He was never supposed to want her. She was never supposed to look back. But grief does not respect rules. And neither does desire. ENGLAND, 1817 - HAWTHORNE HALL, DERBYSHIRE Nicholas Hale was raised in the shadow of privilege-close enough to power to be trusted, but never close enough to belong. He grew up beside Frederick Ashbourne, bound by loyalty, friendship... and one unspoken command. Stay away from my sister. Isabella was the sun of Hawthorne Hall-beautiful, untouchable, and promised to a future that did not include him. Until Frederick dies. And everything breaks. Now the house is silent. Grief turns to tension. And Nicholas is no longer willing to stay in the shadows. Because Isabella is no longer just forbidden. She is looking at him like she remembers what they almost became. And for the first time- he is not looking away. ⸻ A slow-burn, emotionally charged historical romance about grief, obsession, and the danger of loving what you were never allowed to want. If you like: * forbidden love * brother's best friend * slow-burn tension that becomes unbearable * emotionally intense, character-driven romance Then Hawthorne Hall will ruin you softly.

Marianna was never meant to be a pawn. When Kade enters her life, he does so with intention. A lie. Disowned by his powerful rival family, he uses Marianna to secure what he's been denied: access, protection, and her family's connections. Their relationship is supposed to be a strategy. A means to an end. Except Kade doesn't expect to fall in love with her. What begins as careful manipulation turns into something dangerously real. Stolen glances linger too long. Arguments end in confessions neither of them are ready to make. Every quiet moment chips away at the wall Kade built between who he is and who he's pretending to be. And threaded through it all is a bond that refuses to behave: distant, muted, wrong. Like it's waiting. Watching. Holding its breath. When Marianna finally learns who Kade really is, and why he chose her, the fallout is brutal. The truth detonates everything: her love, her trust, the future she thought she was choosing. She walks away shattered, furious, done. Whatever fragile thing existed between them is ashes in her hands. And that's when it happens. When Marianna has nothing left to give him, she's chosen herself. When she's finally, truly through, The bond snaps into place. The universe doesn't reward patience. It doesn't care about timing or forgiveness. It simply claims what it's owed, binding her to the man who betrayed her at the exact moment she no longer wants him. Betrayal was always part of the plan. Falling in love was not. And the bond? The bond has the worst sense of humor of all. ***this story explores mating bonds in humans as a cultural norm. There are no werewolves or supernatural beings in this world***

They first met as kids - and he hated her from the start. She was just trying to survive, but to him, she was the girl who didn't belong. When their paths collide again years later, the sparks between them are impossible to ignore. Now, he has to decide: can he let go of the grudges of the past, or will his childhood resentment cost him the one woman who could change everything? Book 2 in my Grovelling Central Series, but can be read as a standalone. PLEASE note, this was the second book I ever wrote and it is rough. Read at your own risk, or enjoy one of my newer books. THIS WILL BE REMOVED ON MAY 9TH. AFTER A MAJOR EDIT, THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON KU.

He was born into a world of power and expectation. She built her dreams from quiet struggle and fierce determination. They were never meant to collide. Until a single lie... forced their worlds to crash into each other. To save a reputation and protect a future, they sign a contract that binds them as husband and wife. On paper only. Two years together. No feelings. No promises. No future. But the heart has never cared for rules. Behind the polished smiles they show the world, there are arguments that spark, moments that soften, and a connection neither of them knows how to name. Slowly, the lines blur..between duty and desire, between pretending and wanting, between two strangers learning the shape of each other's hearts. Just as they begin to fall, life pulls them in opposite directions again. Words are said that can't be taken back. Walls rise where warmth once bloomed. And yet... fate isn't finished with them. When a truth comes to light. A truth that changes everything. They are forced to face the one thing they both tried so hard to avoid: That somewhere along the way, a contract became a love story. And letting go might be the one thing neither of them is strong enough to do. Trigger Warning: Mentions of illness, death, and emotional struggle.

"I hate you, Aiden! I hate you! And trust me... you'll never find anyone who'll love you the way I did." Tears streamed down Charlotte Parker's face as she stormed into her room, packing the last pieces of her broken heart. This time, I knew I'd messed up. And there was no going back. Charlotte Parker is a kind, beautiful, and well-mannered 22-year-old with dreams of becoming a popular writer. But life has other plans. With her family struggling, she's forced to step up... whether she's ready or not. Aiden Kingston, on the other hand, is everything she can't stand. Arrogant. Rude. A notorious Playboy. And the cold-hearted CEO of a million-dollar company. For Aiden, keeping his inheritance and covering his past life permanently means one thing: marriage. Fast. Both blindsided by an arranged marriage neither of them asked for, their worlds collide most chaotically. Charlotte is water, soft but strong. Aiden is fire, uncontrolled and burning through everything in his path. But Aiden has a secret. One that could destroy whatever fragile peace they're trying to build. Will he let his walls down for her? Can Charlotte see past his mistakes and frozen heart? Or will the hatred between them grow so deep it consumes them both... for good? Find out in this amazing book

Rachel's heart broke ten years ago. The man she wanted never saw her. She was never on his radar. So she moved on--or tried to. He was her best friend's brother, after all; escaping him was impossible. Instead, she built a life. Married another man who promised her the kind of love she'd stopped waiting for. But promises shatter easily. When Rachel discovers her husband's infidelity, the illusion of her happy ending crumbles. Mark was never the man who saw her. And the miserable truth is--the only man who ever did, abandoned her while her world fell apart. Now she's a new mother to her cheating, abusive husband's daughter, surrounded by friends who refuse to let her break... including him. Roy. Leroy. The man she weaved fantasies around since she was thirteen. So when he finally looks at her--really looks at her--and promises the kind of love she once dreamed about, Rachel lets herself fall. Completely. Only to learn she was never going to be his first choice. He had twenty years to hear her. Five months to claim her. And one night was all it took--for him to destroy her instead.

Gigi has always wanted one thing she could never have-Landon. Quiet. Unshakeable. Untouchable. For years, she's been the punchline of whispered jokes and cruel labels. Promiscuous. Reckless. A sl*t. A woman who doesn't know how to be loved, only used. And maybe that's how she learned to survive-by owning the brand the world burned into her skin. Until Landon. For one fleeting moment, he sees her. Wants her. Holds her like she's more than a rumor. But when tragedy strikes their circle of friends-Mark and Rachel's marriage imploding under the weight of betrayal-Gigi finds herself accused of the unthinkable. Manipulation. Infidelity. Of being the reason another woman's life fell apart. And this time, the voices aren't just strangers. They're her friends. Including the man she loves most. Landon turns on her, his words cutting deeper than any lie ever could. Whore. Homewrecker. Mistake. And with him goes the last piece of her she ever thought was worthy of mercy. But when the truth surfaces-when the lies unravel-can Gigi escape the brand that's defined her for years? Can she ever believe Landon that she's the woman beyond her body-worthy of a breaking heart?

FULL BOOK AVAILABLE ON AMAZON KU!🔥 📖: Chasing Ruin by AJ Bishop Ruin never wanted to be the villain in any story. But for years, Charlotte-no, Charlie-was his nightmare in glitter and tank tops. The club Prez's brat sister. The chaos in the corner of every room. She torched his patience, tampered with his relationships, and pined for him like he was hers. She teetered on the edge of slut and princess like she didn't know the difference. But now, she's back after years of banishment. Not the wide-eyed girl who once purred his name in his bed, but the woman who was left to burn alone-by everyone, including him. And damn it... he can't stop watching her rise from the ashes. Charlotte used to be the club's living headache. All smoke, eyeliner, and dangerously misled loyalty. Glory's shadow. Wolf's sister. Ruin's nightmare. She wore dysfunction like a badge-until it got her humiliated and destroyed. Thrown out like trash by the only family she ever had. But peace was good. Peace worked. Until the same betrayal that wrecked her came hunting for her. And the only men who can protect her, are the ones who obliterated her. So she's back-with no one left to beg for love. Not her brother. Not her father. Not even Ruin. Especially not Ruin. And this time? She doesn't want to be saved. She wants vindication.

"Don't contact me if you're dying." When Keith Ingram utters those cruel words to his new wife, he doesn't know how much he'll come to regret them. For years, Ella Bryce has loved Keith from afar. When a contract marriage gives her one chance at happiness, she vows to make him see her-even though the scars of her past make her efforts fraught with pain. But just as her devotion begins breaking through his guarded heart, devastating lies shatter their fragile bond. Broken and discarded, Ella rebuilds her life from the ashes, determined to live on her own terms. She is no longer the unseen girl he left behind. Years later, Keith storms back into her life-colder, harder, and more ruthless than ever. He thinks he knows the truth about their past. He is wrong. Now, Keith must face the reality of what he destroyed. Fate has given him a second chance to see the woman he was blind to, but the road to redemption is paved with secrets. Will he make the same mistake twice... or can he win back the wife he so carelessly threw away? ----------------------------------------- THE MENDED HEARTS SERIES Book 1: The Unseen Bride (Keith & Ella) ← You are here Book 2: The Debts We Don't See (Marcus & Celeste) Each book is a complete standalone with guaranteed HEA. Read in any order, but connect for the full family saga. Trigger warning: This story contains emotional abuse, gaslighting, and family abuse.

Copyright © 2025 by Bookish Dae Adam, a reformed ex-convict who built a honest life as a mechanic, is blissfully married to Zara, the love of his life who sees only the good in him. However, his world shatters when a series of cruel, undermining comments from his father in law, Robert, finally push him over the edge, causing him to unleash his own deep seated insecurities onto Zara in a devastating verbal attack.