Hamburg, 1960. Willa and Elsie March are on the run, and they find safety at the Bambi Kino in the red light district of Hamburg with five cocky, sometimes maddening, usually drunk, and bloody talented boys--the Beatles. Willa has never met anyone quite like John Lennon. He's everything she didn't know she'd been missing. "I thought about John, about our interactions and our late-night chats. He was without a doubt intense, and most definitely moody. He made me feel so many things--confused, annoyed, relieved, comfortable, content, and bloody irritated--but not nervous." And there's more to Elsie's relationship with Paul McCartney than she's willing to admit. This is their story, full of trust, betrayal, secrets, love, lies, hope...and the Beatles. *** Achievements 🏆2025 Grand Winner - Fanfiction Category (The Nano Watt Awards) 🏆2025 Amby Awards Winner - Favorite *** •Part One: 1960 (Chp 0 - Chp 17) Started: March 5, 2023 Completed: June 27, 2023 •Part Two: 1961 (Chp 18 - Chp 36) Started: Sept 24, 2023 Completed: June 16, 2024 •Part Three: 1962 (Chp 37 - Chp 53) Started: Sept 29, 2024 Completed: March 23, 2025 *** Thank you so much to the amazing @strange_daisies for creating the cover! *** [Just Like] Starting Over is a work of fiction. While many characters of the story bear the names of actual people, they and their actions have been imagined by the author. Some events depicted in this story are based on reality, but there are also many that have been modified or created purely by the author. I (obviously) do not own The Beatles, but I do own my original characters. *** Warnings: This is a mature story and as such there is swearing, shagging, violence, angst, drug references and use, death, and explicit adult situations. *** Comments, feedback, and votes are always very much appreciated. I will reply to you as quickly as I can! Thank you so much for reading! x ** [Just Like] Starting Over © NikSzabo (2023)

When Teia Cloto travels to Naples, Italy, hoping to steady a life already quietly unravelling, the last thing she needs is a blind date that turns into an easy, unexpected friendship. Alden instantly makes the city feel strangely familiar in ways Teia didn't know she needed. Drawn deeper into Naples' ancient past and her own unsettling sense of déjà vu, the line between coincidence and destiny begin to blur. Staying friends is simpler. But Teia must confront whether destiny is a story we inherit, or one we choose to rewrite, no matter the cost. Water and Sand is a contemporary love story that reimagines the myth of Theseus and Ariadne, where love is a labyrinth and friendship feels like the safest way out. #ONC2026 contest. Story is complete. Prompt 24: Staying as friends is meant to be safe, but that doesn't mean it's the path you're meant to take; Prompt 28: Self-love often starts small, like planting a seed. With time, patience, and a bit of light, it will grow; and Prompt 29: You meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints on your heart.

Natalia Stevens is smart, nice and shy-and this is exactly how everyone sees her. Even day-to-day conversations with friends and classmates are difficult, and guys certainly don't pay her any attention. During her senior year, Nati begins to notice unexpected interactions with her volleyball coach, Alex. Despite the apparent chemistry developing, she struggles to believe there is anything between them. Before she can make sense of it all, volleyball season is winding down, and it appears her mystifying crush will be out of her life for good. Natalia enters university just as socially petrified as she had been in high school, but new experiences with friends, booze and boys open up a surprising world of possibility. She realizes she can talk openly to other people for the first time, and this exhilarating discovery fosters a newfound confidence she thought she might never uncover in herself. Along the roller coaster ride of thrilling and frustrating crash-and-burn encounters with various crushes, however, there is one guy Nati can't seem to shake from her mind.

Brie Sheridan has had her heart broken way too many times. Rhett Price is usually the culprit, but, this time, he might be the solution. ***** Brooke 'Brie' Sheridan wouldn't necessarily call herself a hopeless romantic; after all, love is everywhere if you choose to look for it, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to see the beauty and the good in the world. However, her rose-colored lenses are shattered when her boyfriend dumps her right at the start of her final year of college, ruining all her plans for her senior project, and here lie Brie's hopes, dreams, and pieces of her broken heart. Enter Rhett Price--known commitment-phobe, the bane of Brie's existence, and the reason behind many of her late-night crying sessions during the harshest days of high school. Down on his luck and struggling with improving his reputation, he turns to Brie in a time of need--he'll help her out with her project, and she'll help him look better and more responsible in the eyes of his family. Old feelings resurface, and it quickly becomes obvious there are certain things you don't always get over. Your first love might as well be one of them. ***** BENNINGTON COLLEGE SERIES #1 2025 WATTY AWARD WINNER [[THE AMBYS 2025 AMBASSADOR'S PICK IN ROMANCE]] [[5X WATTPAD FEATURED STORY]] © 2023 caterina george // all rights reserved