Where they took that first sentence was completely up to them.Every story is different.No story is related.The only thing these stories have in common is their starting point.All of the authors showcased in this anthology were featured in The Bookworm Box charity during 2019.Each author has graciously donated their story so that 100% of profits from this anthology will be going to the various charities The Bookworm Box is able to support because of you, the readers.

    After graduating from college in New York, she moved to San Francisco with her boyfriend, Clay. Everything in her life felt perfect. There wasn't anything she would change... ...until she met Jackson Parks. Is it possible that a chance meeting with a stranger can make you question EVERYTHING you thought you wanted? Caroline tries to carry on with her life as if nothing has changed...but the truth is, nothing can ever be the same. Chance Encounters is an emotional love story about trusting and following your heart, even when it's leading you down a difficult path.

    Unable to cope, she handed her baby over to foster care. A part of Teagan always felt abandoned, and yet she never let herself believe she was unworthy of love. Yet her childhood and all the unanswered questions she has stored up, still haunt her. Then bear shifter Cal walks into her life—OK, so maybe he doesn’t walk into her life. Cal saves her from drowning in a flooded creek and gives her the kiss of life. One of many, many, kisses if Cal has his way. Cal senses her need to find answers. All he hopes is when Teagan finds them, she doesn’t think history will repeat itself. He is now, and will always be, her forever bear. Storm Bear Curvy girl Chrysi hikes into the mountains with her fiancé. In no time at all, she realizes he is not the man for her, as his façade slips. What she did not expect, apart from a whiny man in place of the charming guy she fell in love with, is an attempted kidnapping. Her hopes and dreams are soon left shattered, and with a snow storm moving in, her engagement might not be the only thing that is dead. Running from her would be kidnappers, she stumbles across Nevis. But can this man be trusted, or is he a part of the conspiracy too? Nevis has escaped into the mountains to think about his future. His father wants him to get a proper job—What that really means is, his father wants Nevis to work for him in the business he built from scratch. That is never going to happen. What Nevis does not expect, is to find his mate wandering lost, as a deadly storm moves in. The only problem? She is wearing another man’s ring on her finger. Nevis soon realizes everything is not as it seems, and not only does he have to save her from the storm, but he also must save her from the men who want to harm her. Silverback Dragon He knows she’s here, somewhere close by, so why can’t he find her? Can fate really be so cruel? Harlan can sense his mate. He has sensed her for months, and yet he can’t find her. Is he too old? Are his senses failing? Maybe it’s his imagination. Maybe it’s time to leave Bear Creek, and all his hopes behind. Fiona has hidden away for centuries. Only when she met the people of Bear Creek and learned to trust them, did she dare reveal her other side. Only here has she acknowledged she is a dragon shifter. That’s what love does to a person, it allows them to be themselves. It allows them to trust, to believe. But something is stirring out there. Something that calls to her heart and her soul. She knows it’s time to reveal her true self. Whatever the cost. And, from experience, Fiona knows the cost only too well. Just when it looks as if she is going to get her own happy ever after, fate has one more hand to play. Two girls are handed to social services by their stepmother. It’s not unusual, Fiona has seen it many times before—Five hundred and thirty-one—to be exact. But these two girls are special. Very special, and Fiona will sacrifice everything to give them the home they need. Will her mate feel the same way? Or will she have to make the ultimate sacrifice? P.I. Bear Bear shifter, Lia Rivers, is on the run. Falsely accused of theft, she arrives in Bear Creek with plans to disappear into the mountains for a few weeks. Instead, she takes a job at the local newspaper.

    She believes that her years at college will be her ticket into the real world and her chance to be wild and spontaneous.But she’s never been able to do it on her own.At the start of her sophomore year, she only has four things crossed off her Live List, but that’s all about to change thanks to a chance encounter with Trace Wentworth. She’s about to learn that there’s more to this reformed bad boy than just his looks and panty dropping smile.Trace can’t explain what it is that draws him to Olivia.All he knows is that he wants to get to know the girl with the sad smile but sparkle in her eyes.When she tells him about her list, he knows that this is his chance to get to know Olivia Owens. Trace is determined to show Olivia that she can do all the things she’s ever wanted to do. So, he begins to help her cross things off her list, even the more outlandish requests.What happens along the way is more than what Olivia or Trace ever expected.Love, laughs, and a list.That’s the name of the game when you’re Finding Olivia.*New Adult Contemporary Romance intended for readers 18+.*

    A statistic. A victim. A single teenage mother from the poor part of town. Most of the time I'm too busy working and struggling to care what people think. Survival doesn't come easy.I have a dark secret, a pressure valve, a rare moment just for myself. On these nights I visit a club. There I find men who give me what I need.Men like Colin.But he wants more than a few stolen hours. He demands more than my body. He wants my heart and soul--my happily ever after. I never thought I'd be Cinderella. I never thought a man that rough could be my prince.HARD (Book Two)What Colin doesn't know can't hurt him.At least that's what I tell myself about the secrets I keep. I don't have a choice, not if I want to keep my daughter safe. And keep him Colin safe too. There are enemies in the shadows waiting to strike from all sides. I'm holding them out with my bare hands, but it's hard not to get crushed in the process.And the truth has a way of coming out.If I'm not careful, the past I've been working so hard to hide, the pain I've been fighting so long to outrun, will wipe out the man I love.FIERCE (Book Three)I'm torn between what I want and what I need. Between the men in my past and the man by my side. Colin has tried to control me, to use me. But he also guards me so fiercely my heart aches.Raincheck. Business. Don't wait up. --CThat's the note he leaves for me, as if I could sit around while he fights my dragons. As if I could let himself get killed in some vain attempt to protect me.There's no protection left for me. No redemption either.This is my battle, and I've already lost.Boxed sets in the Chicago Underground series:Rough Hard Fierce - Colin and Allie's storyWild Dirty Secret - Luke and Shelly's story

    The only thing missing was the groom. After seven years of coasting through a relationship with Michael, my senses were numb. A week of passion with a stranger was just what I needed to clear my head and take back control of my life. But how do you move on when the man that was only supposed to be a fling somehow seeps into your soul and steals your heart?

    How can you move forward when you're anchored to the past?When it comes to tattooed bad boys, Chase Gartner was the real deal. Partying, engaging in meaningless sex, getting into fights---Chase indulged in it all during his late teen years, thus firmly solidifying his status as a heartbreakingly gorgeous but way-too-dangerous-to-trust guy in his hometown of Harmony Creek, Ohio. Then, following one fateful night of reckless decisions, Chase's actions finally caught up to him and landed him in prison.Now, four years have passed and Chase finds himself a free man. He returns to Harmony Creek, ready to pick up the pieces and start rebuilding his shattered life. Things are off to a promising start when he meets Kay Stanton, a young woman with a tragic past of her own. Despite a powerful attraction, Chase and Kay are naturally hesitant to become involved. That's why friendship feels like the safest option. But when passions ignite and love blossoms, a relationship that is destined and meant to be can only be resisted for so long. When Chase and Kay finally succumb to their feelings they realize being together feels more right and true than anything they have ever experienced. But their love is soon tested. Chase's wild past still haunts and tempts him, and Kay is keeping a secret that could tear them apart. I Stand Before You is a journey of hope and forgiveness, coming to terms with the past and moving forward. But mostly it's a story of two damaged people who take a chance, open their hearts, and find true love. New Adult/Contemporary Romance genres. First in a series. ***warning: contains explicit sexual situations, drug use, some violence, and profanity***

    But then – in the years before she went to art school in Paris – she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.Cole is now a confident, laid-back attorney who’s even hotter than he used to be. He’s planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder – until he’s knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma.Everything is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing friendship. But Emma’s deception of her sister – who wants Cole for herself – and the secret Cole’s been keeping for more than a decade threaten to tear apart what’s only just begun. Because sometimes the only thing standing in the way of now is then.

    I’m needy. I’m broken. Cutting breaks through my numbness, but only opens more wounds. Depression, self-harm, bullying....that's my reality. Sex and guys....that's my escape. The space between the truth and lies is blurred leaving me torn, lost and confused. And while the monsters that live in my head try to beat me-- the two men that I love try to save me. This is my story of friendship, heartache, and the grueling journey that is mental-illness.Warning: Due to possible triggering subject matter and some sexual situations this book is not recommended for anyone under the age of 17 years old.

    Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale. Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations. Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy. When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.

    But when her carefully constructed life crumbles around her, Autumn's forced to return to the small southern town that never let her forget she came from the wrong side of the tracks. Jude Southerland, the town doctor, is used to taking care of people and with a pedigree that has the Ladies Auxiliary reaching for their fans, he’s easily the town’s most eligible bachelor – a status he has no intention of changing. That is until he almost runs down the Maddox girl he never noticed in school and suddenly finds her lush curves, dark curls and blue eyes consuming his thoughts, day and night. Autumn would like nothing more than to live happily ever after with Jude. But with every local matron in the valley trying to marry him off to their own daughters, she knows they won’t let her forget that she's not good enough and never will be. With the chance to finally find happiness, can she overcome her family history and find the confidence she needs to believe in herself or will she let love pass her by?

    He hits on her; she snubs him. The plane lands, but their journey is far from over…Bunsen Burner Bingo by Penny Reid: Katy Parker likes being the invisible girl almost as much as she obsesses over the campus golden boy, Martin Sandeke. But when she inadvertently overhears a nefarious plot about Martin, she'll have to overcome her fears and summon the courage to be seen.To Steal a Kiss by Pam Godwin: When petty thief, Addy Goldner, is caught with her hands in the pockets of a dark-eyed college boy on spring break, will he turn her in or punish her by stealing something for himself?Ricochet by Missy Johnson: He wasn't supposed to be anything more than a one-nighter to ease my broken heart...he also wasn't supposed to be my best friend's younger brother.Claiming Freedom by Dawn Robertson: Greyson Scott is exactly what Stella Lewis needs for a Spring Break to remember. But when the vacation is over and real life returns, she's shocked to learn he's one fling she can't seem to forget.Color Me Bad by Linda Barlow: Fleeing a dude with a shotgun, Rory McKay seeks help from bad boy townie, Griff O'Malley, only to learn that Griff may have murdered his last girlfriend.Invaluable by Alana Albertson: For Kyle Lawson, former NFL star turned Navy SEAL, a hot one night stand with a USO cheerleader ends in an early morning rescue mission. He will never win MVP, never get the Super Bowl ring, but some heroes don't play games.Bling Ring in Mexico by Carly Carson: When spring break fun turns into crime, Susanna must choose between chasing bling and chasing a hot dolphin trainer. But straight-arrow Joaquin has no intention of being the boy toy of his flighty classmate. Too bad lust has such a good grip on him.Contacts by Farrah Farside: Brooke thinks she's got the best she can get in Liam, but those closest to Brooke make her face the harsh truth: she's Liam's secret after-hours screw.Unbreakable by Nicole Blanchard: Stranded with her ex-boyfriend on an island during a storm, Rue Lawrence will either resist temptation...or surrender to it.Rained In by Cherie Blakeley: Stuck dog-sitting for her boss, Kiera Vane’s spring break plans are looking bleak. When a handsome stranger appears she panics, but soon discovers he’s the least of her worries.In a Daze by M-E Girard: Martie receives an invitation to a women-only evening from Daze, the girl she’s been obsessing over in class. She lands in a throwback to the ’50 butch-femme scene, and if Daze is the femme, then Martie better man up—and fast.

    A story of love, hope and healing.** Needing the truth… I wanted to spend the night before graduation making out with Seth, but one of my best friends had the whole night planned. Lucky for me, we ran into him and his friends playing pool where we made some silly bet over a game, and the losers had to run through town in nothing but their underwear. A year later, I wish more than ever we’d just made out at Raker’s Bluff instead, because maybe the night would’ve turned out differently. Now Seth’s back, the guy who broke my heart, the guy I’m still in love with…I just hope he doesn’t break me all over again. Desperate for redemption… No one wants to fess up to having a screwed-up family. When my parents dropped the big divorce bomb on me, I decided to keep it a secret. Just the thought of the pity-stares and pats-on-the-back made me feel sick. I’d tell Haley and my friends another time. Except, I never got the chance. Stuff happened. Stuff that totally sucked and changed our lives forever. Instead of telling my truth, I took the coward’s way out, and I’ve regretted it ever since. But I’m back, determined to tell Haley everything, down to the last gritty detail, if she’ll give me the chance…even if it means losing her forever.

    Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men. For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie, but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she's not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn't understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren't the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.

    He returns with the contract and news of his engagement to a princess. With the surprise royal wedding only four days away, Marie’s Catholic upbringing makes her question the rush, but she swallows her misgivings and agrees to attend in order to make Joseph happy.Disoriented by the language barrier and bewildered by Muslim wedding traditions, Marie is further confused by her elevated role in the wedding party. She is paired with the bride’s brother, Crown Prince Mazen Alfaidy, a breathtakingly handsome man with mysterious eyes, whose silent attentions leave her disconcerted.Marie’s joy for her sibling is cut short by her brother's betrayal. Joseph forces her into an arranged marriage with Prince Mazen in a Sister Swap, to save his own bride from a horrible destiny.Confined in the palace with a husband she doesn’t know or trust, Marie’s life is riddled with lies and secrets. Royal intrigue, traditions, and rules have put her in danger. Now, the new princess has a lot to learn, and many black keys to find.Can she open her heart to a world so unlike her own, or will her prejudices prevent her from finding happiness?Because when it comes to love, rules blur and traditions fade.A Multicultural Romance filled with drama and suspense.