When Ph.D. candidate Scarlett is forced to play loving wife to her mentor's playboy son, the last thing she expects is to fall for the fantasy herself. ***** Scarlett Rong has dedicated her life to anthropology, and she wouldn't have it any other way, even if her overbearing Ph.D. mentor makes a social life impossible. Dr. Alexeev has the power to make or break Scarlett's career and there's no way she's risking that. Even if it means getting roped into a holiday scheme that can't possibly be university policy. When Maxwell, the rebellious son of Dr. Alexeev's ex-husband gets into a car accident that leaves him with amnesia, Alexeev is far from heartbroken - in fact, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to find out why he's planning on signing his billion-dollar company away to his best friend for pennies. Before she knows it, Scarlett finds herself playing doting wife to the infamous playboy to find out the truth. But as the lies become more entangled, Scarlett finds herself questioning her involvement in this scheme, and more importantly, what her true feelings are for the handsome billionaire. A fake marriage was hardly on Scarlett's wish list this year, but maybe Maxwell is more of a gift than she initially suspected... [[Word count: 50,000 - 60,000]] Cover designed by Regina Dionela

*Wattys 2018 Winner / Hidden Gems* CREATE YOUR OWN MR. RIGHT Weeks before Valentine's, seventeen-year-old Kate Lapuz goes through her first ever breakup, but soon she stumbles upon a mysterious new app called My Dream Boyfriend, an AI chatbot that has the ability to understand human feelings. Casually, she participates in the app's trial run but finds herself immersed in the empathic conversations with her customizable virtual boyfriend, Ecto. In a society both connected and alienated by technology, Kate suspects an actual secret admirer is behind Ecto. Could it be the work of the techie student council president Dion or has Kate really found her soulmate in bits of computer code? She decides to get to the bottom of the cutting-edge app. Her search for Ecto's real identity leads Kate to prom, where absolute knowledge comes with a very steep price.

Hindi si Eunice ang klase ng babaeng naniniwala sa forever kahit pa taken siya. At kahit pa apat na taon na siyang may boyfriend, sobrang bitter pa rin niya pagdating sa usapang love life. Nang magtagpo ang landas nila ng idol niyang romance novelist na si Gregory Troye, hindi niya inaasahang matatawid ang mga limitasyong ibinigay niya sa sarili para lang sa inaakala niyang tunay na pagmamahal. Sa sandaling halos ipamukha na sa kanya ng tadhana na mali siya ng mga naging desisyon sa buhay, mapaninindigan pa kaya niya ang paniniwalang walang happy ending kung ang inaakala niyang ending ay magdudulot sa kanya ng tunay na kahulugan ng salitang "happy?" Para matapos ang kuwentong hindi naman tungkol sa dalawang taong nagmamahalan, pero tungkol sa love; ano nga ba ang kailangan niyang gawin para matapos ang kanyang pinapangarap na collab? At sa di-inaasahang pagsasama ng dalawang taong hindi naman ganoong nagtagal, mahahanap niya sa di-inaasahang pagkakataon ang perpektong kasagutan sa tanong na "Naranasan mo na bang magmahal?" Disclaimer: This story is written in Taglish. Cover Illustration by Sempiternal Artist ******** The F- Buddies © 2019 by Elena Buncaras ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, except brief quotes and lines used in some description, written specifically for inclusion in this book. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, some places, and incidents are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. 09/05/19 -09/27/19

[Wattys 2021 Winner] After discovering that her mother was alive and that she has an older sister, Candida Graciela Cordova, the proud owner of Avian Airlines, took off on a mission - traveling across Europe finding them, alongside dealing with threats from her current so-called family. ============================================================================ Candida Graciela Cordova is a carefree and spontaneous woman. People perceive her as naïve and impulsive but she knows a lot more about how the world works than anyone would think. Tired of feeling lonely, and incomplete, Grachi has set off on a journey to find her mother and older sister - traveling across Europe, she encounters friendly strangers, warm acquaintances, and a particular French guy. Having endangered her own airline and receiving life-threatening threats, will her positive attitude, benevolent personality, and with the help of some friends be enough to overcome those that block her path? Is finding a place where she can feel that she belongs too much to ask? What is the price to pay for her to reach her destination?

THE WATTY AWARDS 2021 WINNER: ROMANCE Due to an unexpected pregnancy, ex-lovers Ryo and Frankie are forced to live under the same roof. They can't stand each other but when the moments from their past are slowly catching up, their lingering feelings seem to be much stronger than they thought it would be. *** When Frankie Castañares broke up with Ryo Canencia, she is determined to move on and never meet him again. They are living well on their own with her working hard to be a magazine editor and him reaching his dream of becoming a professional basketball player. But with the news of Frankie being pregnant with Ryo's child, they've got no choice but to act civil and live under the same roof. They bicker over the simplest things and their situation couldn't get any easier than they ought to be. With them still hung up on their past, can they be brave enough to settle their differences and start all over again? Disclaimer: This story is written in Taglish. Cover Illustration by 17aila_

When a deadly disease ravages the town of Holmsley, Frankie and her friends find themselves trapped inside a military-blockaded quarantine zone. ***** A story that was first published in 2014 and feels more relevant than ever. Fifteen-year-old Frankie and her friends must find their way out of quarantine if they want to survive. As the body count rises, Frankie realizes that this is no ordinary quarantine and no one is coming to help. Once infected, the sick become crazed and violent, while fear turns other survivors to savages. And who or what are the mysterious figures Frankie keeps seeing around town? It seems she'll have to unravel the dark truth behind it all if she wants to get out alive... Content and/or trigger warning: This story describes disease outbreaks and contains scenes of violence, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

A painful breakup pushes Kyla Evans to get into a fake relationship with the person her ex-boyfriend hates the most: Seth Everett. But what will she do when the game starts to feel too real? ***** Seventeen-year-old Kyla has sworn off love. After getting dumped all too suddenly by her longtime boyfriend Cedric, she becomes convinced that people are never really who you think they are. So when notorious playboy Seth Everett suggests that Kyla fake date him to get back at Cedric, it seems like the perfect plan... as long as she doesn't end up falling for him. Content and/or trigger warning: This story mentions cancer, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

"Deliciously captivating! It's the perfect amount of laughs, love and drama. You won't be able to put this book down!" - Grace K @ HQ. When Agatha becomes the Everard's governess, she's grateful for a way to escape her dark past. That is until her growing feelings for the mysterious Lord of the house begin to present an even greater risk. ***** The Everard's are one of the most esteemed families in Wickhurst. And Benedict, the Lord of Devonshire and the eldest of the clan, is as mysterious and brooding as anyone The Town has ever seen. His face is marked with scars, and no one dares to speak on how he got them. Known to all as 'the beast,' the townsfolk tremble in his wake. But little does he know that he is about to meet his match in Agatha Blair, his sisters' new governess. Agatha is witty, smart and gives him a run for his money when he tries to peel back the layers of who she really is. She truly intrigues him more than any woman he has met but she is a governess and he is a Lord. The Town would shun the union of two people from different stations and any romance between them is surely a recipe for social disaster! But what can they do when the burning hot feelings refuse to relent? And when Benedict uncovers that Agatha is hiding a secret far more dangerous than anything he could have imagined, will love save the day and will Agatha finally tame the beast? *This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series. [Now a Hachette Audiobook!] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

What happens when an arrogant hockey star falls for an honor student that only wants to stay away from trouble? On the ice, Caleb Dawson is unstoppable, but his talent alone might not be enough to win Jennifer's heart, especially when his bad boy reputation is exactly what she's not looking for... ***** Jennifer Beckett is academically gifted, but while she may seem flawless in the classroom, she spends her life hiding her insecurities. Boy trouble is the last thing she would want to get involved in, so when she collides with Caleb Dawson, the cocky and self-centered hockey player that everyone worships, Jennifer can't get away fast enough. The problem is, the two of them keep gravitating toward each other. Does Caleb have what it takes to be in a relationship, despite his arrogance from being one of the best teenage hockey players in America? And can Jennifer see past her own issues to give him - and herself - a chance? [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ray Gardener

Nandini Varma owns the only bookstore in town and is content with hiding her awkward self behind bestsellers. What she doesn't know is that her favorite author has moved near her, and that perhaps she could finally have a love story of her own, even if it's an awkward one. ***** Ryan Callahan wants to move on from his writing career and just work for the police. It's hard though, when the town's book lady happens to be a huge fan of his. She's smart, funny, beautiful, and kind - a lethal combination. He wants to get to know her more, but something seems to be holding her back. Who is this mysterious woman that Ryan can't stop thinking about? Content/trigger warning: This story contains themes of sexism and verbal abuse. [[word count: 70,000 - 80,000]] Cover designed by Joe Resch