en-US Sat, 26 Apr 2025 18:00:20 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 215574505
Shattered by Rabin’s betrayal, Zarya vows to leave all thoughts of him behind. In the dangerous city of Ishaan, she joins an ancient struggle for freedom.

Ishaan is a city of violent contrasts. Nobles and scholars live in golden luxury. But thousands of vanshaj workers are born into magical slavery—in punishment for a crime forgotten centuries ago.

Zarya is outraged, and certain that the fate of the vanshaj is linked to her own forbidden magic. She joins a band of rebels battling for their freedom, and with Yasen at her side she throws herself into the fight.

On a deadly raid, Zarya uncovers the key to freeing the vanshaj for ever. But to use it, she must harness a power that could tear her apart.

Only one person can give Zarya the strength to reach her destiny. The one who ignited her magic. Who brings her more pleasure and more pain than any other. The last person she wants to see right now. Rabin.

With searing chemistry, a stunning world, and heart-racing action, The Nightfire Quartet is a fast-paced and addictive fantasy romance that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Carissa Broadbent, and Rebecca Yarros. If you love slow-burning passion and razor-sharp banter, dive in to discover your new fantasy obsession.]]> 460 Nisha J. Tuli 1835252133 Laurie 0 currently-reading 4.12
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 195712323
Adrift in a sky shadowed by war,
We seek, we ache,
Searching for the woman who fled us.

We shattered her heart, but she unfurled her feathers,
Our sweetheart, our little dove,
Escaping our talons on pure white wings.

One of us soars over battlements,
Haunted by past mistakes,
Vowing never to repeat them.

The other storms through walls of stone and hatred,
Eager to destroy the shackles of his past,
Determined to shackle her to him instead.
Forever.

Loyalties are torn.
Friendships are tested.
Among the chaos, one claim stands irrefutably:
We will get her back.
She will be ours.

Come home to us, white Raven.

Shadows so Cruel is a full-length dark fantasy romance novel, and book two in the Court of Ravens duet. The two-part story features two morally gray raven shifters, a young woman at the mercy of their shadows, and a HEA. This world contains dark elements, violence, and themes some may find disturbing. Readers can find more detailed information on the author's website. What this book doesn't contain is a hero - because villains do it better. And two do it better than one…]]> 462 Liv Zander Laurie 3 4.05
author: Liv Zander
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
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]]> 223543496 A previous cover edition for this ASIN can be found here: here

More treacherous than war... are the battles within a heart.

Perched between branches and shadows,
We watch, we scheme,
Fighting for a kingdom forgotten and forlorn.

Until we rip her away with our claws,
Our prisoner, our pawn, our plaything.

She’s innocent and pure,
Fragile and helpless��
…but oh so guilty by blood.

She calls us beasts,
Wicked and evil,
Vicious and cruel.

We are all that and worse.

One of us offers her shelter beneath his wings,
Whispering promises of pleasure,
Seeking redemption.

The other longs to shatter her into a million pieces,
Whispering promises of pain,
Seeking revenge.

Caught between our feathers,
She endures our deranged desires,
Our secrets, our lies,
Our twisted plans.

Will she surrender to our darkness,
or fight for a destiny growing ever elusive?

Welcome to the Court of Ravens, little white dove.

Feathers so Vicious is a full-length dark fantasy romance novel, and book one in the Court of Ravens duet. The two-part story features two morally gray raven shifters, a young woman at the mercy of their shadows, and a HEA. This world contains dark elements, violence, and themes some may find disturbing. Readers can find more detailed information on the author's website. What this book doesn't contain is a hero - because villains do it better. And two do it better than one…]]> 414 Liv Zander 1955871078 Laurie 0 currently-reading 4.25 2023
author: Liv Zander
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 135088944
Until now.

Since arriving on the mortals�� shores, the elves have systematically colonized the primitive human race. As subjugated peasants, the mortals toil to supply the elven realm with riches.

The elves�� magic has degraded their race to a point where they have been rendered infertile. A hundred years ago, they resorted to interbreeding with humans in an effort to preserve their species.

In the elven realm, Jassyn has spent his life both researching the fertility crisis and being forced to produce offspring. His existence balances on a narrow precipice between solving mysteries of the elves�� infertility or succumbing to his handlers�� maltreatment. A new assignment, tutoring a half-breed princess in a human realm, promises a temporary relief. But he soon discovers the real reason for his presence.

Serenna, Jassyn’s new pupil, has earned the right to leave the mortal realm to join the elven courts. Or so she thought. Her anticipated life as a noble takes an unexpected turn when a monstrous race emerges, threatening the existence of all. Instead of joining the elven noble houses, Serenna is conscripted to a military academy for half-breeds.

She learns that not only do half-breeds like her and Jassyn have magic, but that the elves have suppressed all knowledge of their powers. In a race for survival, she must learn how to wield Essence to fight for her life.

With the imminent threat of war, Serenna struggles to master her magic before being thrown on the front lines. Meanwhile, Jassyn strives to protect her, but his forced servitude takes a darker turn, leading him down a destructive path.



****


Author's note:

For readers who love high fantasy, immersive magic systems, slow-burn romance, unique bonds, plot twists, drama and banter—start your adventure with The Aelfyn Archives series.

Please be aware that this novel is intended for adults with darker themes some readers may find triggering or disturbing. Please consider your mental health before diving into this story if you have any concerns. Content warnings can be found at the front of the novel in Amazon's sample.]]> 440 Samantha Amstutz Laurie 0 currently-reading 4.10 2023
author: Samantha Amstutz
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 210630605 Easton Calloway accuses me of stealing, has me fired, and now wants me to be his temporary wife…I think he’s lost his mind.

The grumpy billionaire needs a wifey pronto, and he chooses me to temporarily fill the position. While I want to say no and tell him to eff off, I can’t walk away from the temptation. So I do what any broke actress living in New York City does, and agree to the terms and conditions.

It should be easy: a year of marriage, a cushy penthouse, and a spending allowance. After 365 days, I’ll receive divorce papers and a check in the mail. All I have to do is pretend we’re happily married without falling in love.


Doable, right?


The Wife Situation is a billionaire, age gap, marriage of convenience romance with a happily ever after! It’s a stand-alone with open-door scenes. Included: a rich AF hero who’s a professional on the streets but a bad boy in the sheets who isn’t afraid to call his little heartbreaker my wife. ]]> 450 Lyra Parish Laurie 4 4.35
author: Lyra Parish
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/04/19
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]]> 218643750 She was looking for quiet.
She found them instead.

Starlight Grove needs a new Lighthouse Keeper and Olive Autumn Harvest needs a fresh start. Preferably one with as much solitude as possible. So, her new job and isolated ocean cottage is perfect—except for the eccentric, meddling townspeople, and the cat who’s adopted her.

When the town wins a grant for lighthouse restoration, Olive is forced to let the contractors into her space…a company comprised of three hot alphas:

Easton, her golden retriever stalker.

Lars, the steady, protective viking.

And Finn, who’s hiding a pain that matches her own.

Suddenly, these guys are everywhere—and they’re completely unfazed by Olive’s prickly personality as they try to care for her, protect her, and court her.

But everyone in this relationship is holding on to secrets�� and it might not just be the lighthouse that needs restoration.

A Pack for Autumn is a standalone MFMM why choose small town romance. It is part of the Cozyverse shared universe, bringing you cozy omegaverse full of heart, heat, and humor. ]]> 362 Emilia Emerson Laurie 3 3.95 2024
author: Emilia Emerson
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
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]]> 200254250 The seductive and thrilling dark fantasy romance series comes to an end in this powerful finale.

One king caged my body.

Another has caged my mind.

War has broken out between Annwyn and Orea, though that’s not the only battle being waged.

There’s a fight inside me, and it’s one I’m determined to win, no matter how much they try to strip me down and hollow me out.

Yet they’ve forgotten one thing. The ancient magic of the pair bond. One can never truly be lost when two souls are already bound.

Because Slade and I? We are connected by more than just fated magic, and we will always find each other.

In any life.

The fae king is trying to destroy me. My heritage. My memory. But what he hasn’t realized is this: gold bends, but stone breaks.

And a Goldfinch does not fall.

It flies.

Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering. Full content list will be located inside the book, but it includes violence, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.]]> 679 Raven Kennedy Laurie 5 4.36 2024
author: Raven Kennedy
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
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]]> 61314205 "Find me in another life. Find me in them all."

Every end is also a beginning.

I thought I was going to die, and would have if it weren’t for Slade. The only way he could save me was to open a rip between worlds. The only way for me to save myself was to go through it.

Sometimes, fleeing one dangerous place just brings you to another.

Annwyn.

The realm of the fae.

There is magic and beauty here, though around every corner, threats lurk.

But I’m a threat too.

I’m not a girl in a gilded cage anymore, and no one is going to stop me from finding my way back to Slade.

But returning home means facing danger and secrets. So I have to burn bright enough to light my own way��

Or else I might be swallowed by the dark.

Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering, including violence, cruelty, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.]]> 646 Raven Kennedy Laurie 4 4.10 2023
author: Raven Kennedy
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
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]]> 62654031

First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second—and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding—Shay must be married within one year.��

Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.


Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.��

A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.

Until Shay returns to their hometown and turns his life upside down.��





CW/ absentee parent(s), brief mention of parent death, brief mention of parent chronic illness, mention of incarceration, mention of temporary foster care placement, reference to teenage teasing/bullying (not detailed, not explicit), brief incidence of fat-shaming, living with a neurodivergent child.]]> 474 Kate Canterbary Laurie 4 4.14 2022
author: Kate Canterbary
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
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]]> 61079219 That marriage pact I made with my grumpy, off-limits best friend. That was totally a joke...Right?

It was a heat-of-the-moment agreement scribbled onto the back of a crinkled gas station receipt nine years ago.
"If neither of us are married by age 30, we'll marry each other."

Haha! So funny!

Cash moved to a city 500 miles away. Building his billion-dollar empire. Making a name for himself.
Me? I stayed in our gossipy hometown. Working a simple job. Living a simple life.
And we never discussed the marriage pact again.

But I just turned the big three-oh.
And Cash showed up at my door, in the middle of a freaking rainstorm.
Tall, muscled and soaking wet.
With a birthday cake in his hand and a daring smirk that says he means business.

Holy plot twist! Didn't see that coming!

Now the small town rumor mill is in overdrive.
Cash is dissolving my defences with those sexy half-smiles he saves just for me.
And my brain is exploding with what ifs...

What if we give this a shot?
What if we're crazy enough to try?
What if we're good together?

We've always been 'just friends'. We're experts at playing it safe.
But his skin on my skin leaves me reeling. His oh-so-fiery kisses melt my excuses.
I know our decade-plus friendship is on the line. But I'm aching to see Cash's wild side.

The Wild Side is a steamy, laugh-out-loud, friends-to-lovers small town romance. It is set in small town Iowa and is book one in the Wild Westbrooks Series.]]> 434 Cassie-Ann L. Miller Laurie 3 3.96 2022
author: Cassie-Ann L. Miller
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
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review:

]]> 223199392 Two good neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine’s Day in a funny and improbably romantic short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.]]> 82 Abby Jimenez 1662529082 Laurie 0 currently-reading 4.11 2025
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 210239690 A free-spirited proposal planner and a grumpy professor form a hilarious and unexpected situationship that just might lead to more in this steamy romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.

Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor believes in true love and happily ever afters. Though it’s not in the stars for her yet—honestly, who can live up to the criteria on her Mr. Right Checklist?—she wants it for others. When Destiny’s first misguided attempt at romance concierge ends in disaster, she’s ready to call it quits, until the supposed groom-to-be steps in with a proposal of his own.

Ryan “Fletch�� Fletcher, a divorced-and-never-going-there-again professor, needs to get his matchmaking family off his back, and the disorganized, too-in-love-with-love proposal planner is the perfect solution. He offers to help Destiny get her business on track, if she’ll play the part of his adoring girlfriend at his brother’s wedding.

A professional situationship with her grumpy dog-grooming client? Destiny adores his pup, and she could put up with him to get her business off the ground. With any luck, she might even get that chip about love off his shoulder.]]> 281 Melissa Foster 1662507968 Laurie 3 4.29 2024
author: Melissa Foster
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
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]]> 126918690
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to The Crimson Moth duology, a romantic fantasy series where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.]]> 411 Kristen Ciccarelli 125086691X Laurie 4 4.29 2024
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
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review:

]]> 124197923
I didn’t know bridesmaid was code for babysitter for the bride’s brother , but if that’s what my best friend needs of me for her dream wedding to go off without a hitch, that’s what I’ll do.

Even if Theo Monroe has been a pain in my rear since third grade.

Even if he should be responsible enough to not wreak havoc at his sister’s destination wedding.

Even if it means we have to share a hotel room in Hawaii, which might be the final duty that breaks me.

Not only does Theo know exactly how to push my buttons, but he never wears clothes, he’s hiding a litter of kittens in his room, and he keeps showing up with fresh-baked cookies that seemingly come from nowhere.

Also?

I have no idea what’s up with the tension between him and the groom.

Or why he’s so proud of the world’s strangest wedding gift.

Or why I suddenly want to know what makes him tick. The story behind his tattoos. How he can afford to rent a convertible in Hawaii. And if maybe all of that utter frustration and irritation I’ve felt for him for years is suppressed attraction that a good girl like me isn’t supposed to feel for the biggest bad boy of Snaggletooth Creek.

But I do know one thing.

When I find out his biggest secret and the answer to all of my questions, it will change everything .

The Worst Wedding Date is a frolicking good time of a destination wedding enemies-to-lovers romcom, complete with a good girl bridesmaid, her best friend’s troublemaking but secretly big-hearted brother, and more than one hitch on the way to happily ever after. It stands alone, has no cheating, and comes complete with ooey gooey goodness.]]> 424 Pippa Grant Laurie 0 currently-reading 4.09 2023
author: Pippa Grant
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 199407629 445 Piper C.J. 1728280184 Laurie 4 4.03 2024
author: Piper C.J.
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
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review:

]]> 59729041 For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom—but the monster in her head isn't the only threat lurking.

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King’s own nephew, Captain of the Destriers…and guilty of high treason.

He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.]]> 419 Rachel Gillig Laurie 4 4.40 2022
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves:
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]]> 61369095 Fake real dating the one who got away? Sign me up��

There’s just something about bad boys. Tattoos and leather jackets, am I right?

Trouble is, my last boyfriend was a teensy bit too bad and now he’s in prison. Yikes.

When my friends challenge me to take a dip in the good guy side of the dating pool, I see their dating bet and I raise it, looking up the guy I crushed on growing up.

With a winning grin and heart of gold, Gabe Clements is now the star receiver for a pro football team.

Except, the supposed good guy turns out to be nothing like I imagined. He’s better. He’s growly, possessive, smoldering.

And he’s determined too. At the end of the night, he asks me to be his fake real girlfriend for the rest of the week.

Sounds like my kind of dating challenge since he’s a good guy by day, and a very dirty man after dark.

I’ll cure my bad boy blues in no time.

Well, as long as I don’t fall for Gabe’s big heart too.]]> 284 Lauren Blakely Laurie 4 4.04 2022
author: Lauren Blakely
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves:
review:

]]> 202675767
But then, on a solo job in an abandoned section of the city, she encounters a monster of legend. An undine. A dangerous merman from an ancient civilization, long forgotten.

Arges has fought his entire life for his people. With deadly creatures under his control, he plans to eradicate Beta once and for all to protect his kind and their peaceful way of life. But when a human woman saves him, she unknowingly creates a bond between them, one he can’t ignore. Even though her flaming red hair haunts his dreams, he needs her for information on the undine’s enemies.

So he steals her. Keeps her. Feeds her. Only to realize their bond is far deeper than captor and captive. He cannot let her go—but he cannot keep her under the sea. In a battle to determine if love can survive a war beneath the waves, it will be their decision that changes the tides.]]> 381 Emma Hamm Laurie 5 4.00 2024
author: Emma Hamm
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 55382254 There are a million ways to end up in the Alien Bride Lottery. But it takes only one.

Every unmarried female human over the age of 21 gets entered once a year. You can also accept extra entries for legal infractions -- instead of paying a parking fine, for example, you can request an extra entry. Lots of women do that. I mean, why not? The chances are astronomical that your name will get chosen to be one of the hundred or so women who get shipped off to space every year.

And even if your name is drawn, the odds are slim that you’ll match up with an alien who’s looking for a mate.

Most of the lottery-drawn women come back to Earth every year and resume their lives as if nothing changed.

But some don’t.

And no matter what, getting drawn in the Lottery means you have to compete in the Bride Games.

Guess that's where I'm heading now.

I only hope I can avoid catching the eye of one of the giant, rainbow-hued brutes whose mission is to protect Earth—and who can claim me as a mate.

All because I was Entered in the Alien Bride Lottery��

* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

Fans of Ruby Dixon, Grace Goodwin, and Laurann Dohner will love this steamy new series featuring gorgeous, bright alien heroes and the sassy human women they choose as mates!

"Entered in the Alien Bride Lottery" is the first book in the bestselling series, Khanavai Warrior Bride Games where each book is a standalone romance AND part of an interconnected series, with no cliff-hangers and no cheating. Join these brides as they find a whole new world of happily ever afters!
]]> 135 Margo Bond Collins Laurie 4 3.86 2020
author: Margo Bond Collins
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 208621708 Be loud. Lean in. Take your seat at the head of the table.I want the whole room to know that when my wife speaks, it’s time to sit down and listen.

***
Lennox

Thanks to my reckless roommate, I’m about two skips away from being homeless. Temp jobs aren’t paying the bills, and now I have to cancel the scuba diving trip I can no longer afford.

At least I’ll be spared from my instructor’s tempting smile and rock-hard abs. Dex is wonderful, but he’s only ever treated me like a friend…a really good friend. In fact, when he hears I’m having money problems, he comes up with a way we can help each other.

In a clever scheme to ensure her jaded, love-doubting grandson didn’t end up alone, Dex’s grandma left her company to Dex’s…wife. Except he isn’t married. Until me, that is.

Now I’m suddenly the CEO and majority shareholder of a billion-dollar cruise corporation. I’m unprepared, and the sharks in the boardroom are scarier than the great whites in the water. But the plan is simple. Play the part for a year, hand the company back over to Dex, then get divorced. Easy. In exchange, I’ll never have to worry about money again.

But it’s not long before I realize the company is in danger and a lot of people need my help. And now that I’m acting like the boss, there’s a look in Dex’s eyes I’ve never seen before. Something more than friendly�� Because when he calls me “wife�� lately, it doesn't seem like it's for show.

***
Snapshot is a spicy billionaire, marriage of convenience, office romance. It is Book 2 in the Lessons in Love series, but can be read as a complete standalone.]]> 411 Kay Cove 1961071029 Laurie 4 4.16
author: Kay Cove
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.16
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 19116059 391 Mercedes Lackey 1618241230 Laurie 3 4.41 1991
author: Mercedes Lackey
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.41
book published: 1991
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 60567469
A prototype with a fierce primary directive: protect her.

Oliver is a super-computer built inside a supermodel body. He is top-of-the-line, one of BioNex Corp’s most luxurious android models. When he’s finally activated from a prolonged sleep in the back store because of a packaging error, he’s eager to please his new owner in every way possible.

Rebecca Curtis moves to New Carnegie, leaving a toxic relationship behind. Now, she’s accidentally got the hottest new android on the market. Oliver is the perfect man: gorgeous, protective and dedicated. Becca shouldn't feel this attraction to him. He’s just a machine.

Oliver wants nothing more to shield and love Becca in ways she’s never experienced. Can he defeat her doubts and bury her past where it belongs?]]> 184 Roxie McClaine Laurie 0 currently-reading 3.87
author: Roxie McClaine
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 195746020
Rhaim produced a key from somewhere upon his person. “The collar has a lock.�� He tossed it out onto the table. “If I cannot solve the Deathless, I will become your loyal servant, until the end of my time.��

I was suddenly in danger of fainting. Rhaim had just as much as admitted he didn’t have an answer yet, and the price he would pay for failure was too great for me to bear.

I knew what it was like to be trapped in a cage.

I would never, ever, send anybody else—much less the man I loved—into one.

“Father, you cannot agree to his terms,�� I told him. I rose up on my tiptoes, leaning over Helkin’s shoulder to shout, “I still hate you, beast!�� willing Rhaim to change his mind.

Rhaim gave me a wicked smile, and spoke in the growl that bypassed my ears and went straight to my core. “As well you should, princess. And know, too, that if I am given you, I will never show you kindness again . . . and the things I will do to you will make the unicorns weep.��

Bend A Dark Beauty and the Beast Fantasy Romance is the story of Rhaim the All-Beast, a cruel beast mage doomed to die at the hands of the woman he must protect at all costs, and Lisane, the sheltered Princess of Tears, who has been given into his care and who needs him to teach her magic so she can be free—no matter how much it might hurt her.]]> 376 Cassie Alexander 1955825912 Laurie 3 3.82
author: Cassie Alexander
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.82
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 77253098
She was just two floors away from me here in my castle.

And some piece of her—naïve and inexperienced—wanted me.

The man who was doomed to die at her hand.

I could mostly ignore that fact, now that I was used to her presence, and my intermittent lust. But I wondered if not telling her about it was a bigger betrayal than not telling her about my arrangement with her father. If she did manage her Ascension—and when she found out what that meant—then she would know the truth.

That there hadn’t been a moment, ever since we met, that I didn’t see my death inside her eyes.

I could only hope that the shame of her learning that would be absolved by a second realization: that I had loved her anyway.



Break Her: A Dark Beauty and the Beast Fantasy Romance novel is the second book in the Transformation Trilogy, about Rhaim the All-Beast, a cruel beast mage doomed to die at the hands of the woman he must protect at all costs, and Lisane, the sheltered Princess of Tears, who has been given into his care and who needs him to teach her magic so she can be free—no matter how much it might hurt her.]]> 312 Cassie Alexander 1955825556 Laurie 3 3.95
author: Cassie Alexander
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.95
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 61367597
My whole life, I had been a creature used to candlelight.

But I wasn’t accustomed to my own breath hot against my face, or the rough feeling of fabric against my cheek—or knowing that my wrists were tied behind my back, painfully tight.

The last thing I could recall was being in a carriage…We’d been running away from the Deathless . . .

And now I was here.

Wherever here was.

Tied up, in the dark, on the ground, with a bag around my head.

The very thing my father had been afraid of for me for my whole life—and the reason I lived in a gilded cage, only getting to leave the palace when I had throne-sworn mages by my side—had apparently happened.

I had been kidnapped.


Rhaim:

Every mage gets one clear vision on the eve of their Ascension into their full powers, right before they get the brand of their mage-mark: you see the thing that will cause your absolute demise.

Some men see snowy peaks or waterfalls, others bucking horses, and some lucky few see themselves with old and wrinkled hands, passing peacefully in their sleep.

In all instances, we’re told, the reasoning behind the visions is the same: if you’re strong enough to be trusted with powers, then you must learn to accept the hand of fate, as surely as you’d earned it as your mage-mark.

You need to know, deep in your bones and now scarred on your skin, that while there are things in the world you can change with your powers, death comes for us all.

There is no amount of magic that can escape it.

And so, when a group of soldiers brought a bound and drugged woman to my doorstep, to bribe me to fight in their war, and pulled the bag off of her head and I saw her there—the woman from the vision at my Ascension, and who has haunted my dreams ever since—I knew it was the beginning of my end.

She had no idea who I was, or what we were to each other. She knew nothing about my fate or future with her, or how she was destined to kill me.

Which meant in the present . . . she was mine, to do with as I pleased.

And I wanted to see her crawl.


From the author of the Dark Ink Tattoo series and the co-author of Prince of the Other Worlds, comes Bend Her, dark fantasy romance akin to Kushiel's Dart, about Rhaim the All-Beast, a cruel mage doomed to die at the hands of the woman he must protect at all costs, and Lisane, the sheltered Princess of Tears, who has been given into his care and who needs him to teach her magic so she can be free—no matter how much it might hurt her.]]> 384 Cassie Alexander 1955825475 Laurie 4 3.63 2023
author: Cassie Alexander
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 76750092 240 Sadie Kincaid Laurie 3 4.01
author: Sadie Kincaid
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 167938537
Catrin's half-orc children are going through a difficult... growing phase. But since their orcish father left while she was pregnant, she doesn't know how to help. When Torsten, the first orc to break her heart, swaggers back into her life, he's got all the answers she needs.

Torsten has always regretted what happened with his best friend's sister when they were kids, but he had no choice. After fifteen years away, he's returned with no direction, no ties, and every reason to explore where they went wrong. A ridiculous horse heist might just be the perfect time to figure out what he wants in life�� and it might involve an adorable rabbit-shifter and her orcish children. After all she's suffered, Catrin can't weather another heartbreak, but can she afford to miss out on a second chance at true love?

For fans of plus-sized heroines and golden retriever orcs, On the Care and Keeping of Orcs is the second standalone in The Shades of Sanctuary, where the vibes are cozy, the heat is high and the mates are monstrous. Grab a cup of tea and snuggle in, because while there might be some angst along the way, the burn is fast, the stakes are low, and the HEA is only a few hours away!]]> 298 Kass O'Shire Laurie 3 4.11 2024
author: Kass O'Shire
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
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]]> 125310117
One wannabe writer from Brooklyn.
Three insanely hot billionaires.
One very indecent proposal.

West Archer, Ezekiel Cavanagh, and Xander King. AKA The Unholy Trinity. Ruthless. Ambitious. Intimidating.
With dark tastes and even darker desires, they’ve been searching for the perfect woman to fit into their unique lifestyle for over a decade. But despite their best efforts, none have made it past three months. Believing they’re destined to never find the one, they swear to stop looking.

Until they meet Lily.

There’s something about Lily Sloane, something that captivates all three of them. For the first time ever, it seems like they may have truly found the perfect fit. But as we all know, there is such a thing as too good to be true.

Lily Sloane isn’t the penniless girl from Brooklyn they think she is. And with a past full of secrets and lies that she’s trying to escape, the unholy trinity might have bitten off more than they can chew. When trust is broken, is there any way back?

The Perfect Fit is a dark why-choose MMFM romance with lots of angst, emotion, betrayal, and enough heat to melt your kindle. This book contains grumpy/sunshine, sword crossing, an epic grovel, and a HEA.
Content warnings include: CNC, knife play, blood play, primal play.]]> 420 Sadie Kincaid 1915663334 Laurie 5 4.09 2023
author: Sadie Kincaid
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/15
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves:
review:
I'm a sucker for a good billionaire romance and I dabble a little in mafia romance. This was the perfect camp billionaire meets camp mafia mash-up! I'd say it's about 80% billionaire and 20% mafia. The relationships were surprisingly tender. The spice is, chef's kiss. Just a thoroughly enjoyable read. Sadie has yet to let me down.
]]> 221827575 They’re three CEO best friends. I’m their one-night stand . . . and new assistant.

It all started with a battle of wills against a rat.

After fleeing a shattered engagement, I wanted a fresh start in New York City, but instead all I got was a tiny apartment with a communal bathroom and a rat that steals my Oreos.

Oh, and one hot night I won’t soon forget.

What I didn't expect was the gorgeous man at the bar to want his two best friends to watch us together.

How was I supposed to know they were about to be my new bosses?

"Stuck On Them" is an MFMM spicy romantic comedy where the main character falls in love with three men. There is no third act break-up.
]]> 365 Maya Nicole Laurie 3 3.95 2023
author: Maya Nicole
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves:
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]]> 62317663 This listing is for the original book, not the abridged, dramatized adaptation.

On the worst birthday of my life, I come home to find my boyfriend in bed with another woman. Within hours, I’m drunk, homeless, and pledging to stay single forever. And that is when the dangerously sexy Seelie King rolls through town, looking for fae like me.

Every generation, the king holds a competition for Seelie queen. But for reasons he won’t explain, Torin is looking for a charade, not a real marriage. So when I drunkenly sling insults his way, I have his attention.

When Torin offers me fifty million to participate, I think, “What have I got to lose?�� The answer turns out to be “my life,�� because my competition will literally kill for the crown.

And the more time I spend with the seductive king, the harder it becomes to remember it’s all supposed to be fake. Now, my life—and my heart—are one the line.

The Graphic Audio version is a separate version, a dramatized adaptation with condensed content, and that listing is here.

/book/show/1...

The tropes in this book include trials, fake relationships, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, slow burn, forced proximity, and portal fantasy.]]> 326 C.N. Crawford 1956290095 Laurie 4 3.95 2022
author: C.N. Crawford
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves:
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]]> 199057596
Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop powerful men from trying. Which is why instead of getting the wedding I’d always dreamed of, I was forced to marry the heir to our rival company and join a family that we’ve hated for generations.

An arranged marriage to make our problem disappear.

Then again, I’m the one that snuck around behind my father’s back and ended up at the center of a scandal that could ruin my family’s reputation.

Now the only person who can protect me is the cold and calculated billionaire, Archer Moore.

The marriage was only supposed to be for show, but Archer can be very convincing. He’s demanded we move in together. That we kiss. That we make it look—and feel—real. He’s a man who is obsessed with getting what he wants—and I’m starting to think what he wants is me.

But the closer we get, and the less we pretend, the more I question if the grudges between our families are too much to overcome for a marriage that was built on pretty rings and broken things.


Pretty Rings and Broken Things is a billionaire, arranged marriage romance releasing early 2024. It is Winnie's book and a complete standalone.]]> 366 Kat Singleton Laurie 4 3.99 2024
author: Kat Singleton
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 61339304
October, 1970. Two years ago, Leigh Austen had it all: a loving husband, a healthy social life and a comfortable home. Until a telegram from the U.S. Military shattered her heart into pieces.

When it’s time to move forward, she needs help from the one man she knows she can trust: Michael Kelly, her best friend and owner of the most popular Irish pub in South Boston.

But mysterious deaths have the whole city spooked, and rumors of strange happenings surround the Mannock Tavern. Not to mention the patrons seem a little intense.

Leigh, dating? Absolutely not. I’ll kill any man who tries to touch her.

Michael is done with war. He’s fought in too many already. Besides, he has a promise to keep and an order to lead in the shadows of Boston. He doesn’t expect his best friend’s widow in his tavern on the most spiritual night of the year.

Hiding the truth from Leigh is practically impossible. When she uncovers the inevitable, he knows it’s only a matter of time before she discovers his real secret . . .

Vampires. Irish vampires, no less. How can such a thing be possible?

Drawn into his timeless underworld spanning two countries, decades of turmoil, loss and triumph, Leigh must either break free from the past or walk away forever.

But where there is a king, there are those who seek his crown. And falling for Michael may cost Leigh more than her life . . .

This is a best-friends-to-lovers, international, mythological, retro vampire romance with no cheating and a HEA. You can read this book as a stand-alone, or as the first installment in The Morrigan Brotherhood series.]]> 396 Roxie McClaine Laurie 3 4.17
author: Roxie McClaine
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 16054217 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0670025593 Laurie 0 to-read 4.15 2014
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 56960655 The massive body emerging from the water rippled with well-defined muscle; long, jet-black hair braided down his back. Water sparkled from his dark green shoulders and his considerable endowment stood at half-mast, bobbing as he flipped his wet hair back. Lurielle pressed her thighs together in excitement. This was what they'd come for. The girls watched in silence as the huge orc raised his hand with a lazy smile as they passed."Ladies," Ris announced confidently, turning the wheel to direct the car into the hamlet's road, "this is going to be the best weekend."

A weekend with friends, fun in the sun, and huge, naked orcs. What could be better?

That’s what three suburban elves think when they book a trip to an orc nudist resort, well known for its libidinous residents and hedonistic parties. Ris, Lurielle, and Silva arrive with plans to sample the DTF locals and work on their tans, not catch feelings.

When Lurielle meets a syrupy-voiced gentleman who seems interested in more than just a weekend fling, she finds sticking to the plan is easier said than done. From a public bathhouse to a back alley pub, the trip has unintended consequences on the lives of the three work friends and the orcs they meet.

Can a weekend of no-strings sex actually end in love?

Girls Weekend is a monster romance novella (50k words) and is the first book of a limited series, which should be read as a series. There is a guaranteed HEA for all characters by the series end, but your author is going to make them work for it. CWs include: multiple POV and non-linear storytelling, non-human characters, size difference, MFF scenes, and naked group activities.]]> 180 C.M. Nascosta Laurie 4 3.98 2021
author: C.M. Nascosta
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 209977707
As the land continues to rebel, Lor must admit she is the key to saving the continent, whether she likes it or not. To fight for Nadir, she must lie, steal, and do whatever it takes to hunt down the remaining arks. Growing more and more desperate, she worries her actions are turning her into something she doesn't recognize, dooming her to repeat her grandmother's mistakes.

When the Aurora King finally comes for her, Lor ventures into the Underworld's shadowy depths, where, once again, she finds herself at the heart of another deadly test. Only this time, she’s competing for everyone's future, not just a crown.

The only thing Lor ever wanted was to be free, but she may soon find she was always destined for a cage.]]> 664 Nisha J. Tuli 1538767708 Laurie 5 4.03 2024
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves:
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]]> 211929737 A new winter holiday, enemies-to-lovers romance, from the undeniably funny and always spicy, USA Today bestselling author, Meghan Quinn.

Living in a year around Christmas town has it's drawbacks. The caroling, the decorations, the insanely cheery spirit, it never disappears. It's why I like to hibernate away in my cave--I mean house--keeping a healthy distance from the holly jolly spirits.

And all was going according to plan until my nemesis, Storee Taylor, moved in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Without blinking, she turned my simple world into a real nightmare-before-Christmas, especially when she decided to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest - which she was determined to win.

Well guess what? Over my cold-hearted body.

There was no way I was going to let her win, not after the history we'd shared.

So despite my promise to myself of never participating in the sickening Christmas season, I entered the competition as well. That's right, I planned on beating Storee at her own game by pretending this grump’s heart grew three sizes this season.

And it was working until feelings between us started heating up.
We pretended to date.
We kissed.
And well, sparks flew from there.

Which led to one explosive night involving Christmas lights, the competition, and a ladder. Don't let me convince you who stole Christmas, I think you need to find out for yourself...]]> 482 Meghan Quinn Laurie 0 dnf DNF 3.77 2024
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF
]]> 207110848 From the author of The Wrong Brides comes a steamy and angsty enemies-to-lovers arranged marriage romance.


He's the business rival she can't stand. She's the woman he's secretly loved for years.

Xavier Kingston’s life is turned upside down when his nemesis and business rival, Sierra Windsor, suddenly begins to show interest in a man that isn’t him.

Certain he’s at risk of losing his chance with her forever, Xavier offers the Windsors a deal they cannot refuse: a merger between his company and Windsor Real Estate.

On one condition: Sierra must marry him.]]> 356 Catharina Maura Laurie 3 4.19 2024
author: Catharina Maura
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 218137764 A small-town Christmas novella by the New York Times bestselling author of LAKEFRONT BILLIONAIRES series that will make you want to pack your bags and spend the holiday in Lake Wisteria.

Catalina
Playing the part of my sister’s maid of honor is easy even if she’s marrying my ex.
But playing nice with the best man? An impossible task given our history.
Sure, Luke Darling may be suspiciously kind, incredibly handsome, and stubborn to a fault, but regardless of how hard he tries to make me see otherwise, I’m not interested.
It’s on me to remind him that he’s my ex-boyfriend’s best friend.
And the one I’m secretly starting to wish I met first.

Luke
My job as the best man is a simple one, except for one minor issue.
I’ve spent so much time avoiding my best friend’s ex that I didn’t consider what could happen if I started craving Catalina Martinez’s company instead.
She is only in Lake Wisteria for the winter wedding, but her January departure date won’t stop me from pursuing her.
Getting her to date me would be nothing short of a Christmas miracle, but I’m determined to make her mine.
‘Tis the season to fall in love…even if I’m the only one taking the risk.

My December Darling is a 50,000 word, Christmas-themed romance between a grumpy maid of honor and an outgoing best man who chases after what he wants. ]]> 252 Lauren Asher 1964990025 Laurie 4 3.72 2024
author: Lauren Asher
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
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]]> 220389458 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.

Ali Hazelwood’s Cruel Winter with You is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.]]> 73 Ali Hazelwood 1662528396 Laurie 5 5-stars 3.68 2024
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/26
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 5-stars
review:

]]> 220506847
A Christmas mission��

Mirren’s beloved great-aunt Violet is seriously ill. Her one Christmas wish is to be reunited with a long-lost hand-illustrated book from her childhood, a challenge Mirren gladly accepts to give Violet some much-needed festive cheer.

An enchanting journey��

With no sign of the cherished volume online, Mirren falls into the fascinating world of rare books. From London to snowy Hay-on-Wye and Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, she chases leads from bookshop to bookshop—and bumps into mysterious, charming Theo, who, unbeknownst to her, is searching for the same book for reasons of his own��

The start of a new chapter?

As the two join forces to track the book down before time runs out for Violet, will Mirren find her Christmas miracle—and maybe even a kiss under the mistletoe�� ?

For fans of Josie Silver, Jill Mansell and the Queen of Christmas herself, a snow-swept love story to warm even the coldest winter’s day.]]> 127 Jenny Colgan 1662522576 Laurie 5 5-stars 3.73 2024
author: Jenny Colgan
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 5-stars
review:

]]> 198117134 When an alien comes to Earth during the holidays with a list, personal shopper Caroline is tasked to help him find everything he wants�� but what he wants is a bride.

Caroline isn’t a Scrooge, but the weeks leading to Christmas are not her favorite. The personal shopping department where she works is insanely busy and the clients have crazy requests. Plus, this is her first holiday being single after a bad breakup. When her last appointment of the day is a gorgeous, blue-skinned alien, she isn’t too surprised. After all, everyone knows that aliens are real since a species of interstellar warriors revealed themselves and the fact that they’d been defending Earth for decades. What does startle Caroline is that Griff isn’t looking for unique Christmas presents. He’s on Earth to find a mate. Although she reluctantly agrees to help him, finding a bride for an alien isn’t as easy as it might seem, especially when word gets out that the hottie is on the market. Between the alien-obsessed women swiping right on his new dating profiles and the paparazzi dogging them, Griff is no closer to finding a bride. He is much closer to his personal shopper, though. If only she didn’t think loyal guys were as much of a fantasy as flying reindeer. Can Griff melt the ice in Caroline’s heart and convince her that good things do come in big, blue packages?

Christmas with an Alien is a standalone, sweet and steamy, sci-fi, Christmas, he falls first, romantic comedy. It’s loosely connected to the Tribute Brides of the Drexian Warriors series, but it can be read on its own without having read any books in that series.]]> 198 Tana Stone Laurie 3 4.30
author: Tana Stone
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/23
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves:
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]]> 59846849
And since the last three weeks of my life have been riddled with humbug—another breakup, a broken toe, an office promotion I deserved and didn’t get—I’m not at all in the mood to celebrate nor have the happ, happ, happiest Christmas EVER.

When Mom insisted that we all gather at my Grandparent’s ancient cabin for an old school family Christmas, I fully intended to get into the holiday spirit with the help of the three wise men, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. But those boys did absolutely nothing to offset the shock or temper the sting of seeing my EX on our doorstep the first day of our holiday soiree.

Apparently, Santa missed the memo, and this elf is pissed.

Stuck for a week with the man who obliterated my heart nearly two decades ago, I did the only thing I could do and put on my game face, thankful for the home advantage.

I knew better than to drink that last cup of eggnog.

I knew better than to get tongue tangled beneath the mistletoe with the only man to ever break my heart.

I knew better than to sleep with Satan’s wingman on the eve of the Lord’s birthday.

I could blame the nog. I could blame the deceitful light blue eyes, thick, angelic hair, and panty evaporating smirk…but mostly, I blame Eli because he always knew exactly which of my buttons to push.

I foolishly thought a family Christmas filled with nostalgia was going to turn my inner Scrooge around, but this year’s festivities went up in flames. Leave it to the ghost of my Christmas past to be the one to light the match.

Fa la la la la, la FML.

The Plight Before Christmas is a full length, second chance, Christmas themed romance and most definitely on SANTA'S NAUGHTY LIST!]]> 374 Kate Stewart Laurie 4 4.34
author: Kate Stewart
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.34
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves:
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]]> 198667110
But when she arrives at the Christmas tree farm and ranch he grew up on, she meets his father—the crazy tall, built, golden retriever cowboy who tells her girls all about the magic of the stupid elf on a shelf.

Of course, when she later corners him and tells him thanks a lot for nothing and that she’s way too overwhelmed to have to deal with yet another responsibility, he feels terrible.

So terrible, he finds himself driving two hours every night just to deliver an elf, move him about, and create some Christmas magic for her girls.

But what happens when he decides meeting her the way he did was some kind of Christmas miracle, and he needs to convince Shae to give him a shot?]]> 294 Morgan Elizabeth Laurie 4 4.04 2023
author: Morgan Elizabeth
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/09
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 199512671 Hannah Richmond is about to spend Christmas with the man of her dreams.
The man of Hannah’s dreams has no idea she exists.

Hannah
I’ve been desperately looking forward to Christmas in my family’s snowy alpine chalet. Two blissful weeks of skiing, eating, and sneaking off for 'naps' to listen to my favourite audio erotica star.

Yes, the man who warms my bed each night may have no idea I exist, but that doesn't stop me fantasising that his spicy stories and filthy words are for my ears only.

It's set to be the most relaxing Christmas ever. Until my brother shows up�� with an unexpected guest.

Cameron
I’d planned to spend the holidays working. Just me, my microphone, and a lot of new content for subscribers of my audio erotica channel.

When I convinced my best friend to fly home and surprise his family, I never expected he’d take me along for the ride. I didn't expect to find myself halfway up a mountain. And I definitely didn’t expect to find out his sister is my biggest fan.]]> 236 Holly June Smith Laurie 4 3.94
author: Holly June Smith
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 208916926 Avalon Spy Academy spy on the fey, resist falling for your mentor, and try not to die in the process.What I’m hoping for on my European vacation is to read books and drink champagne on the beach. Instead, I end up kidnapped by an arrogant, lethally sexy fey named Raphael.
It turns out, I have a magic power needed to fight an evil king. Next thing I know, Raphael has enrolled me in an elite spy academy. There, in the ancient and gothic halls of Avalon Tower, snobbery and brutal competitions are among the oldest traditions.
Making my job harder, the silver-eyed Raphael is my mentor. Romance is forbidden here--a distracted spy is a dead spy. So I need to push his dangerous allure out of my mind as we travel into the Fey realm. If we get captured by the fey king, we’ll die horrific deaths–and humanity won’t stand a chance.

“If you love Fourth Wing and Throne of Glass, you will LOVE this book.��--ŷ������ review]]> 454 C.N. Crawford Laurie 4 4.16 2024
author: C.N. Crawford
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2024/12/05
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]]> 204257019
Because I’m in the clutches of someone who only wants one thing�� power. Power that only I can give them. And I’m a second away from breaking.

But my captor is revealing secrets. Ones that have the potential to bring my world crumbling down. And not just mine but the entire dragon species��, too.

Now, we’re racing against the clock to keep those secrets buried and me safe. But our enemies are circling. And sometimes the deadliest are the ones you least expect…]]> 262 Tessa Hale Laurie 3 3.95 2024
author: Tessa Hale
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/12/05
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]]> 63077284 From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a festive short romance about old flames and mistaken identities.

After a bad breakup, Nola wants nothing to do with Christmas, especially in her quaint hometown of Bright Harbor, Maine. Infuriatingly charming and cheery, Nola’s surroundings only worsen her sour mood.

To make matters worse, Caleb, the boy who broke her heart years ago, is all grown up and still living in town. While doing her best to avoid him, Nola bumps into the local mailman, who gives her a mysterious letter. And when she finds that the writer is a fellow Scrooge, she can’t help but feel her spirit lifting.

Nola writes back to her new pen pal—who, unbeknownst to Nola, is none other than Caleb. When Caleb gets a response hand delivered by the mailman, he’s intrigued by the mystery sender. A friendly correspondence develops—and quickly turns flirtatious.

Although Nola and Caleb claim they can’t stand each other, they can’t deny the simmering attraction that brought them together in the first place.

Can these nameless pen pals write their own love story—or will they be too caught up with the ghosts of their Christmases past to find a future together?]]> 80 Meghan Quinn 166251042X Laurie 4 3.60 2022
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
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]]> 195487194
Christian’s fed up of being on his own every Christmas. He doesn’t mind being alone , but he hates his family’s sad eyes and soft tones as they sit around coupled up. Because he’s actually, totally, fine.

So when Megan literally bumps into Christian in a Dublin pub, they come up with a pact to see them through the holiday season. They’re going to be the very best fake dates for each other, ever .

Rules are drawn up, a contract is signed on a wine-stained napkin. They will sit through each other’s family gatherings and be outrageously in love until freed from their annual obligations. After all, it’s only for a few weeks.

But with everyone home for the holidays, two big families to deal with alongside old friends, old flames and old feelings, things are bound to get messy. And when a snowed-in cabin and a little Christmas magic are added to the mix, anything could happen��

A swoonworthy and utterly gorgeous romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud and fall completely in love. Fans of Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella and Abby Jimenez won’t be able to put this down!]]> 384 Catherine Walsh 1837906653 Laurie 4 4.08 2023
author: Catherine Walsh
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/02
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]]> 58958132
Heath Holiday.

My crush on him has ebbed and flowed over the years, but the day I started working for his construction company was the day I smothered it for good. Sort of. Mostly. It was on my to-do list. Making it a priority would have been easier had he not arrived at his family’s annual Christmas party looking ridiculously handsome in a suit.

Then he kissed me. We stepped into an alternate universe and he kissed me. I assumed the next day I’d just be Guy’s little sister again. The office newbie. Our kiss forgotten. Except he keeps showing up at my house. With gifts.

A gold bracelet carrying three jingling bells. Two dainty jeweled earrings, each shaped as a bow. And finally, he brought himself.

One brother’s best friend, asking if I can keep a secret.]]> 200 Willa Nash 1950692663 Laurie 3 3.74 2021
author: Willa Nash
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/30
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]]> 204252767
Knox, Cáel, and Cillian treat me like I’ll break at any moment, while Maddox keeps a careful distance. And Easton won’t look at me at all.

We’re supposed to be fated by the stars, but we’re falling apart. Enemies still lurk around every corner, but the guys vow we’ll be ready when they come.

But evil has a way of striking when you least expect it. And none of us are ready for who might be pulling the strings…]]> 252 Tessa Hale Laurie 3 4.01 2024
author: Tessa Hale
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/11/25
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]]> 195592817 Getting a scholarship to Evergreen University and majoring in premed means I need to keep my head down and focus on my studies. But campus is full of distractions��
The football god with his golden retriever charm. The tortured one with his vicious tongue. The broken boy with his determined protectiveness. The merciless billionaire with a penchant for spoiling me. And the genius professor with his brilliant mind.
They make me feel like I belong for the first time since my parents were murdered. And when they touch me, my whole world sparks to flame.
But they have enemies. Those who would give anything to harm what they hold dear. And while they’ll do whatever it takes to keep me safe, sometimes falling in love will put you right in the line of fire…]]> 256 Tessa Hale Laurie 3 4.07 2024
author: Tessa Hale
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/11/25
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]]> 209053445 Wanted: one hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous when you kiss me under the mistletoe at all the holiday parties. Bonus points if you make him cry.

To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor.

And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire.

Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?]]> 500 Lauren Blakely Laurie 4 4.07 2024
author: Lauren Blakely
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/23
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]]> 209813409 Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize��a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart��

A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent.]]> 428 Kaylie Smith 1835251412 Laurie 4 4.15 2024
author: Kaylie Smith
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/21
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]]> 60454036
A research-based, practical guide for how to handle difficult people at work.

Work relationships can be hard. The stress of dealing with difficult people dampens our creativity and productivity, degrades our ability to think clearly and make sound decisions, and causes us to disengage. We might lie awake at night worrying, withdraw from work, or react in ways we later regret—rolling our eyes in a meeting, snapping at colleagues, or staying silent when we should speak up.

Too often we grin and bear it as if we have no choice. Or throw up our hands because one-size-fits-all solutions haven't worked. But you can only endure so much thoughtless, irrational, or malicious behavior—there's your sanity to consider, and your career.

In Getting Along, workplace expert and Harvard Business Review podcast host Amy Gallo identifies eight familiar types of difficult coworkers—the insecure boss, the passive-aggressive peer, the know-it-all, the biased coworker, and others—and provides strategies tailored to dealing constructively with each one. She also shares principles that will help you turn things around, no matter who you're at odds with. Taking the high road isn't easy, but Gallo offers a crucial perspective on how work relationships really matter, as well as the compassion, encouragement, and tools you need to prevail—on your terms. She answers questions such as: Why can't I stop thinking about that nasty email?! What's behind my problem colleague's behavior? How can I fix things if they won't cooperate? I've tried everything—what now?

Full of relatable, sometimes cringe-worthy examples, the latest behavioral science research, and practical advice you can use right now, Getting Along is an indispensable guide to navigating your toughest relationships at work—and building interpersonal resilience in the process.]]> 304 Amy Gallo 1647821061 Laurie 3 3.68
author: Amy Gallo
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.68
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/11/20
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]]> 209350719
A pioneer in data science research, business and female empowerment, Edwina Dunn uses her knowledge of research and data collection to present solutions, models and simple actions that impact on the lives of women and men. She has listened to women and knows the change we want to see in ourselves, in business, and in academic and government arenas.

Let’s talk about what a world where women are empowered looks like and it’s okay for women to embrace ambition and drive. Women represent just over half the world’s population. They are not secondary characters. What if they were empowered to realise their potential in leadership and decision-making roles?

Imagine a world of possibilities with equal pay progressions, rather than endless discussions. Let’s see what progress in individual fulfilment and societal change looks like.

This data-based guide is the manual that challenges the norm. It is the science-based exposé with insightful, inspiring, and ground-breaking evidence presenting a road map for us all. This conversation starter presents a strategy for the world we want to see and one that will make the world work better for women and men.]]> Edwina Dunn 0008607532 Laurie 4 faculty-development 4.29
author: Edwina Dunn
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: faculty-development
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]]> 197636554 270 C. Edward Watson 1421449226 Laurie 4 3.90
author: C. Edward Watson
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/11/20
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]]> 137978862
In Build the Life You Want , Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey invite you to begin a journey toward greater happiness no matter how challenging your circumstances. Drawing on cutting-edge science and their years of helping people translate ideas into action, they show you how to improve your life right now instead of waiting for the outside world to change.

With insight, compassion, and hope, Brooks and Winfrey reveal how the tools of emotional self-management can change your life―immediately. They recommend practical, research-based practices to build the four pillars of family, friendship, work, and faith. And along the way, they share hard-earned wisdom from their own lives and careers as well as the witness of regular people whose lives are joyful despite setbacks and hardship.

Equipped with the tools of emotional self-management and ready to build your four pillars, you can take control of your present and future rather than hoping and waiting for your circumstances to improve. Build the Life You Want is your blueprint for a better life.]]> 272 Arthur C. Brooks 0593545400 Laurie 3 faculty-development 3.76 2023
author: Arthur C. Brooks
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: faculty-development
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]]> 210040060 “Dr. Ruth’s strategies are essential for building the kinds of bonds that will reduce loneliness and transform lives.�� –Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness ProjectAn urgent guide to combating loneliness, with 100 ways to increase connectivity right now, from the iconic therapist and orphan of the Holocaust appointed the first-ever "Loneliness Ambassador" in the country.When Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy sounded the alarm that loneliness “represents an urgent public health concern”—exacerbated by social media overuse, the residual effects of the pandemic, and the lack of meaningful relationships—trusted therapist Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer knew that her unique perspective and expertise could help. Long-beloved for breaking stigmas around sexual problems, Dr. Ruth has made it her new mission to��help individuals break free from the bonds of hopelessness and isolation.��We are social animals. We have a shared desire to connect and create lasting relationships with the people around us. But the heaviness of loneliness can make this feel impossible. Dr. Ruth, with Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert and longtime collaborator Pierre Lehu, tackles the subject with compassion and her trademark no-nonsense approach. She provides practical and creative strategies for finding friends, community, and intimacy.And it’s anchored by Dr. Ruth’s own story, from the horrific loneliness of losing her family in the Holocaust, to living in an orphanage, to rebuilding her life in America, working her way up from maid to world-renowned sex-therapist. With her tips on navigating family dynamics, developing a fulfilling social and romantic life, and using technology in healthy ways, you will find wisdom for any stage of life.The Joy of Connections isn’t just an action-oriented guidebook on overcoming loneliness from one of the most well-respected therapists of our time; it’s the vital kick in the pants we all need in order to start seeking—and finding—deep and lasting human connections via 100 concrete and innovative opportunities that can be put to use immediately.]]> 176 Ruth Westheimer 0593736222 Laurie 4 3.64
author: Ruth Westheimer
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.64
book published:
rating: 4
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]]> 203164397 Behavioral scientist Alison Fragale offers powerful new insights and a practical playbook for women to advance in any workplace, full of tips, tricks, and strategies to help secure that elusive corner office.

Over decades of research, speaking engagements, and mentorship, psychologist and professor Alison Fragale encountered recurring questions from high powered and early career women: How do women thread the needle of kindness and competence in the workplace? How can women earn credit for their accomplishments, negotiate better, and navigate complex office politics without losing the goodwill of their peers?

Fragale investigated and determined that many women's workplace issues boil down to the perception of others. No degree, title, or paycheck will raise a woman's workplace stature unless it also affects how other people respect and regard her. Acknowledging this roadblock, Fragale pulls back the curtain on how we can change how others see us by developing our standing as a "likeable badass." By cultivating perceptions of warmth and assertiveness, women can achieve the kind of reputation that leads to a seat at the table and a fulfilling career path.

Likeable Badass is equal parts behavioral science and life hacks, weaving together rigorous research with actionable advice and impactful stories from a diverse array of women. This is a warm, heartening book written for women of all stripes, as well as their allies, who want evidence-based, practical strategies for success, served with a side of inspiration and humor.]]> 256 Alison Fragale 0385549148 Laurie 5 5-stars, faculty-development 4.31
author: Alison Fragale
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.31
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: 5-stars, faculty-development
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]]> 203578897 “Brigid Schulte is a vital voice on the future of work, and her carefully researched book lights the way to fewer hours, less stress, and more meaning.��
―Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential, and host of the podcast WorkLife

From the New York Times bestselling author of Overwhelmed, a deeply reported exploration of why American work isn’t working and how our lives can be made more meaningful

Following Overwhelmed, Brigid Schulte’s groundbreaking examination of time management and stress, the prizewinning journalist now turns her attention to the greatest culprit in America’s quality-of-life crisis: the way our economy and culture conceive of work. Americans across all demographics, industries, and socioeconomic levels report exhaustion, burnout, and the wish for more meaningful lives. This full-system failure in our structure of work affects everything from gender inequality to domestic stability, and it even shortens our lifespans.

Drawing on years of research, Schulte traces the arc of our discontent from a time before the 1980s, when work was compatible with well-being and allowed a single earner to support a family, until today, with millions of people working multiple hourly jobs or in white-collar positions where no hours are ever off duty.

She casts a wide net in search of solutions, exploring the movement to institute a four-day workweek, introducing Japan’s Housewives Brigade—which demands legal protection for family time—and embedding with CEOs who are making the business case for humane conditions. And she demonstrates the power of a collective and creative demand for change, showing that work can be organized in an infinite number of ways that are good for humans and for business.

Fiercely argued and vividly told, rich with stories and informed by deep investigation, Over Work lays out a clear vision for ending our punishing grind and reclaiming leisure, joy, and meaning.]]> 432 Brigid Schulte 1250801729 Laurie 4 faculty-development 3.89
author: Brigid Schulte
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: faculty-development
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]]> 200484941 ��
The Atomic Human is an exploration of the indivisible core that is the essence of humanity in the age of artificial intelligence and machine the book that does for our ability to understand what is unique about�� human intelligence in the age of AI what Thinking Fast and Slow did for rational and irrational thinking and decision-making.
��
Fears of AI not only concern how it invades our digital lives, but also the implied threat of an intelligence that displace us from our position at the center of the world. If artificial intelligence is the automation of decision-making, what, then, is unique and irreplaceable about human intelligence, what does it mean for the human left behind? Is there an essence, the core of the human, that can’t be replaced by the machine?
��
Through storytelling from his personal, family, and professional life, Neil Lawrence brings a timely fresh perspective to this new, emerging era, recounting his personal journey to understand the riddle of intelligence. By understanding the core of what makes us human �� the “atomic human�� �� Lawrence provides the grounding we need to understand how AI can either be a tool for us or that we become a tool of AI, enabling us to choose the future we want.
Lawrence persuasively shows that we can only control AI and decide what is right for society by understanding our intelligence and contrasting it against the new intelligence we are creating �� an intelligence he describes as “helpless�� without humans, but also able to manipulate us if we do not have a frame of reference for AI’s way of thinking in relation to our own. By contrasting our own (evolved, locked-in, embodied) intelligence with the capabilities of machine intelligence through history, The Atomic Human reveals the technical origins, capabilities and limitations of AI systems, and how they should be wielded. Not just by the experts, but ordinary people.
��]]> 448 Neil D. Lawrence 1541705122 Laurie 3 faculty-development 3.00 2024
author: Neil D. Lawrence
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: faculty-development
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]]> 136342721 Fortune) explains how we’ve arrived at an era of AI harms and oppression, and what we can do to avoid its pitfalls.

“Dr. Joy Buolamwini has been an essential figure in bringing irresponsible, profit-hungry tech giants to their knees. If you’re going to read only one book about AI, this should be it.”—Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation
��
To most of us, it seems like recent developments in artificial intelligence emerged out of nowhere to pose unprecedented threats to humankind. But to Dr. Joy Buolamwini, who has been at the forefront of AI research, this moment has been a long time in the making.

After tinkering with robotics as a high school student in Memphis and then developing mobile apps in Zambia as a Fulbright fellow, Buolamwini followed her lifelong passion for computer science, engineering, and art to MIT in 2015. As a graduate student at the “Future Factory,�� she did groundbreaking research that exposed widespread racial and gender bias in AI services from tech giants across the world.

Unmasking AI goes beyond the headlines about existential risks produced by Big Tech. It is the remarkable story of how Buolamwini uncovered what she calls “the coded gaze”—the evidence of encoded discrimination and exclusion in tech products—and how she galvanized the movement to prevent AI harms by founding the Algorithmic Justice League. Applying an intersectional lens to both the tech industry and the research sector, she shows how racism, sexism, colorism, and ableism can overlap and render broad swaths of humanity “excoded�� and therefore vulnerable in a world rapidly adopting AI tools. Computers, she reminds us, are reflections of both the aspirations and the limitations of the people who create them.

Encouraging experts and non-experts alike to join this fight, Buolamwini writes, “The rising frontier for civil rights will require algorithmic justice. AI should be for the people and by the people, not just the privileged few.��]]> 336 Joy Buolamwini 0593241835 Laurie 4 faculty-development 4.14
author: Joy Buolamwini
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/11/20
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]]> 41104077
Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates the shocking root cause of gender inequality and research in Invisible Women��, diving into women’s lives at home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more. Built on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.]]> 448 Caroline Criado Pérez 1419729071 Laurie 4 faculty-development 4.35 2019
author: Caroline Criado Pérez
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: faculty-development
review:

]]> 60063419
Er ist ein rücksichtsloser Tech-Tycoon, und ich nehme Anrufe von wütenden Kunden entgegen, die ihre Passwörter nicht zurücksetzen können.
Er wohnt in einem Londoner Stadthaus und hat auf der ganzen Welt Ferienhäuser, ich wohne mit meiner besten Freundin und Mäusen zur Miete in einer WG.
Unsere Welten könnten nicht verschiedener sein.
Sich in ihn zu verlieben, kommt nicht in Frage.
Vor acht Jahren habe ich den Fehler gemacht, mit ihm zu flirten, und er hat mich abblitzen lassen ... und zwar richtig.
Bis heute sieht er in mir nichts anderes als die dumme kleine Schwester seines besten Freundes. Und das ist auch gut so, denn ich kann es nicht ertragen, in der Nähe dieses emotionslosen CEOs zu sein.
Ungeachtet dessen, dass er der heißeste Mann ist, dem ich je begegnet bin.
Nun muss ich feststellen, dass er die Firma, für die ich arbeite, gekauft hat und damit in der obersten Chefetage ist.
Und er will mich loswerden.
Danny Walker ist kein Mann, mit dem man sich anlegen sollte.
Aber vielleicht versteckt sich hinter seinem kalten, distanzierten Blick mehr als ich dachte.
Skrupellose CEOs mit ausdruckslosem Gesicht stehen nicht auf schusselige Frauen wie mich. Oder etwa doch?

Die Bändigung von Mr. Walker ist eine eigenständige, knisternde Büroromanze, in der Feinde zu Geliebten werden, mit einem mürrischen CEO und einer kämpferischen, sarkastischen, jüngeren Heldin als Protagonisten.]]> Rosa Lucas Laurie 2 4.30 2021
author: Rosa Lucas
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/14
date added: 2024/11/14
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]]> 212009455 The viral TikTok stalker dark romance, burning with high heat, hilarious banter, and a love story like you’ve never seen before. Can you handle the ride?

I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.


Trauma nurse Alyssa Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality.


I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.


Joshua Hammond has an infamous father—the kind of man that true-crime podcasts love talking about. Josh has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer.


Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with.


Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally gray male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book.
]]> 338 Navessa Allen Laurie 4 4.40 2024
author: Navessa Allen
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/11/10
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]]> 213782560 A vengeful King.
A lost princess.
And the revenge he’s desperate for.

For the last twelve years, Tavish, the King of the Unseelie Fae, focused on finding the key for taking back his rightful lands from the Seelie fae after they killed his parents.

There was one problem that stood in his way—locating the Seelie Princess hidden on Earth.

After years of haunting her dreams, he finally locates her and drags her back to their realm.

She’s forgotten her fae life and wants to escape. He doesn’t care. He merely needs her blood in order to free his people.

But she’s more than he remembers, and a spark ignites between them every time they touch.

None of that matters though. His goal is set—to drain her blood once her magic activates once again.

He must take back what is rightfully his, no matter the cost.

But if he does, the price might be what’s left of his heart.

The King of Frost and Shadow is a steamy, royal fae romantasy that includes betrayal, morally gray characters, enemies-to-lovers, villain gets the girl, a gauntlet tournament, political intrigue, who did this to you, and touch her and unalive. One-click this story today. ]]> 348 Jen L. Grey Laurie 4 3.95 2024
author: Jen L. Grey
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/08
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]]> 218358049 The best way to gain confidence after years with the wrong guy? Hayden Owens—the hottest defenseman in pro hockey, my confident best friend, and my new dating coach.

He’ll teach me to be a player, but convinces me to practice with him.

We’ve been friends for years, but our flirting lessons and practice kisses push the bounds of friendship.

We’re roommates, but sleeping in the same bed.

He buys me a toy as a favor�� but helps me use it.

All that relationship stuff he’s always avoided? He doesn’t seem to mind it anymore.

Rule number one of being a player is no attachments, but when Hayden sees me picking up other guys, he’s jealous enough that I wonder...Maybe my wingman's been waiting for me all along.

The Wingman is a pro hockey best friends to lovers romance. It's the third book in the Vancouver Storm series but can be read as a standalone.



best friends to loversrelationship coachpro hockeygolden retriever himbo popular guy vs shy girl]]> 448 Stephanie Archer Laurie 3 4.06 2024
author: Stephanie Archer
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/03
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 61260357
When one of THE Hawthorne brothers—known by their chiseled jawlines and their family-run farm and event center—hires me to be his virtual assistant, I do everything I can to keep him firmly in the work zone.

His grumpy demeanor helps.

His smoking hot profile picture does not.

But even if I do have a crush (a very tiny one), I can’t catch real feelings for a million different reasons.

Besides the whole business part of our relationship, I’m a single mom. I have to think about what’s best for my son, Jack. And my grumpy, divorced, humorless boss isn’t exactly giving me “ready to be a stepdad�� vibes.

When Perry upgrades me from virtual to in-person assistant, I wonder if I’ve gotten him all wrong. He’s actually pretty great with Jack. And with me? Let’s just say the chemistry crackling between us might vaporize all my reasons for keeping my distance.

Trouble is, after his messy divorce, I’m not sure Perry’s ready to bet on a new relationship. But it isn’t just my heart that’s on the line. It’s Jack’s, too. And after everything we went through before my husband died, I’m not sure that’s a gamble I’m ready to take, no matter how desperate Jack is for a daddy.

How to Kiss Your Best Friend is a sweet romantic comedy with all the sizzling kisses you want in a closed-door romance but no explicit scenes.]]> 337 Jenny Proctor Laurie 3 4.19 2022
author: Jenny Proctor
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 203285427
As a single, unemployed, and unapologetic twenty-five year old mess, I came to the Hamptons this summer for one reason—to focus on myself and work out my quarter-life crisis. I didn’t come here planning to sneak into a private party and meet a handsome stranger.

I definitely didn’t come here expecting for that stranger to be Preston Rhodes—billionaire and superstar quarterback for the Manhattan Mambas.

And that’s not even the crazy part.

He asked me to be his pretend girlfriend for a week while his family is in town. He needed a date for his sister’s wedding, and I’d never turn down the opportunity to be spoiled by a rich man.

The only thing is, Preston’s not very good at pretending.

Now instead of discovering myself, I’m spending the week discovering what life would be like with him. Instead of focusing on me, I’m focusing on how he looks at me, how he touches me, how he wants me.

But now that neither one of us is faking it, I only hope that we can hold on to what we have through the bright lights and summer nights.

From the author that brought you Black Ties and White Lies and Pretty Rings and Broken Things, comes an all-new stand-alone in the Black Tie Billionaires Series. Bright Lights and Summer Nights is a billionaire, fake dating, sports romance releasing June 2024. It is Emma's book and a complete stand-alone. It is the third and final book in the series.]]> 362 Kat Singleton Laurie 4 4.20 2024
author: Kat Singleton
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 62334000 Three ripped, gorgeous men. One secluded Swedish mountain cabin. It looks like my vacation is about to heat up��

After my ex-boyfriend makes me the target of a cruel online hate campaign, I know I have to get away. The last thing I expect on my trip to Sweden is a moose standing in the middle of the road �� or the mysterious, bearded ranger who pulls me from my wrecked car.

Now a storm’s brewing, and I’m being carried into a secluded mountain cabin by a Nordic God rippling with muscle. Inside, I’m greeted by three sizzling-hot Swedish mountain men:

Riven, the cool, collected doctor with the muscled arms and the impeccable bedside manner.
Eli, the flirty ski instructor with the charming smile and dimples I’m dying to kiss.
And Cole, the rugged blonde ranger with the ice-blue eyes and a hammer to rival Thor.

Trapped inside the cabin, we only have the roaring fire—and each other—to keep warm. And things heat up fast. All three men are fiercely protective over me. They look like Vikings, kiss like angels, and best of all, they love sharing me. It feels too good to be true.

But I’m not who I say I am. When my mountain men find out my true identity, will they be able to forgive my lies and love the real me? Or will my dark, painful secret shatter our relationship to pieces?

THREE SWEDISH MOUNTAIN MEN is a scorching stand-alone reverse harem romance, filled with love, adventure, and three sinfully gorgeous heroes. No cliffhanger, no cheating, and HEA guaranteed! ]]> 332 Lily Gold 1739586700 Laurie 3 3.79 2021
author: Lily Gold
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/14
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 217206738
Ruthless. Meticulous. Arrogant.

Dante Russo thrives on control, both personally and professionally.

The billionaire CEO never planned to marry—until the threat of blackmail forces him into an engagement with a woman he barely knows.

Vivian Lau, jewelry heiress and daughter of his newest enemy.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful or charming she is. He'll do everything in his power to destroy the evidence and their betrothal.

There’s only one problem: Now that he has her...he can't bring himself to let her go.

***

Elegant. Ambitious. Well-mannered.

Vivian Lau is the perfect daughter and her family’s ticket into the highest echelons of high society.

Marrying a blue-blooded Russo means opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to her new-money family.

While the rude, elusive Dante isn't her idea of a dream partner, she agrees to their arranged marriage out of duty.

Craving his touch was never part of the plan.

Neither was the worst thing she could possibly do: fall in love with her future husband.

King of Wrath is a steamy arranged-marriage billionaire romance. It includes explicit content and profanity. Recommended for mature listeners only.]]> 398 Ana Huang Laurie 3 4.05 2022
author: Ana Huang
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/10/08
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 124933364 Kill the Fae king or die.

Raised to cut throats, hunt Unseelie monsters, and ride dragons, Berserker-blooded Revna is the best of the best. But she has been assigned the impossible. Her king demands that she kill the ruthless Fae king.

With no other options, Revna must glamour herself and hide among the Fae king’s bevy of potential mates. But all of her training will be useless if she can’t figure out how to feign love.

Lysanael never wanted to be king of the Fae. Partially because politics disgust him, but mostly because the king must beget an heir. Because of a terrifying secret, he refuses to risk mating and fights to conceal his dark past.

A feigned courtship may be the only way through for both of them, but will their ruse save them or will the plan only tangle their hearts in unimaginable ways?

Set in an epic fantasy world, The Fae King’s Assassin is a dual POV, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating/marriage of convenience fantasy romance perfect for fans of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince, Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked, and Elise Kova’s A Deal with the Elf King. If you like tension-filled banter, vicious heroines, and deliciously dangerous Fae, you’ll love this standalone with an HEA.

*Note: This standalone is upper YA/NA and contains mature situations and adult language. The romance is slow burn but builds to moderate steam.

The Fae King’s Assassin is the first book in the Realm of Dragons and Fae world. There will be several standalones in this world and readers can start with any of the books.]]> 412 Alisha Klapheke Laurie 3 3.69 2023
author: Alisha Klapheke
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 199395815 The high-octane sexiness of Ana Huang meets the addicting thrills of Rachel Hawkins with a delicious twist in this dark romance from indie superstar J. T. Geissinger, now with a brand new bonus chapter!The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single ’ll wait forever if I have to.It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know.Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply?You.I told the mystery man he had the wrong girl. He said he didn’t. I said we’d never met, but he said I was wrong.We went back and forth, exchanging letters every week that grew increasingly more intimate. Then one day, the letters stopped. When I found out why, it was already too late.Dante was at my doorstep.And nothing on earth could have prepared me for what happened next.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 353 J.T. Geissinger 125034669X Laurie 4 4.27 2022
author: J.T. Geissinger
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/30
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 205404157
When Rennick was thirteen, the gods bestowed upon him the name of his fated mate--a human girl. As the sole heir to the Mountain Kingdom, magic bound him to his kingdom until he ascended the throne on his twenty-fifth birthday, and as a human, she couldn't cross the magical barrier separating the humans from the fae. Heartsore and consumed with thoughts of her, he did the only thing he could and sent her anonymous letters and gifts��

Until he crossed the barrier into her kingdom to claim her as his own.


Six months after Amelia's thirteenth birthday, she received a strange letter from a fae boy claiming her as his mate. Humans weren't taught much about the fae, and one look at the horrifying doll meant to be her belated birthday gift solidified her suspicions that someone was playing a cruel joke. Except the letters and odd gifts kept coming. Against her better judgment, Amelia fell in love with her mysterious admirer throughout the years, certain they would never meet. But on her twenty-fifth birthday, her walk to work was interrupted by two familiar words she'd read a million times.

"Hello, love."

Viciously Yours is a new adult fantasy romance long novella/short novel of about 60k words/250 pages. It is fast-paced and focuses solely on the relationship between the two main characters. There is no overarching background plot. Example: Rebels attack the kingdoms, but there is no story as to why because it just is.

The couple does have minor obstacles, but there is no miscommunication trope, no third act breakup, and no cheating.

PLEASE NOTE: The male main character does a few morally black things to those he deems a threat to his relationship. There are no shades of grey.

CONTENT WARNINGS:
Orphaned heroine, gore, unethical kills and decisions by main characters, death of a parent, mature language, explicit sexual situations, graphic violence and death]]> 258 Jamie Applegate Hunter Laurie 4 3.59 2024
author: Jamie Applegate Hunter
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 203562673
Every hundred years, the gods toy with us mere mortals.
And we let them.

The gods of myth are alive and well.
Once every century, they select a new ruler in a cutthroat competition, pushing mortal players to the limit. But this year, Hades is done sitting on the sidelines. And he’s picking a champion no one expects—in this modern mythic romantasy, she’ll fight for her life��
for the god of Death.]]> 645 Abigail Owen 1649376588 Laurie 4 4.29 2024
author: Abigail Owen
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/25
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 8452993 From award-winning author Shana Abé comes the fifth novel in her paranormal Drákon series—featuring a glittering world of supersensual creatures that can shape-shift from human to smoke to dragon.Honor Carlisle may have been born into the��drákon��clan but she’s always felt like a stranger to her kin—an intuition that proves true when she discovers that she is a Time a creature with the extraordinary ability to transport herself into the past or future.On one of her Weaves into the future, Honor encounters the very man she should most Alexandru of the Zaharen, prince of a rival tribe of��drákon. As the two surrender to a desire that brings the present and future ever closer, they also risk fulfilling a terrible prophecy. Now Honor and Sandu must place their trust—and their lives—in each other’s hands, and their faith in a magical love that could restore order to the��drákon��universe—or destroy it forever.]]> 322 Shana Abe 0553907719 Laurie 3 3.88 2010
author: Shana Abe
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2010/07/17
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves:
review:
The first in the series, The Smoke Thief, is still my favorite. Shana Abe really just writes in such a gorgeous way it's hard not to enjoy her stories.
]]> 54245602 A sexy enemies-to-lovers standalone, rich with masquerades, billionaires and forbidden trysts!
When the invitation arrived, it detailed the rules of the masquerade--no names, no identities.
I set one more--find a most wicked man for one night, the kind who'll bring me deliciously naughty pleasure.
But as the clock ticks to midnight, he finds me, whisks me away to a secret alcove, and delivers all that dirty bliss and then some, leaving me craving more. We make arrangements for another secret rendezvous.
Only fate has other plans, since I run into him the next morning. Turns out the stranger at the ball is the billionaire owner of the hotel across the Strip from mine.
My rival. My enemy.
The last thing I'll do is let the brilliant, mercurial man who wants a piece of my business into my bed again.
But when he throws down a daring, risqué bet. I have to decide if I want to raise the stakes.
Or walk away...

ONE EXQUISITE TOUCH is a wickedly racy, high-stakes love story between a man and a woman. It also features several sexy MFM love scenes.

One Exquisite Touch is a standalone in The Extravagant series. Other standalones include One Night Only, and One Alluring Chance. The book One Time Only is a standalone MM spinoff in The Extravagant world.]]> 316 Lauren Blakely Laurie 4 4.35 2020
author: Lauren Blakely
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 203995987 Fake engagement. Real marriage. Both have an expiration date in this spicy marriage of convenience romantic comedy standalone��

“Marry me.��

They were the last words I expected to say to my fake fiancé, but I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t back down from a challenge.

Pretend I’m engaged to my gorgeous and talented business partner to secure a business deal?

No problem.

Agree to a no-touch rule even though she’s been driving me wild since I met her?

Challenge accepted.

Resist grinning like a damn fool every time that same big-hearted, sunshine-y woman laughs with my little daughter?

Done.

So, yeah, when my fake fiancé’s vindictive business rival threatens to expose our make-believe romance, I can handle that too.

I’ll prove our engagement isn’t fake �� by marrying her for real.

A marriage with an expiration date at the end of the year.

But that’s when I run smack dab into the biggest challenge ever �� not falling madly in love with my wife.]]> 376 Lauren Blakely Laurie 4 4.12 2024
author: Lauren Blakely
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/02
date added: 2024/09/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 123425292
All she wanted to do was live her life in peace--maybe get a cat, expand the family spice farm. Really, anything that didn't involve going on an adventure where an orc might rip her face off. But they say the Goddess has favorite, and if so, Cin is clearly not one of them...��

After saving the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, all Fallon wants to do is kill an evil witch enslaving his people. And, who can blame him? But he's dragging Cinnamon along for the ride.��On the bright side, at least he keeps burning off his shirt.]]> 279 Kimberly Lemming Laurie 3 3.92 2021
author: Kimberly Lemming
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/31
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 58469816 In a few breathless moments, I will be Mrs Alejandro Montoya.

He is the King of L.A, and everything a woman could want. Handsome, powerful, rich, and hotter than hell itself.

But I am not just any woman. I am Alana Carmichael and I’m only here to save my father. I will not bow to any king.

This is no fairy tale. This is my nightmare.

He is fierce and unyielding. I should hate him. But, the way he looks at me makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before, and his touch sets my skin on fire.

And as I uncover the secrets of our pasts, I discover that monsters are not always what they seem. Sometimes, the real monsters look like ordinary men.

Fierce King is a forced marriage, dark mafia romance. It is book 1 in the L.A Ruthless series and features the Montoya crime family.]]> 284 Sadie Kincaid Laurie 0 currently-reading 4.10 2022
author: Sadie Kincaid
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 205699517
The answer would be no.

I'm still unclear on how I got into this predicament in the first place. A year ago, I was a man with one thought on his mind, the redhead I met at a hotel bar. Twelve months later, I found her.

Unfortunately for me, she not only happens to be my very off-limits coach's daughter, but also . . . my new assistant and roommate.

I don't even need an assistant, but Coach Wood doesn’t take no for an answer. Add in him writing up tasks for his daughter, Wylie, to complete for me? Well, it's his own form of sweet torture. We are talking tasks that I would never ask her to do.

Tasks that make her despise me.

Hate me.

That make her utter four words that cause a shiver to crawl up my spine . . . Posey, this is war.

A coach’s daughter, workplace, forbidden standalone sports romance featuring the hockey men you can’t get enough of. This steamy, roommates-to-lovers romantic comedy will bring all the laughs while burning up the pages at the same time. ]]> 446 Meghan Quinn 1959442201 Laurie 4 4.02 2024
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/28
date added: 2024/08/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 61240283
In the middle of the night, Creusa wakes to find her beloved Troy engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of brutal conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over, and the Greeks are victorious. Over the next few hours, the only life she has ever known will turn to ash . . .

The devastating consequences of the fall of Troy stretch from Mount Olympus to Mount Ida, from the citadel of Troy to the distant Greek islands, and across oceans and sky in between. These are the stories of the women embroiled in that legendary war and its terrible aftermath, as well as the feud and the fatal decisions that started it all��

Powerfully told from an all-female perspective, A Thousand Ships gives voices to the women, girls and goddesses who, for so long, have been silent.

In A Thousand Ships, broadcaster and classicist Natalie Haynes retells the story of the Trojan War from an all-female perspective.]]> 366 Natalie Haynes Laurie 0 to-read 4.14 2019
author: Natalie Haynes
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 152387598 You are cordially invited to the wedding of Amerie Cross and Arnold Hightower.

And now a toast from the maid of honor, Janelle Cross!

Hi everyone, thank you for being here.

Some of you may know me as the sister of the bride.

Some of you may know me as the ex-girlfriend of the groom.

But I'm willing to bet none of you know me as the woman secretly sleeping with the best man.

I am.

I know, I'm just as surprised as you.

It was only supposed to be for the week; but every kiss, adventure, and stolen moment with Rome Martin feels like it could last forever.

Oh well. What happens in Tulum stays in Tulum.

Right?]]> 244 Natasha Bishop Laurie 4 4.36 2023
author: Natasha Bishop
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/17
date added: 2024/08/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 28194793 360 Meghan Quinn 0986449547 Laurie 3 4.24 2016
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/09
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 67037 464 Douglas Preston 0812542835 Laurie 3 3.96 1997
author: Douglas Preston
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 545936 330 Lloyd C. Douglas 0395957745 Laurie 0 to-read 3.84
author: Lloyd C. Douglas
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.84
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59421787
Working for the Russians, she is finally close to getting the one thing she wants most in life, when she’s stopped in her tracks by the notorious Ryan brothers.

The Ryans are Irish Mafia. They are unstoppable. No-one stands in their way. And nothing comes between a Ryan and his family.

That is, until the hurricane that is Jessie, crashes into their lives. With a world full of secrets and a past that she can’t outrun, will she be their salvation or their downfall?]]> 268 Sadie Kincaid Laurie 4 4.02 2021
author: Sadie Kincaid
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/03
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 141275671 619 Amber V. Nicole Laurie 4 4.21 2023
author: Amber V. Nicole
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/03
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 20119773
Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat, returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.
--publisher's description]]> 260 Grace Lin 0316052604 Laurie 0 to-read 4.49 2009
author: Grace Lin
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199333363
I’m a single dad and starting pitcher for Chicago’s MLB team.
I’m stretched too thin, but I don’t want help raising my son.

Each of his previous nannies only lasted a few weeks before I let them go.
Now, my coach is putting his foot down by hiring the one person I can’t fire—his daughter.

Miller Montgomery is the last woman I should fall for. Too wild, too young, and too unattached.

Chicago is just a quick stop for her. I thought I’d be counting down the days until she left, but summer feels too short when I start thinking about forever.


Miller

As a high-end pastry chef who recently won the most prestigious award in my industry, I’m desperate to prove I deserve it. But with a new title comes new pressure, and I can’t create a fresh and inspiring dessert to save my life.

With only two months to get back on track, I should be focusing in the kitchen, but instead, I let my dad talk me into using my time off to nanny for his star player’s kid.

Kai Rhodes forgot how to have fun, and I’m eager to jog his memory. But when he and his son start to feel like home, I have to remind us both that my time in Chicago ends with the summer.

Besides, I’ve always been a runner, and the last thing I want is to get caught.]]> 393 Liz Tomforde Laurie 4 4.55 2023
author: Liz Tomforde
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/18
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 75384035 They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter��

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

Welcome to the passionate world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates, sirens, and fae collide with Vikings in a dark fantasy romance between a villain and the innocent princess who holds his heart.

*Please note: This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside*]]> 408 L.J. Andrews Laurie 5 4.14 2023
author: L.J. Andrews
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves: r-fantasy-2024-book-bingo-challenge, 5-stars
review:

]]> 43492490 THE SIZZLING-HOT ENEMIES TO LOVERS ROMANCE AND TIKTOK SENSATION

Francesca Rossi is the beautiful daughter to a powerful Chicago mafia family. Her life has always been comfortable and safe. Now, betrothed to her childhood friend Angelo Bandini, she expects her future to be the same.

Ruthless and ambitious, Wolfe Keaton is the sworn enemy of the Rossi's and will stop at nothing to destroy their lives. Until Wolf sets his eyes on Francesca, and his life changes forever.

His family allegiances are bound by blood.

But can a newfound love overpower a decades-old hate?]]> 322 L.J. Shen Laurie 2 4.09 2019
author: L.J. Shen
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2024/07/10
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 205838692 A spicy, sassy, and swoony fake dating romantic comedy from Amazon Charts bestselling author Jennifer Millikin.

A week on an island sounds like the stuff of beach dreams, but for Paisley Royce, it's a nightmare. Her little sister is marrying her ex-college sweetheart, and Paisley is serving as maid of honor. To add insult to injury, nobody will let Paisley forget she’s single.

Bachelorette weekend changes everything when she runs into her old college frenemy, Klein Madigan.

Klein is still intelligent and funny, and somehow time has only made him more attractive.

Paisley is Klein’s ‘one that got away��, not that he’d ever admit it to her. A colossal misstep (and one terrible kiss) in college sealed their fate.

Or so they thought.

Klein’s an aspiring author allergic to social media. Paisley owns a digital marketing agency.

A brilliant plan is hatched: A trip across the country for a week of faking out her family in exchange for her firm marketing his work.

One hastily scrawled and signed contract on a bar napkin later, Paisley and Klein embark on a journey of tension, only one bed, and fake dating shenanigans.

Paisley’s goal is to survive the week.

Klein’s plan is to enjoy the sun, sand, and wedding cake.

But then there’s a scorching kiss to make up for that bad one in college.

And another kiss in a lighthouse during a thunderstorm. A gentle palm on Paisley’s lower back, and a reassuring hand squeeze under the table.

Everyone is convinced Klein and Paisley are the real deal, but as the week wears on, they begin to wonder if the only people they’re kidding are themselves.]]> 472 Jennifer Millikin Laurie 4 4.34
author: Jennifer Millikin
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.34
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/04
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 75565941 In the cut-throat game of court life, masters manipulate pawns—and you never know which one you are. One thing is certain: there’s no space on the board for love.

A penniless noblewoman, Kat is on the verge of losing everything when she’s offered a well-paid job that could be her salvation�� or her ruin. Drawn into court’s deadly intrigues, she’s given a single task: spy on the powerful fae lord known as the Night Queen’s Shadow.

Bastian Marwood is handsome, ruthless, and cunning, but Kat can’t decide if he’s a threat to her kingdom or just her heart. To uncover the truth, she must play a dangerous game of desire and deceit, pushing him to reveal his secrets while protecting her own. But Bastian’s shadows have a hold on her—one she isn’t sure she wants to escape.

Kat soon learns that at court, nothing is as it seems and even the best-laid plans can be destroyed in an instant. As a pawn on the board, she can’t afford to fall victim to love—only fight for survival.

A Kiss of Iron is the first book in a new series featuring court intrigue, a morally grey hero, and an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers romance. Perfect for fans of Gild and From Blood and Ash.]]> 608 Clare Sager Laurie 5 5-stars 3.99 2023
author: Clare Sager
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/29
date added: 2024/06/29
shelves: 5-stars
review:

]]> 199269577 The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.]]> 384 Sarah Beth Durst Laurie 0 netgalley, currently-reading 4.05 2024
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/29
shelves: netgalley, currently-reading
review:

]]> 205248946
Conspiracy lurks in the realm of Rothen. No one knows this better than Elma Volta, soon to be queen of the frozen kingdom. But as she awaits her coronation, Elma narrowly escapes death at the hands of an enemy assassin. Realizing she has few choices and even fewer allies, Elma offers the assassin a deal: if he can keep her alive until she takes her rightful place on the throne, she will bring peace to their warring lands.

An uneasy alliance forms between Elma and the sharp-tongued assassin. But what started as mutual hatred and resentment, soon begins to evolve into something else entirely. Something aching, desperate, and blazing hot.]]> 374 Meg Smitherman Laurie 0 to-read 3.73
author: Meg Smitherman
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.73
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59442556 Cruel. Heartless. Ruthless.
A criminal. A monster. A murderer.

Belles and Mobsters were never meant to be together. And I still fell in love with him, only to be torn apart. Lesson learned.

I escaped with nothing but the clothes on my back and my best friend at my side. We hid in plain sight, and started a new life.

Just as life became normal again, we were found. Dragged back into the underworld.

This time the stakes are much higher. Failing is not an option.

If only he wasn't my demise.]]> 318 Eva Winners Laurie 4 3.71 2021
author: Eva Winners
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/22
date added: 2024/06/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 62869062 World Ender meets Ender of Worlds...A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life in the deserts of Eoria to save her dying sister. She called upon anyone who would listen, not expecting a monster far worse than any nightmare to answer. Now she does what Kaden asks, even if that means securing an ancient relic from the very creatures that hunt her.A King thought long dead and long forgotten.In the old world his name was Samkiel. In the new world it is Liam, but one title remains true throughout time. He is the World Ender, a myth to his enemies, a savior and King to those loyal to him. After the Gods War, he locked himself away, hiding from the world. He denied his crown and responsibilities, leaving the very ones who needed him most to deal with the fallout of the death of their homeworld. Now an attack on those he holds dear sends him back to the one realm he never wished to visit again and into the sights of an enemy he thought imprisoned eons ago.Now enemies older than time must put aside their differences and work together in hopes of saving both their world and every realm in between.]]> 493 Amber V. Nicole 1737706741 Laurie 5 5-stars 4.27 2022
author: Amber V. Nicole
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/11
date added: 2024/06/21
shelves: 5-stars
review:
Wow! I don't know what I was expecting, but this was genius. Incredible world building; beautiful prose; strong, sassy, intelligent, relatable FMC. And omg, Liam
]]> 209436460 Unyielding family allegiance
Three deadly challenges

THE HUMAN.
When a trip into the forest to collect a rare mushroom goes horribly wrong, I find myself falling through a fairy portal and straight into the arms of the Unseelie Fae prince. The dangerously unhinged and handsome Unseelie Fae prince.
What could be more horrible than that? He thinks I'm an assassin sent by the humans to kill him, not a biologist.
Determined to kill me first, and rid himself of the human he has unwillingly grown obsessed with, yet also needing to entertain his people, the villain challenges me to three deadly trials.
If I survive, I gain my freedom. But if not...
The Fae.
I've never felt anything but hate and loathing until my eyes found hers--the vile human assassin's. She is a parasite that has mercilessly latched onto my mind and won't let me free.
My hand itches to be ungloved and feel her smooth skin, even though I would never. The Unseelie Fae royals would rather burn than touch a repulsive human.
I fear that if I do not destroy the girl soon, she may be the only thing that's capable of truly destroying me.]]> 355 Jeneane O'Riley Laurie 4 3.84 2023
author: Jeneane O'Riley
name: Laurie
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/06
date added: 2024/06/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 157596797 The Songbird:
Captive. Challenger. Queen.

Enemies took her from the man who holds her heart. They might see her as weak, as a pawn in wicked games, but they’re no match for the first Ever Queen.

Let them think they’ve won. Her heart belongs to a beautiful monster, and she will never stop fighting until she’s back in his arms.

The Serpent:
Captor. Villain. King.

His enemies stole the woman who claimed his soul. They betrayed him out of greed and desire for the crown, but they won't die for that betrayal. No.

They’ll die for touching her.

His heart belongs to a stunning little bird. He will never stop searching for her light across the skies. Not until the blood of his enemies spills at her feet, and his queen wears their bones around her neck.

Welcome back to the world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates collide with Vikings in passionate romance, brutal battles, and an unforgettable dark fantasy world. This book concludes the love story between Erik and Livia, but new, standalone romances with other favorite characters will continue to build the world. Readers are encouraged to check the TW inside the book for their reading comfort.]]> 452 L.J. Andrews Laurie 4 4.12 2024
author: L.J. Andrews
name: Laurie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/18
date added: 2024/06/18
shelves:
review:

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