[2021 WATTYS Winner] Giovanna joins a handsome nobleman to save a friend from an arranged marriage, but they discover a plot that may have victims of Venice's Black Death rising from their graves. * * * As a child, Giovanna Visconti learned the arts of bloodletting and elixir brewing from her father with an intent to simply support his work, not take it over. But when he falls ill from the pestilence that's been ravaging Venice for months, she reluctantly dons the beaked mask of the plague doctor. Vowing to protect her father however she can, Giovanna hides him away and sees her first patient--the handsome, but alarmingly feverish Matteo Barozzi. Although she successfully treats this son of a high-ranking official, in a careless moment Giovanna fails to properly conceal her identity. The only reason she isn't tossed into a dank jail cell is thanks to the young man's honor and feelings of indebtedness. The association between the charming aristocrat and the clever commoner should end there, but when Giovanna's dearest friend goes missing right after her betrothal to the Doge's son and amid strange reports of nighttime attacks, violent commotions, and inexplicable behaviors in the community, the only person Giovanna can turn to for help is Matteo. Together, they must carefully navigate Venice's increasingly deadly canals to uncover a sect peddling false cures and a smuggling plot involving the highest levels of government or risk the entire Republic falling victim to something even worse than the plague: the risen dead. Historical Fiction with Fantasy Elements THE BORGIAS X FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH * * * WATTYS 2021 winner for Historical Fiction and special HQ prize for "Catchiest Hook" AMBYS 2022 winner for Best Zombie story Content Warning for adult situations including assault and death.

• WATTYS 2022 WINNER • When Iris Monet married millionaire Jared Darling, she had only one rule - that he could cheat on her with anyone except the household staff. This arrangement of theirs would have gone on quite happily if she hadn't caught him on the snooker table with their maid, and on their wedding anniversary night no less. Humiliated and more than a little drunk, Iris storms out of the house vowing never to return unless it's for a well-compensated divorce. But as the train trundles out of the city, she slowly calms down and quickly realizes that there's a problem. A big problem. Because the only thing Iris has ever done in her life is being a trophy wife. The prospect of unfunded singlehood on the cusp of her thirties is a horrifying nightmare she's unprepared to deal with. So naturally, when she lays eyes on who she thinks is the richest bachelor in Ryefair, Iris is more than ready to put her claws into him. Except, Satoh Akai isn't the richest bachelor in Ryefair - not by a long shot. And as someone who speaks better with animals than people, romance is the furthest thing from his mind. When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, anything is possible but one thing is certain - worlds will collide and hearts will burn. ✒ 17th November 2021 (start) ✒ 27th July 2022 (end)

Loving yourself is hard. Trying to find love in a family who objectified you? Seems like work. But try finding love in someone as a hopeless romantic too. • • • Smart, nerdy, pretty, and kind are all the words she's gotten used to. Being a Junior in college, Evangeline Collins has learned that the kindest of words are said by the evilest of beings. Not only that but living in a family where expectations are through the roof helped her grow a thick skin. However, just when she began succumbing to her hopeless life, she meets a worse type of being. Matteo Cadwell. A senior, living like the devil as she kindly called him. It was inevitable that they didn't get along. Until they gave it a shot. When Matteo saw the kind of life Evie was living, his eyes opened wide for him to see everything. In an attempt to just see the good in her he saw something so much more - he saw the good in him. Helping raise each other, love each other, these two fight to the end. They fight until they freed themselves from the cruel chains of their lives. Previously known as "The Mind Of A Hopeless Romantic" [ FEATURED WATTPADROMANCE NOVEL ] ©AsteriaLauder2020 Started: July 24, 2020

(Complete) After Seren is assaulted by someone in her friend group, she begins to fall deeper into the depths of her depression. No one seems to notice, except for the former bad boy and his friends. "Seriously, this is probably the best book I've read on Wattpad." -@dowries "I thought you were bluffing in the description but dang, you got me. Ima say- this truly is one of the best books on Wattpad." -@jamzeverywhere "Easily the best book I have ever read and I'm not exaggerating." - @purelyaureila "Simultaneously shattered me and put me back together, one of the best things I've ever read. Didn't think I could love two characters so deeply." -@imswriting "If I was ever to reread a book- it would be this one." -@thethotpocket "This is my favourite book! I would pay literal money just to continue to experience these characters!" - @sapphhhireee Spin Offs: Notice Me, and Trust Me *****

Twenty-year-old Cala Bonilla is an avid advocate for justice. If the law gives police officers the right to kill innocent men on their skin color alone, then Cala will just have to protest by not following the law. Despite her small record of misdemeanors, Cala generally gets by without being caught. That is until Leo Lombardi, the hot-new cop, comes to town seeming to always be around when Cala is breaking the law. Some may say it's an inevitable consequence of living in a small town, but Cala is not so convinced that it's all thanks to freak chance. In the wake of an incident that leaves the town's law enforcement under the scrutiny of the entire country, Leo and Cala's lives seem to intertwine in a wild twist of fate. With guns blazing and hearts racing, will the outcome be black or blue?

"I can't remember what happened that night. I'm not talking slippery details or fuzzy-edged visions; I mean a complete and utter blackout. Like I wasn't even there. Except... I know I was." Since the death of her boyfriend six months ago, Morgan Cain's life is spiralling out of control. She didn't mean to stay away from college all this time. She didn't mean to ghost her best friend, who was only trying to look out for her. But most of all, she didn't mean to keep it to herself that she was with Josh the night he died-and doesn't have a single memory of what happened. It's hard enough returning to campus, but things get even worse when a shocking exposé in the student magazine reveals a sinister truth about Davidson University's golden boy. Amidst twisted allegations of abuse and sexual assault, Morgan is set to discover that the more she remembers about Josh... the more she may want to forget.

Ari Callahan has no idea how to talk to boys -- or how to talk to anyone for that matter. Enter Zac, the cute new guy in town who won't stop texting her. But is his interest real, or does he have a hidden agenda? ***** Found as a young child washed up on the beach, 17-year-old Ari Callahan has never uttered a word out loud to anyone -- not even her adoptive family. Psychologists have diagnosed her with a condition called selective mutism, but Ari can't help identifying with her namesake character, Ariel, the little mermaid in the fairytale whose voice was stolen by a sea witch. Mermaid-obsession aside, Ari's silence makes socializing tough. She's never had a boyfriend or been asked out on a date. Not until Zac, the confident new arrival in town, asks for her number. But Zac has his own reasons for texting with Ari. He's part of a movement to sabotage the artificial music app called SirenSong, threatening to render human singing obsolete. Zac's collaborators have scoured the globe in search of a singing voice perfect enough to break the SirenSong spell, and their search has led them straight to Ari's beachside town. Will her relationship with Zac help Ari find her voice and unlock the secrets of her origins? Or will he use her and leave her high and dry? Title: Ari and Zac (formerly The Mermaid Hypothesis) Content Warning: This story contains references to selective mutism, suicidal thoughts, and early childhood trauma.

In the attempt to fight for her rights as a woman, an African rural teen born to a misogynistic people is suddenly thrown into a world of evil that she must overcome if she wants to escape with her life. * * * Elorm Nutsugah wants the best things life has to offer, but being eighteen years old with no education whatsoever, the future looks bleak. When she is accused of immoralities she didn't commit, she is forced to clear her name by marrying the Prince of her village who promises her the world and more. But everything is not what it seems, and by doing so, she ends up not just fighting for a good life, but for her life and the lives of everyone she loves. #1 in stopslutshaming [september 20, 2020] #1 in blackpride [may 14, 2020] disclaimer: i do not own any of the images present on and in the book.

Introverted Charlie never expected to gain the attention of Dia, the chatterbox on the train, and he certainly wasn't expecting to fall in love. *** A few words can describe Charlie Jackson. He enjoys the simplicity of a coffee far more than the average person, and devotes too much time to his work - commuting included. But Charlie's life is far more complicated than meets the eye. Hindered by his stammer and the anxiety that occurs as a result, he has become accustomed to letting others use their voices for him. When Dia strolls into work one day, it seems that the universe has its own plans. Charlie instantly recognises her as the chatty woman from the train he takes five days a week. She's different in many ways, and it becomes clear that there's something between them. But the journey to love isn't so smooth sailing, especially when Dia's own battles come to light. Can Charlie fight his demons to support Dia in facing hers, or will his anxiety never allow him to become more than the stranger on the train? Romance Wattys Winner- 2020 1st place in the Firework Awards [New Adult] Featured in the Wattpad Summer Challege- 2020 Content and Trigger Warning- this book contains themes including the following; mental health, anxiety, suicide awareness, domestic violence.

Book Four in the Expiring Series