── .✦ ocean's 8 | women & non-binary voices in diverse lit
9 stories
Love Fatale (GXG)  by -MilaSteele
-MilaSteele
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Two friends turned enemies turned lovers must decide if their love is worth the risk of one, or both, of them dying. ******** Aurelia and Dahlia were best friends turned enemies when Aurelia's secret came out on her sixteenth birthday-she's a vampire. Not just any vampire: she belonged to the oldest and most pristine Elites whose legacy spans centuries. Dahlia was born into a family full of vampire hunter legends. When she and Aurelia were ripped apart, not just by their families but also by the hate that arose from Dahlia toward her best friend, they spent year after year playing a cat and mouse game. And each year, their love has grown deeper, more dangerous, until one day it will be up to Aurelia to try to save them both, or let one of them die.
In These Days of War by Troublesome_Wench
Troublesome_Wench
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The elven kingdom of Tírnéth, weakened by civil war, is unable to ward off the threat posed by the mortal men of Carransii. For the first time in recorded history, foreign feet scale the Aghadh Mountains and tread elven land in pursuit of the most coveted thing in the world: The magic of the Misty Bog. Lying to the north of Tírnéth and governed by the Seelie Queen, it is a domain even elves are forbidden from entering. Even so, Princess Eimhir and her younger sisters make the journey to its border at the behest of her father, King Lorcán, in a desperate bid to preserve his legacy as the enemy closes in from the south. He entrusts his daughters to the care of his enigmatic Warden of the North, who holds her lonely vigil in the Grey Tower of the Wall of Devin. But in these days of war, Eimhir refuses to be passive. She will not be a damsel in distress awaiting the cold kiss of her enemy's blade. With her mind honed by the cutthroat politics of the royal court, she wields it like a weapon, but can she maintain her ruthlessness through the burgeoning feelings she holds for her protector? The book cover was painted by me. :) Please be mindful in the comments (see my bio) <3 Content warning: violence, gore, explicit sexual content, mentions and depictions of death, grief, emotional manipulation/abuse, suicidal ideation, and indoctrination.
Still Listening by violadavis
violadavis
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When a viral podcast clip convinces millions of strangers that former co-hosts Kennedy Martin and Stella Montgomery were secretly in love, the ex-girlfriends reunite for a comeback episode. ***** Two years ago, Kennedy Martin lost both her girlfriend and her podcast in one fell swoop. Since then, she's avoided thinking about either. Unfortunately, the universe has other plans. When an old clip from Where Were You When goes viral and an article is posted, fans become obsessed all over again with the chemistry between Kennedy and her former co-host, Stella Montgomery. Everyone demands a reunion, including a digital media production company willing to pay for one last episode. Kennedy agrees--but definitely because she misses Stella. Why Stella is on board with it, though, is beyond her. As old memories resurface and late-night planning sessions become harder to avoid and even harder to end, Kennedy realizes that the story she's been telling herself about the demise of the relationship might not be true. While their relationship began with a misunderstanding, it might also have ended because of one. Now, with an impending reunion and rehashed feelings, Kennedy and Stella have one last chance to finally get it right. ***** © 2026 caterina george // all rights reserved
Wynne Can't Swim by kae-ruby
kae-ruby
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Burnt-out influencer Wynne Mayfield gave up on her social media dream five years ago. But a new sponsorship deal might be her second chance, even if it means returning to the island she has tried to escape. When she crosses paths with her former best friend, Sienna, Wynne can no longer avoid her. With only twenty days before the sponsorship deadline, Wynne plans to drown her feelings for Sienna--but the more their history resurfaces, the more the two find they understand each other better than before. **** Written for the Open Novella Contest 2025 (ONC), using prompts 110 and 120. Cover by @-MilaSteele
How the Chicken Little Nuggets Won It All by KateNotGreat
KateNotGreat
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Cameron's first love is baseball, but when he falls for a softball player he can't be with, he realizes he's signed up for more than he bargained for. Between teaching baseball to a rag-tag team of kids and pursuing his dreams of coaching professionally, he shouldn't have feelings for Norah. But attraction is hard to fight, even when pasts and pain threaten to hurt him even more than they already have. ******* Cameron Shaw, the quiet and reserved assistant for an esteemed collegiate baseball team, has one goal in life: to coach professional ball. After one wild, unforgettable kiss on a dance floor with a stranger, his dreams are at risk of crashing down all around him. Again. Fun-loving Norah Young has two goals. First, to prove to her coach that she can be a starting player on the Saint Helena University softball team. Second, to find out why the stranger at the bar left her standing alone after the best kiss of her life. Infatuation turns to hate when he leads her to believe that he wants nothing to do with her. As the baseball assistant and a student athlete, Cameron and Norah aren't supposed to be together, but they can't seem to stay away from each other. Especially when Norah wakes up hungover in Cameron's bed, only to find out that he coaches a team of kids who don't know the first thing about baseball. While Cameron silently endures the chronic pain that stole his baseball career, Norah aims to figure out what it was that stole the promising young player's talent and smile, without getting too close to him. But they can't seem to stay away from each other, no matter how hard they try. FEATURED ON: Newly Written Books CONTENT: Women in sports Chronic pain and disability Gay rep in sports Steamy, but not spicy GENRES: Contemporary, college sports romance, new adult Marked mature for language and a few steamy scenes.
Perfect Alignment by skyxsb
skyxsb
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Opal Mailo has a plan: climb the corporate ladder, perfect her appearance, and finally belong in the elite world of high finance. Fixing her teeth is next on her list. Dr. Apollo Merrill is the orthodontist she's paying to make it happen. He's a sunbeam in a white coat - kind, maddeningly unreadable, and far too observant. He notices the things no one else does, sees past her careful polish, and looks at her in a way that feels a little too personal. As Opal's teeth straighten, the rest of her life begins to unravel. The burnout is blinding. The pull towards Apollo is inconvenient. The "perfect" version of herself is starting to look like a stranger. Caught between who she's becoming and who she's always been, Opal begins to wonder if perfection is worth the cost - and if maybe she doesn't need to be flawless to be worthy of love.
Call Me Vi | ONC 2024 by KC_Han_writes
KC_Han_writes
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One is a journalist who writes about movie stars. The other is a movie star who hates journalists. Now their worlds are colliding. Reagan Porter is a small town journalist married, in every sense of the word, to her work. When everything that could go wrong before her Valentine's Day vacation does, she jets off early to the mountains in Asheville, North Carolina for some well-earned peace and quiet. But she'll have to work for it. Violetta "Vi" Dawson is bold, beautiful, and boisterous. At least, that's what the tabloids are calling her. Hoping to get away from the spotlight and her recent break-up with her long time boyfriend, Violetta seeks out The Bearside Hotel which she hopes will allow her some time away to think and reflect. When the two meet after a drunken mishap, Reagan and Violetta immediately butt heads. How else are a journalist and a movie star supposed to get along? On a chance weekend, The Bearside Hotel might just offer each of them a chance at what they've really wanted all along: true love. --- ONC Prompts: 9. After some long months of working harder than ever, you finally get to your well deserved vacation getaway but when you arrive at the hotel, there is this one star that brings all the paparazzi and trouble with them and makes your vacation one to remember. 24. A desperate wish, made from the heart, is always answered. Sooner or later. --- New cover by @-DeeisDead- Copyright © 2024 KC_Han_writes All rights reserved. All plot concepts are my own. Characters are of my own imagination. I do not own any real-life locations or inspired locations and they are used for purely fictional purposes. This book should not be copied or reproduced in any way. Exclusive to w a t t p a d & I n k i t t.
Knee Pads by violadavis
violadavis
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Wren's life takes an unexpected turn when she joins a roller derby team led by the elusive Corinne Fontaine. ***** Moving to Connecticut had never been in former figure skater Wren Wu's plans, yet there she is. She's there for her brother's sake, against her will, and is feeling like her whole world is slipping out of her hands. When she's offered an opportunity to try out for the university roller derby team, captained by the infuriatingly beautiful Corinne Fontaine, everything inside her tells her it's a bad idea, but she's never been one to make good decisions anyway. [[7X WATTPAD FEATURED STORY]] [[THE AMBYS 2023 TOP PICK IN ROMANCE]] © 2020 caterina george // all rights reserved
Lethal Encounter: The Novel (GxG)  by -MilaSteele
-MilaSteele
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[7x featured] "Well, maybe there is one advantage of being in love with the villain in the story. I won't hesitate to kill for you. I won't think twice about burning the world if it means keeping you safe. Because you're worth it, sunshine." 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪───※ ·✯· ※───𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 When a cold-hearted assassin falls for her sweet target, she must make a choice: murder her or betray her organization to protect them both. Ava became a K.A.R.M.A. assassin at only sixteen years old. Fueled by anger, hate, and the hunger for revenge, Ava has forgotten what compassion or sympathy even means. Until she meets a sassy beam of sunshine whom she spares instead of killing her as ordered. When Ava feels that heart melting spark, she considers betraying her organization to experience that warm feeling once again. Jennie So-Yeon has been sheltered from any speck of violence her whole life, thanks to her parents and her tough best friend. Jennie believes murder is wrong, no matter the reason. But when she meets a cold assassin who protects her from the same people who are after the super-hot assassin, she finds her isolated life of sunshine and rainbows shattering into a million pieces as she falls for a killer. The truth behind K.A.R.M.A. 's purpose slowly unravels as Eve, the leader of the organization, puts out a hit on both Ava and Jennie. Ava must decide if she's going to throw away all her beliefs and years of her life out the window for that dreaded emotion: love. Will Ava and Jennie be able to hold onto their love despite the pressures and death threats around them? Or will one end up betraying the other as both their worlds fall apart? 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪───※ ·✯· ※───𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Onc 2024 longlister Featured by: @Action (Action Romance, 18 Romance Stories We Are Obsessed With) @Romance (Romantic Suspense) @Ambassadors (Dangerous Love) @adventure (18 Romance Stories We Are Obsessed With) Cover by yours truly