~ 2021 WATTY'S SHORTLIST ~ "I-well, I..." I hesitated with my response. I wanted to let go. To not worry about what would happen in the future. I'd always loved staring into fires. It hypnotized me with its beauty and danger. It was so tantalizing to look at, but one little touch could destroy. I knew the heat between Tyler and I was similar. It started off small but it had only grown in the weeks he'd been here. We'd fed it unintentionally, and it had gone from an ember to a crackling flame. Every nerve in my body wanted to reach out and touch it, even though I knew I'd get burned. *************************************************** Pia Callahan always lived a carefree life with no worries. Her only responsibilities were to attend her college classes (sometimes) and keep herself fed (on ramen). When tragedy strikes, Pia is all of the sudden thrown into a whirlwind of change. She has to grow up and take on more responsibility than she could ever imagine: the custody of her best friend's son. Pia may not believe she is the best person for the job, but she is determined to do it. She'll trade in frat parties for PTA meetings and beer-bongs for apple juice. But what happens when the ruggedly hot motocross athlete Tyler Westwood shows up in her small town? Tyler lives on the fast track, never caring too much about consequences. You can't when your job is to do backflips through the air. Sometimes, you just have to send it and hope for the best. From the second Tyler meets Pia, he knows he wants her. But she is determined to ignore their bubbling chemistry. She has priorities now and a summer fling isn't one of them. Will Pia be able to stay away from Tyler? Or will she decide to hit the throttle? ***************************************************

Sometimes people, like diamonds, need a little friction in life to see how bright they can shine. *** Max Weiser is a depressed high school jock turned depressed YouTube star who always runs away from his problems. Nina Bai is an east coast Cinderella who escapes her prince to look for a different kind of Happily Ever After on the west coast. When Nina moves in next door to Max, these two lost twenty-somethings finally learn to face their troubled pasts head on and stumble into unexpected romance along the way. *** Content Warning: This story contains mature sexual content and themes of bullying, mental health issues, and eating disorders.

"Promises don't mean a thing. I'll be giving you empty words that make you hope for something I am not sure that I can give. I think that you're just afraid, Ken." "Afraid of what?" "Afraid to let that fire consume you too. And that's okay. It's supposed to be scary. But, I'm jumping K. Why aren't you?" Marcus Deeks and Kenti Bolosko meet a few days before senior year, in a time where life isn't going too well for either of them. Marcus is trying to get rid of a violent 'client' for his mom. Kenti is trying to get lost in the stars after being dragged to his father's memorial six years after his suicide. Marcus is desperately trying to control his anger issues and not fall apart at the seems. All he wants is for people to stay by his side. All Kenti wants is to keep people at arms length, viewing them as science projects posed for fixing. Whether they like it or not, they need each other's friendship. What happens when their friendship grows to something much more? Is this love something they grab onto or push fiercely away?

When Lara's life in Portland falls apart, she's given a timely opportunity to escape when she inherits her grandmother's cottage in a tiny town on the northern coast of France. Love, mystery, and self-discovery await as she explores a new country, makes new friends, and uncovers a secret about her grandmother's past. Will Lara find her heart's desire, or has it always been there waiting for her? *** 1st Place Winner of the Optimistic Awards 2020 *** 2nd Place Winner of the Borderverse Awards 2021

Zari Davis flees Dallas after witnessing her fiancee cheating, with no clear plan on where she's going. After flipping her Volkswagon Beetle, she wakes up convinced that the cute guy that's been reading raunchy novels aloud while she slept is actually her boyfriend. Gabriel Luna's in a little over his head. After being guilted into continuing the boyfriend charade, he's willing to do whatever it takes to get Zari Davis out of his house and her family out of Parkers Prairie. However, as their relationship intensifies, Gabriel quickly comes to realize that Zari may just be more than he bargained for, and maybe he doesn't want to let her go. Mature Romance All intimate scenes will be given warning before and after scene for those who don't wish to read mature themes.

"You just have no idea." His voice was thick with restraint. "W-what," I breathed. His gaze flicked to my lips as his thumb stroked again. The calloused pad against my soft flesh sent goosebumps down my arms. His once warm eyes were dark as they lifted and bared into my soul. "What you do to... men." His husky whisper weakened my knees. I almost fell but his other hand settled on my hip, pulling me closer to him. "What you do to me," he added on a breath. The hand on my jaw shifted. His fingers left trails of tingles as he slipped them back slowly, under my earlobe and into my curls. *************************************************** As a young girl, Charlotte Avery's favourite pass time was daydreaming about her Prince Charming: Archer Johnson. She never stopped to consider that Archer was her brother's best friend.. Or that he always appeared severely creeped out by her attention. On her 16th birthday, Charlotte received a harsh reality check. Realizing just how embarrassing she had been acting, she swore to never make a fool of herself in front of Archer again. The problem? She is about to head to college and unfortunately it's the same school where Archer is currently the star quarterback. Follow Charlotte during her first year at USC as she juggles new experiences, social anxiety, family drama back home, and avoiding Archer. These are the unintended consequences of an embarrassing childhood crush. *************************************************** Top Ranks: #1 - Hot #1 - Collegeromance #1 - Brothersbestfriend #1 - Football #1 - Brooding #1 - Slowburn #1 - Quarterback #1 - Athlete #2 - Newadult #2 - Player #5 - Badboy #73 - Romance ***************************************************