Once upon a time, men and women entered marriage with very clear policies regarding the division of labour: he would go to work and "bring home the bacon," while she would stay at home and cook, clean, and raise the children. Things aren't the same as they used to be. Modern Indian romance, intimacies, and marriages are far more complicated than assessments and reality television shows portray. In India, arranged marriages are an unique and complex process. People seek a 'soulmate' with whom they can spend the rest of their lives, but they also have specific expectations of the potential bride or groom. There is a strong narrative about finding love, compatibility, and connection, but what stands out is a real intent to replicate class identities beneath all of this. In a country that depends on a spending population, "middle class" is a necessary armour, a shared language, a value system, and, more importantly, a way of life. Life may be unjust, irritating, and disarmingly disappointing on most days. Being middle class, on the other hand, creates character in a culture obsessed with the need to be a part of the rat race. Marriage also places the onus of making sacrifices, concessions, and making the marriage work on the couple. This tale illuminates the unseen and underappreciated aspects of an Indian arranged marriage, the life of a middle-class wife and husband and their shared responsibilities as they navigate through life. Immense amount of desi tadka awaiting your way. *I don't own the illustration on the poster.*

Seeing an ex again after three years who you thought was going to be the love of your life is awkward enough, but when they bring their new girlfriend to your family's Christmas party? Two words: total. catastrophe. Season 2 of My Brother's Best Friend ********* Maddie thought she and Cameron had figured out the five-year plan. After they decided to end things back in high school they had made a pact: in five years, they'd try again. Being in different states for college, she didn't think she needed to try and avoid seeing him, but when she's able to get a last-minute flight back home for the holidays, she finds herself in for a rude awakening: not only was Cameron invited to her family Christmas party, but he brought his new girlfriend, too, seeming to have tossed their five-year plan directly out the window.

Warning: MATURE CONTENT | R-18 | COMPLETED To Aiyell, being forced to marry your best friend doesn't sound so bad. They just have to fake it, problem solved. But why is her husband, Claw, so possessive when their marriage isn't even real... or so she thinks. *** Looks, money, freedom-you really can't have it all. Aiyell Lyanne Freezell's world comes crashing down when she's forced to give up her freedom and marry her best friend, Claw Mondragon, and the only way to solve the problem is to fake it. But why does Aiyell find herself falling for him and wishing for an ending truer than their fake beginning? Can their love overcome temptation and money and anyone who gets in their way-even if it's a dear childhood friend, and fight for a marriage Aiyell initially didn't want? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Louise De Ramos Freezell Series #1

When bubbly Emerson Kachi Smith starts working for the handsome Lucas Hendrix, she quickly discovers there's something hot and untamed behind his cold exterior... ***** When bubbly Emerson Kachi Smith is offered a job as the personal assistant to the cold and handsome Lucas Hendrix, she's left wondering why. After all, she has no credentials to speak of, and working for a paranoid billionaire CEO who's impossible to please is far from easy. But a few weeks into her job, she begins to realize that she can't judge a book by its cover. Left alone to discover the mystery behind Lucas's cold exterior and to tame her uncontrollable desire to comfort him, she learns they have a lot more in common than she ever thought possible. Could their two lonely hearts share the same dream for happiness? [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]] Cover designed by April Alforque Former title 'Coffee And Papers'