Sarye "Riya" Knowles is a certified boss in every sense of the word. At just 32, she's built a brand from scratch after walking away from a toxic relationship and raising her daughter. By day, Sarye is a thriving entrepreneur running her own cosmetic company. By night, she's the unapologetic, witty voice behind the hit podcast "Pillow Talk & Real Sh*t", where she keeps it raw and unfiltered about love, relationships, sex - and why women need to love themselves first. She's known for her infamous line: "Sis... your man is NOT in prison! Stop glamorizing struggle love" Sarye knows the harsh reality of that life. But life gets real when her wild, brutally honest best friend and co-host Josalyn dares her - to write a prison pen pal. The topic? Whether love can really be found behind bars. Thinking it's harmless content and knowing full well it's against everything she believes, Sarye agrees. It's just a letter. A joke. A teachable moment. That't until she encounters Steffon "Street" Austin, a 35-year-old inmate serving time with 15 years left on his sentence. But what starts as playful dare quickly turns into long letters, raw vulnerability, and undeniable chemistry. Street isn't who she expected. Charming. Intelligent. Business-minded. A protective energy that makes her feel safe - even from behind bars. Their connection is instant but layered with complications. Soon, Sarye finds herself sneaking to the mailbox like a teenager, rearranging her beliefs, and questioning everything she's ever preached to her listeners.

Nayeli is a 30-year-old single mother raising her spirited 7-year-old son, in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. After enduring heartbreak from failed relationships, including the painful fallout with her son's father, Nayeli has sworn off the idea of romance. Instead, she pours herself into her career and focuses on being the best mom she can be. But life has a way of shifting even the most carefully laid plans. When news spreads that a mutual friend from Nayeli's close-knit circle has tragically passed away, old bonds are rekindled. Among those returning to town for the memorial is Shai Smith, a 36-year-old successful sports trainer who has spent years traveling for his career. Nayeli and Shai have known each other for over a decade, always sharing playful banter and harmless flirtation. They've laughed off their chemistry as nothing more than jokes - two people who were never in the right place at the right time. In the wake of loss, Shai stays in town longer than planned, reconnecting with old friends and reflecting on the fragility of life. As he and Nayeli cross paths more often, their once lighthearted interactions deepen. Despite the spark between them, both Shai and Nayeli carry the weight of past heartbreak. Shai's last relationship left him wary of trust, and Nayeli is terrified of exposing her son to a love that might not last. But as the days pass, their connection becomes undeniable. Through laughter, tears, and the lessons of loss, Nayeli and Shai learn that healing isn't about forgetting the past, but finding the courage to embrace what's ahead. In the echoes of shared memories they discover that sometimes, love doesn't come when you're searching for it.

just a typical highschool love story

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.

" 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵" 𝐀𝐏𝐑21 𝐀 𝐑𝐈4𝐕𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Perfect appearances, perfect grades, perfect manners. Anything less for Adelina Torres and her family kicks her to the streets until she can keep up with the family name. She never had a life of her own. Always studying, always going to business dinners with her parents, always seen as a failure to her family. Despite her bubbly personality, she has always struggled to make friends. What happens when she meets Aaron Hendrix, the leader of the most powerful mafia in the country? A moment to thank you beautiful readers for giving me these rankings among thousands/hundreds of thousands/millions of other stories with similar tags :) #1 in mafia #1 in protective #1 in abused #1 in sunshine #1 in grumpy #2 in innocent #2 in cold #2 in goodgirl #3 in cute #9 in badboy #42 in family #54 in love

' 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 - 𝙹𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚎́ 𝙰𝚒𝚔𝚘 .

Amaris pov "Don't you just want to move away from all this shit we got going on?" Nolan just laughed at her sudden question catching her a bit off guard. "What's so funny?. You don't think we could move away and do something with our life's" "Your pops don't like you looking at me. You think he'd let me move out of here with you?" She remained silent because she new Nolan was right. Her father's name always had a way of appearing into one of their conversations and she hated that "Why you always got to bring him up?" "Because with every idea you come up with involves him coming after me" he said and she ended up laughing "Stop bringing up these crazy ass ideas and let me enjoy the little time I have left with you. Ya know ya pops Finna be calling you any minute now to ask where you at" She smiled laying her head back on his chest falling into deep thought Never did Nolan realize that he and Amaris were meant to be together but what happens when he's not the only one she loves

When Adalina is forced to marry the heir to Sicily's largest mafia, she's thrown into a tangled web of greed while navigating an electric attraction to her new husband. ***** Adalina Romano is tired of being manipulated by the men in her life. After her greedy uncle drags her halfway across the world to barter her in a deal between him and the heir to Sicily's largest mafia, the Cosa Nostra, she finds herself married to a man who makes her uncle look like a saint. She shouldn't be attracted to Vincent Salvatore, but Adalina cannot avoid his unforgiving stare nor deny the electrical charge she feels whenever they touch. Vincent sees Adalina as an obstacle in his fight for power, but soon has no choice but to keep her safe when they're caught in a war of dominance and greed. As Vincent's walls begin to slip, Adalina discovers a spark of light in his darkness, and once she's had a taste, she only wants more. When their spark turns into a fire, protecting Adalina amid one of the biggest mafia deals of Vincent's life means going against everything he's ever known, consequences be damned. Content Warning: contains violence and mature themes.