the game plan at all.

"Always so close, yet I still find myself chasing you." It's been two years ever since Addie Clarke and Chris Graves first met. Some would even call it a meet cute. Fancy gala followed by a bonding session over Skittles. Addie loves those things. Ever since, he's been the only man she could ever think of. Now, as their paths bring them back together and she's about to spend one season travelling with Formula One, she finds herself facing her worst nightmare: Chris doesn't even seem to remember her. Is that the end of their love story? Or will the sparks fly? Little does she know, Chris hasn't forgotten one bit. And now, he finds himself chasing her. Book #2 of the "chasing" series (f1 romance)

𝐂𝐇𝐋𝐎𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓 the embodiment of sunshine, always with a bright smile and an easy laugh. She was the one everyone turned to, the friend who never faltered, always radiating positivity. But behind that cheerful exterior, how much darkness could she let in before it consumed her? How many people could lean on her before the weight became too much? Beneath her bubbly personality lay hidden struggles, secrets she kept locked away. And no matter how hard she tried to keep them buried, one day, they would surface-because no one can carry that much without eventually breaking. 𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐙 a successful soccer player with a future as bright as the lights that followed him on the field. His life had been meticulously planned out since day one, every step calculated to ensure success. And Jayden? He did a damn good job at maintaining it, living up to every expectation set before him. But there was more to his life than just soccer. Taking care of the people he called family-his friends, the ones who needed him most-became his priority. The question was, how would balancing the weight of those relationships affect the future he and his parents had so carefully built for him? Together, they were the people who kept each other thriving. She was the ice to his wounds, soothing the pain he tried so hard to hide, while he was the water to her roots, nourishing the parts of her she kept buried deep. In a world that could easily tear them apart, they found strength in each other, balancing their broken pieces to create something whole.