Everyone expected the quiet princess to die. The tyrant king had buried wives before, and the fragile girl forced to marry him was supposed to become just another forgotten tragedy. But the soft-spoken queen does something no one expected. She survives. While the court fears the monster on the throne, she remains beside him calm, gentle, and far stronger than anyone realizes. At first, the king tells himself she is simply useful. Her mind is sharp. Her kindness dangerous in a palace built on cruelty. And kings protect what is useful. But the longer she stands beside him, the more the kingdom begins to notice something unsettling. The tyrant who trusted no one now watches her like she is the most valuable thing in his world. His words remain cold. His temper still deadly. But everyone can see the truth the king refuses to admit. The monster on the throne has fallen in love. And the quiet queen who was supposed to die has learned something even more dangerous The only way anyone could ever hurt her... Is by surviving the king who would burn kingdoms to the ground to protect what belongs to him. (Book 1 )

"Do you normally make-out with the people you're hired to kill? It doesn't strike me as very professional." "Put the gun down," Gabriel panted, not answering her. "Why on earth would I do that?" "Because you're not going to shoot me," Gabriel replied, noting that she still had the safety on. "I bet you've never shot anything in your life." She studied his gun with a smile. "Maybe you're right," she replied. Then she pointed the gun back at him, taking off the safety and cocking it. "Are you willing to bet your life on it?" she asked him coolly. *** He didn't know anything about her - her name, age, even what she looked like. He only knew it was his job to kill her. But when Gabriel comes face to face with his latest target, he finds himself completely mesmerized and can't pull the trigger. Left with few viable options, he decides to kidnap her. Unfortunately for him, she's not willing to come quietly. Instead, their encounter sets off an intense game of cat and mouse, unraveling Gabriel's entire world in the process.

Nightingale is human - or would be, had it not been for the manner of her creation. Genetically engineered and grown to adulthood in a lab, she was created, not born. Why? For the sole purpose of the entertainment of rich men as one of the many Inamoratas in the bordello business . Beautiful, elegant, a superb dancer and an even better singer, she is the perfect lover for any man. Perfect, that is, except for her personality - the one thing you can't engineer.

Delilah is a villainous princess with nothing. Dante is a vicious king with everything. Hungry for revenge, they make a deal that will change their lives forever. The only catch: the two wicked royals, both used to getting their own way, will need to learn to work together. If they can survive that long. The crown is not large enough for two... and there must always be a victor. Dark and light, heroes and villains; we know the story. We've seen it a thousand times. The heroes always win and the villains always lose. This is a tale told from the dark side's point of view. "The world was hers to burn as she saw fit..." Book 1 COMPLETE. Book 2 ongoing. The Cruel Prince, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Hades & Persephone meet Avatar: The Last Airbender Copyright © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.

{Shortlisted for the Wattys 2022} It's 1798 and The Lenoir family controls a significant part of London's dreaded and violent underworld. They reap the rewards in high-class society but Clarissa Lenoir has little interest in society or the people within it. Instead, she is following in her grandfather's footsteps as the leader and protector of The Strand, however, a problem, in the form of a silver-eyed man and rival leader, is about to throw her world into chaos. Clarissa is determined to best this entitled and immoral duke in any way she can and refuses to fall prey to his dashing looks and lavish words. Will she risk everything, including her own life to see this man crumble at her feet? Or is there something stronger than revenge in her heart?

When an eccentric old neighbour dies and names Violet March in his will, she is even more surprised than his estranged and spoiled family. To make matters stranger, she learns that all must attend a pretend murder-mystery weekend for any to claim a share of the inheritance. Being a good sport under constant scrutiny and suspicion becomes trickier when she finds herself torn between the romantic attentions of both the deceased's "favourite" grand-nephew and the charming black sheep of the family. Loyalty forces her to favour the former, but when it is the latter who inherits the bulk of the estate, a grave case of mistaken identities is revealed leaving Violet to determine whether pride and an unwillingness to be labelled a gold-digger may stand in the way of the love of a lifetime. *Cover from "Lake Louise, An Alpine Wonderland" by Norman Fraser, which is to the best of my research and knowledge in the Public Domain. *No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

When the obnoxious doctor and notorious drunkard Oliver St. Vincent meets the woman he has always been set to find, he discovers her secrets and he is faced with a problem: is she the enemy, or is she love? ***** Set to return previous King Reginald to his throne, the gentlemen of the Royal Circus is in for an adventure with their biggest enemy thus far, and it is not the current King Louis but the institution that placed him there: Belcourt. An orphanage exclusive only to young girls, Belcourt keeps too many secrets, amongst them are the Belles, a group of women trained in the art of espionage and seduction. And in the middle of all this, drunkard and secret doctor of the Royal Circus, Oliver St. Vincent finds himself enamored and intrigued by one Belle because of a past they share. At the same time, Aliya, considered as the prime Belle of Belcourt, finds herself drawn to the bedraggled, obnoxious doctor she should consider her enemy. But unknown to all, Aliya holds a secret. And it is one that will fuel the game between the ladies of Belcourt and the gentlemen of the Royal Circus. Still set in the fictional world of the Kingdom of Sutherland, this story follows the first title of the series, Court of Flowers.

"It is your choice," he said, stepping so close to me that our lips were almost touching. "Either do what I say - or get another job." My heart stood still as I gazed up into his deep, dark, dangerous eyes... In a world where women's only role in life is to sit at home and look pretty, Lilly is determined to fight for her freedom. There's only one problem: a powerful man blocking her way.

• 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)

Book 3 of The Goblin's Trilogy All things must come to an end. Matilda knows that better than most, but that hasn't stopped her from trying to postpone the inevitable. Despite her best efforts to delay it as long as she can, her sons are grown now and their own coronation must be carried out. Little does she know that more than just Knut's reign as goblin king is going down The End's gullet and saving everything she and Knut built together may require severing the head from the snake before it can bite its own tail once again. Special thanks to @thisrosewillneverdie for the stunning covers and banner she made!