Selflovefirst Stories

"She feeds the city with her hands. But who will ever feed her soul?" Areej has never been anyone's dream girl - not in her family, not in her dating history, and certainly not in the mirror. She's 34, curvy, Lebanese-Mexican, and the proud owner of one of New York's most beloved café spots. Her food? Famous. Her confidence? Selective. Her love life? Let's not. She's been rejected, forgotten, and betrayed one too many times. So now, her only vows are to her oven, her regulars, and the smell of fresh bread that fills the mornings. That is, until Matthew, the polished lawyer with Henry Cavill charm, starts noticing more than just her tuna sandwiches... and Bassel, the handsome Syrian doctor with kind eyes and old-world depth, walks in asking for her shawarma - and maybe more. Torn between past wounds, cultural pressures, and a growing storm of feelings she swore she buried years ago, Areej will have to ask herself the one question she's always avoided: What if love isn't a threat... but a choice she deserves to make? This is a story about heartbreak, food, family, and the courage to love yourself first. If you like slow burn, heartfelt banter, messy emotions, protective grandmothers, real women, and two unexpected rivals trying (and failing) to stay cool... welcome home.

In the Be Careful Series, love doesn't just hurt-it teaches. These emotionally charged, character-driven dramas explore what happens when betrayal meets resilience, and heartbreak becomes a catalyst for transformation. Each book is a standalone journey of reinvention, revenge, and emotional reckoning, bound by one unshakable truth: actions have consequences-and not everyone gets a second chance. This series isn't about vengeance for vengeance's sake. It's about reclaiming power, finding peace, and understanding that sometimes the most powerful revenge is no revenge at all-just living well without the people who once tried to break you.