Jesse is barely holding it together after her best friend dies in her arms. Guilt, grief, and therapy that doesn't work - that's her life now. Then comes Bex. Mysterious. Mean. Covered in bruises no one talks about. When Jesse's assigned to check in on Bex for a school counseling elective, she doesn't expect to care. But broken girls recognize each other. And soon, Jesse's falling - into late-night hugs, secret meetings spots, and forbidden kisses. But Bex has secrets she won't let go of. And Jesse has wounds she's still trying to hide. Can you save someone else when you're still trying to survive yourself?

Drugged and held captive by the Italian Mafia to extort unpaid gambling debts from his grandfather, Lucas, an overprotected, anxious teen, falls for the granddaughter of a powerful mafia don. Full Blurb: When Gio Regali takes his family to Venice, Italy, for what's supposed to be a family vacation, he has no idea he's walking into a trap. His sixteen-year-old son, Lucas, is drugged and abducted by the mafia to settle his grandfather's massive gambling debt. The demand for his release is 3 million euros in twenty-four hours. Isolated in a remote seaside villa, Lucas clings to the one bright spot in the shadows: Marina, the sharp-witted and fascinating granddaughter of the mafia don. She's beautiful, forbidden, and just as trapped as he is, but falling for her could be the last mistake he makes. Back in Northern Italy, Gio and his wife Ren are frantic to save their son. But as they dig into Gio's father's past, they uncover buried betrayals, long-lost family secrets, and a scandal that could destroy them all. With the ransom money locked in probate and Gio's bipolar disorder pushing him toward a breaking point, the clock is running out. Told from three gripping perspectives, and set against a lavish, beautiful Italian backdrop, Fate MisTaken is a genre-defying story of young forbidden love, generational secrets, and the lengths a family will go to for one another.

** @TheWattys 2025 Shortlister in Romance ** **A spicy enemies-to-lovers romance with a fake marriage contract trope.** To rescue her missing best friend, a lawyer must marry her arrogant boss, only to realize her entire life has been built on lies. Can be read as a Standalone. || Book 1 of Fatal Alliances Series ************ Sofia Reyes has fought her way to the top of New York's legal scene, hiding scars she can't fully remember. But just as she's about to claim the promotion for Junior Manager she's worked so hard for, her best friend, and her boss's fiancée, Kiara, disappears. This forces Sofia into a marriage she never asked for; an alliance bound by secrets, contracts, and survival. Xavier Kingston is everything she loathes: ruthless, cunning, and impossibly arrogant. Yet behind his cold, calculating exterior lies a hunger for something real, something neither of them dares to admit. As Sofia navigates their fake marriage, the line between duty and desire blurs dangerously. Their chemistry ignites, but the truths Sofia uncovers: about the law firm, Kiara's disappearance, and her own hidden past, threaten to destroy everything. In a world of billion-dollar deals, betrayals, and forbidden glances, love might just be the deadliest game of all. **Cover image by Freepik**

When Alfie is faced with a choice between losing his left hand or working for a notorious nightclub, the decision is easy. Drowning in debt after being disowned by his wealthy parents, Alfie McKellar finds himself trapped, with his only shot at financial freedom resting in the hands of the powerful man who now holds his fate. Nikolai Komarov inspires fear from his homeland to the streets of New York City. He's seized control of the city's nightlife, running Pallieria, the most exclusive club, and keeping the city's elite firmly under his thumb. With his sights set on power alone, Nikolai doesn't expect his focus to waver-until he meets Alfie, a doe-eyed beauty whose presence stirs the deepest, darkest parts of himself he's fought to keep hidden. And what Nikolai desires, he always takes. But being the boss's favorite brings its own dangers. As Alfie struggles to survive the dangerous world that is Nikolai's, he becomes desperate to secure his position. What he doesn't anticipate, however, is discovering the man beneath the ruthless facade. Nikolai doesn't believe in commitment, love, or anything that could lead to pain. But despite knowing the risks, Alfie can't help but fall for the illusion-even if it means getting burned in the process.

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐄𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚." "𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲, 𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬." 𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐃'𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 She vowed to run from marriage, never to marry a mobster and always seem so utterly unfit for marriage. Those plans changed the second her sister ran for her life and left a ruthless don unwed. And now, she was taking her sister's fate and walking down the aisle to sign her life away. The man she was now betrothed to was the man she vowed to kill. So now, her plan changed into a twisted game. But little does she know, he loves to play games. 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐎 A relentless man who never shares, and when he hears the news that his soon to be wife ran from the mafia, his plan fell into shambles. That until the Italian mafia boss sends his second daughter, a force to be reckoned with. The girl he had tried to kill years ago, and he had no idea that she loves to hold grudges. Bloodshed and hurt paints their marriage, pain and tragedy is the poster for their past and now they have to be married as one. She's infuriated by him, he's infatuated by her, who wins this war? Read to find out!

Desirée had sworn off relationships and men, convinced she was better off without the drama or, in her case, the abuse. But then Alessio bursts into her life and shatters all her defenses with one intense, electrifying kiss, turning her world completely upside down. Head over heels once again, and very much certain Alessio is the missing piece in her life, Desirée avoids the cracks that start to show. But for how long? How long can Alessio keep this dark secret from the woman who's become his everything? . . .

When the beautiful Lady Sigyn arrives in Asgard, the Trickster-God, Loki, is determined to use her for his next scheme. But not all is as it seems, and Loki may just get a lot more than he bargained for. *** What if... Loki had a wife? This is the story of the only woman who ever loved the God of Mischief. Lady Sigyn arrives in Asgard as the betrothed to the Crown Prince, Thor Odinson. But there is another who seeks her out. Loki, the God of Mischief and Thor's brother, means to use Sigyn in his scheme to shame Thor before all the Nine Realms. But something unexpected happens - Loki finds himself falling in love with his brother's fiancée and sets all in motion to be with her, even going against the King and Allfather himself. But others fear the immensely destructive force that resides within Sigyn, as well as Loki's influence on her. As she struggles to keep hatred and desire for vengeance out of her heart, the all-consuming fire within her slumbers beneath the surface, waiting for that one fateful day to sprout forth and eradicate the universe... or save it from another certain titanic event. *** [[This story is ongoing]] IMPORTANT; please read the author's note for all trigger warnings. I do not go easy on my characters. Advised for mature audiences only. Disclaimer; I own nothing related to the MCU or Marvel Comics nor any of the characters. No copyright infringement intended. All rights belong to their respective owners. YOU DO NOT NEED PRIOR MCU KNOWLEDGE TO START THIS STORY. The storyline of the MCU will eventually be woven into the chapters, and there will also be some details from the original Norse mythology. Let's play a game! Chapter titles are song lyrics from animated movies or their musical stage adaptations. A quote from said movie hides in the chapter. Can you spot them? The lyrics/quotes belong to the respective creator/studio; I use them only in dedication. Cover design by @AnnamitaMuscaria