A "wife" without the ring was what he was after. She let him witness her glow-up up close. Hailey is the perfect "stand-in." She has been Callum's lifeblood for the past two years, acting as an ideal partner without being called that. He believed he was getting a test run for free, while she believed they were creating a life. "I get all the good parts and none of the responsibilities... Sienna's the one I actually want," is what she hears next, and it completely changes her life. Game. Set. Match. Hailey stops being the force that keeps Callum going. Callum's life turns into a hilarious, mouldy nightmare of weaponised stupidity and "salmon-pink" laundry disasters. Hailey finally starts living for herself. And then there's Nick - the rugged builder who doesn't just have a vibe; he has a spirit level, a plan, and a way of looking at Hailey that makes her feel like a masterpiece, not a convenience. Featuring: The "Placeholder" Revenge Weaponised Incompetence vs. Radical Indifference The Ultimate "Upgrade" Hero A Slow-Burn Downfall that is 100% Spectacular

Grace Monroe never meant to fall for the town's biggest red flag. He's emotionally unavailable, covered in tattoos, drinks too much whiskey, disappears without explanation, and somehow still thinks glaring counts as communication. Oh... and he keeps fixing things she never asked him to touch. Her car. Her porch. Her life. Parker Calhoun was never supposed to become someone's safe place. Not after war. Not after grief. And definitely not after burying the only woman he ever loved. A retired Navy SEAL and legendary sniper, Parker has spent years outrunning ghosts, drowning memories in whiskey, and remembering the future he lost when his wife died overseas. Love isn't part of the plan anymore. Then Grace crashes into his life with smoky pink hair, sharp opinions, and a five year old little brother she's desperately trying to raise after losing their mother. She's twenty three, stubborn as hell, running on exhaustion and coffee, and somehow still manages to carry the weight of the world without asking anyone for help. Especially not Parker's help. At first, they clash. She thinks he's overbearing. He thinks she's impossible. But somewhere between late night phone calls while he's gone on missions he won't talk about, groceries mysteriously showing up on her porch, and a little boy who starts telling people Parker is his dad... Things start feeling dangerously close to a relationship. The problem? Parker knows exactly what happens when he loves someone. He loses them. And Grace has already buried enough people to know loving a man built for war comes with an expiration date. Because legends don't stay retired. And men like Parker Calhoun never come home unchanged. Some scars don't fade. But maybe some hearts are worth the risk.

She was his coworker. She was his close friend. She was his cousin. These were all things I knew. There were just a few crucial components to their connection of which I had been unaware. She had been his crush. And now he was hers.

Copyright © 2025 by Bookish Dae After a year of enduring her husband Silas's constant, subtle comparisons to his impeccably ambitious and model-esque coworker, Dalia Jackson reaches her breaking point when he dismisses her homemaking as laziness and her voluptuous body as a lack of discipline.

Copyright © 2025 by Bookish Dae After single mom Sophia overhears the love of her life, Grey, call their life "exhausting," her world shatters. She walks away, forcing the tattooed, man who adored her and her son to embark on a relentless journey fighting for a second chance to become the husband and father they deserve.

Matheo would attend the gala with Iris, and they would be the perfect couple, the power duo that everyone admired. Meanwhile, Colette would be here, in this cold, empty house, a prisoner of her own despair. The realization was suffocating, the betrayal too deep to bear. Her heart ached with a pain so intense it felt physical, a crushing weight that left her gasping for breath. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her body trembling with a mixture of rage and sorrow. Tears streamed down her face, but she made no move to wipe them away. What was the point? The man she had loved with all her heart, the man she had trusted implicitly, had chosen another over her. He had lied to her, betrayed her, and now he was flaunting that betrayal in the most public way possible. But this was new! Now, he had started lying to her. So, that he could attend the gala with Iris without his "stupid, unreasonable" wife demanding to be taken to a public place with him? He wouldn't want that burden on him now, would he? No, Iris would look much better in his arms, cool and sophisticated, with her intellectual talks to charm his potential investors. She knew the ins and outs of his business and it wouldn't be the first time he had taken her to such events. The thought made Colette's stomach churn. But tonight, something snapped inside her. The dead flower of her heart, long withered from neglect and betrayal, turned to a crisp. She had been humiliated, shamed, hidden away in secret, and lied to. Matheo had been afraid she would embarrass him? Now she would show him what true embarrassment felt like. Maybe her marriage was over. Maybe her husband had only ever wanted her for one thing: sex. If that was the case, then tonight, she would be the epitome of sex. She would get ready to seduce him in public, and the whole world would see the actual of their marriage before she left him forever. If he wanted her as the whore, he will get the whore.

The complete book is only available on Kindle and can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FS181BKW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2C1BY8TCDSU9G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UYq_PSgfmkivAIc6YRMNNQ.bASV0Mjw-veYDv83E4xEEOQOz5ORQXBkqztBnt-J9BM&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+gathered+fragments+of+us&qid=1758560347&s=books&sprefix=the+gathered+fragments+of+us%2Cbooks%2C46&sr=1-1 I will keep some of the early chapters here live, but the conclusion, changes to story line, and additions will only be available to read through Kindle once published. Until then, happy reading! 🥰 Felicity Barrett thought she had everything: a marriage to a man she loved and a beautiful future. But when years of neglect and unspoken grief collide with her husband's devastating mistake, everything begins to crumble. Caden Barrett has always been the fixer-at work, at home, and in his marriage. But some things can't be solved with late-night apologies or expensive gifts. To win back Felicity's trust, he'll have to face his failures, fight for their future, and learn what it truly means to not only love his wife, but to show that love. Together, they must navigate family turmoil, betrayal, and the painful echoes of the past. Through chaos, heartbreak, and unexpected joys, Felicity and Caden discover that love isn't about perfection-it's about persistence, forgiveness, and choosing each other again and again. This is a story of brokenness and healing, of second chances and the quiet work of love. It is a novel that explores modern marriage, blended families, and courage while asking: when everything shatters, can love be rebuilt stronger than before?

Aiden ended our engagement because he felt I wasn't doing what was expected of me. He was about to sign a big contract with a famous soccer team and the wives of the other players started badmouthing me, saying I was provoking and insulting them. He came home one day and ended our engagement and I accepted it without arguing. He was outraged by my attitude. What did he expect me to say?

One night of blissful happiness. One morning of terrible humiliation. She thought she met the man of her dreams. But, the next morning, when she opened her eyes and looked at the most gorgeous man she had ever seen, she was kindly asked to... leave. And to not talk with anyone about that night. Main couple: Cristopher and Jacqueline Tags: jerk boss, grovel, second change, besotted boss. No cheating. Celibate after getting together. Besotted hero. Besotted boss. Grovel. Happy ending for the main couple. Second chance. Office romance. Separation for week/months. Possessive. Mine. Pregnancy, Strong language. Sex scenes. Chapters: 20-25 chapters with epilogues "Look, no need to be mad, yes? While at work, just pretend we don't know each other, okay? I am a busy man so do not expect me to call or send texts. And also, I really am not going to explain myself to you. But today I can make time for dinner. I will let you know about..." Just read if you like HEA and forgiveness.