But how far into his mind is she willing to go?Jesse has a curious attraction to Charlene, a hostess at the restaurant where he works. Outwardly he’s rude, awkward and unapproachable. But his sudden bursts of charm are inescapable. A devastating childhood filled with physical and emotional abuse have left him complex and frigid.Charlene, an innocent, is quickly mystified. Her craving for him generates an infatuation and a purpose. Losing weight and gaining confidence, she begins taking more risks. She defies her past, damaged and tender, in order to move ahead."Progress" is a realistic tale of two friends who both have similar issues that make them hesitant to get close to anyone. Jesse's demons have manifested into an emotional detachment, and Charlene's, a physical one.If nobody makes the first move then nobody gets hurt.Their journeys take them down parallel paths which leave them just as emotionally unmatched and conflicted as the day they met.

    But after moving to a new town with her dad, a charming boy makes it impossible for her to disappear. Despite her feelings of unworthiness, Emily soon finds herself drawn to the safety of Jake's world. Good looking and the star of the hockey team, Jake has a lot going for him. What most people don't see is the difficult life he has at home. When quiet Emily steals his heart, Jake vows to help her discover she is worthy of love. Just when the two of them realize the sweetness of their relationship, they are put to the test. Only together can they overcome their haunted pasts to fight for a future together

    Fallon’s mask is real, what you see is what you get. Growing up with two loving parents in Chicago, graduating in Chicago, and now working a job she loves, she enjoys her life. Her untarnished world is shaken when Luca crosses her path. Luca’s mask is tightly controlled. Distrust, rivalry, and violence rule his life.When confronted with insecurities, when the one you love wears his mask perfectly, when your life unravels and you don’t know why, do you keep trusting the person you love? Everyone has a façade. Everyone has an ulterior motive.A contemporary romance/ romantic thriller in dual point of view. Contains sexual content and violence.

    “But you make me wild instead.”Juliet took revenge. The result landed her in a social experiment of solitary reflection called The Island. She didn’t mind the solitude in this tropical paradise until she learned she wasn’t alone. One of them was there with her and this changed everything.Tack commited a crime - almost. By association, his bad decision cost him the experimental banishment. He thought he’d treat the time away like a much needed vacation until he noticed he wasn’t by himself. She was here - the woman who derailed his life - and that made all the difference.Can two tortured souls find their way to redemption through the one person they need forgiveness from the most?This bold beginning to the Island duet is L.B. Dunbar’s detour into dark romance. If you like thought-provoking circumstances, intriguing situations, and something stunningly different in romantic suspense, then this redemptive romance of enemies to lovers is for you. Welcome to the Island.

    After witnessing the traumatic event, he made it his mission to befriend her. As the years pass, their relationship evolves and Cassidy not only gives Zack her friendship but her love, as well. Cassidy spent her childhood being verbally and physically abused. The best part of her life is her friendship with the Stafford twins, Zack and Rylee. Although she tries to put on a brave front, the years of abuse have turned Cassidy into a woman filled with insecurities who doesn’t believe she deserves love. Especially not the kind of love Zack has given her for the last twelve years. On their wedding day, Cassidy’s insecurities get the best of her and she does the one thing she knows how to do well… she runs. Zack is devastated and when he discovers why Cassidy ran, his devastation becomes fury. Long ago, Zack made Cassidy a promise he fully intends to keep and sets off on a journey to bring her back into his arms where she belongs. Will Zack and Cassidy get their happily ever after, or will Cassidy’s inner demons keep her from getting the only thing she ever wanted in this world? To be loved. *Mature Content Warning* This book contains situations not intended for persons under the age of 18. Including, but not limited to - open door sex, cursing, and possible triggers.*

     Until one mission turns his world upside down. He left Mercy to fight for his country and escape a broken heart. Years later, he is hard. Cold. A man without mercy. Part of an elite Task Force, he tracks a brutal terrorist to his home town. And runs into the woman who betrayed him… Evangeline Videl was destroyed when Hunter left. Determined to move on, she finds another man, but discovers too late the monster hidden beneath his smooth smile. Struggling to find the conviction to live, Evie finds her life spinning out of control. Then Hunter returns… Forced to band together to find the terrorist before its too late, Hunter and Evie must learn to forgive or risk losing the promise of redemption and their lives…

    Her family was well off, she ran. They looked for her, she hid. They found her, she ran again. Tragedy strikes, she gets even. The fact is, she doesn't know who she is, she tried to run, to hide and make a life for herself, but that backfired. No one knows her except her best friend, Rachel, if that's even an adequate word for what they are to each other. Rachel helps her build a life for herself below the radar, which is fine until the unthinkable happens, knocking Em out of her unfeeling cocoon. When her house of cards comes tumbling down she runs again, until the one person who can change her mind finds her. **Due to adult situations, language and possible scenarios that may be difficult for some readers to take...take a breath before you start this one. It's gritty and not pretty. Nothing is pretty here. Whiskey is a good thing.**

    A brutal abduction.And a love so forbidden, it might destroy them both.Avery Capulet is missing.Taken by a madman. Kept in the dark.She might not survive.He’ll use her body. Destroy her mind. All before he ever lays a hand on her.Rome Montague is a drug dealer. A criminal. A thief.And he needs the secrets Avery and her family are keeping – even if it means cutting them out of her pretty Capulet flesh.Rome Montague is missing – but nobody will miss him.Not that it matters; After the things he’s done to this girl, he doesn’t deserve to be found.Vicious Prince, set in the criminal underbelly of San Francisco, follows two warring families who are ruled by blood, power and twisted desire.Please note this book was formerly titled Verona Blood.

    The only thing she knew for sure was that she was going to marry him. Just as soon as she could convince him that she didn't have cooties. But tragedy tore her away from him before they ever got a chance at their happily ever after. And the worst part? He forgot all about her.Ten years after Summer lost everything, she's given a fresh start in the witness protection program. The only rule: don't speak to anyone from her past. A rule that's hard to follow when she finds out that the boy next door is living right down the hall. Unlike him, she never forgot. But she knows that the future she once dreamed of is no longer an option. And if she reveals her identity, she could get them both killed.Miles fell in love with the girl next door when he was eight-years-old. When she disappeared in the foster care system, it felt like a piece of him was missing. So when she shows up in his life again with a different color hair and a new name? It doesn’t fool him. And this time he'll do whatever it takes to keep her.

    He contacts me only through notes − unpredictable and untraceable. When we meet, he can touch me, but I’m not allowed to touch him. When we make love, it’s only after I have been bound and blindfolded. It’s the only time I truly feel alive. Which is why I play along with it. For now.Caden Thaine is the most sinfully beautiful man I have ever seen. But more than that, his touch sets me on fire. And dear God, do I ache for him. I don’t know where he lives or even what he does. But this doesn’t scare me. My only fear is that one day his messages will stop. I know he’s hiding something. But that’s okay. I am hiding things too. Like my real name and... who I really am. But the deeper I fall for him, the stronger my curiosity becomes. I could never have imagined just how much our lives are bound. And that pulling at his tangled web of secrets would cause my own dark past to come back to try and reclaim me. Will we survive? Will our love?Adult romantic suspense. +18 years.

    He never stays with the same woman, and although there are plenty of women who want to be his old lady, he wants none of that. He doesn't date.He doesn't let chicks ride on the back of his bike.He doesn't fall in love.And that suits him just fine until he meets her whose eyes light a fire in him. Problem is she's not so easy to get into his bed. Hawk wants her. And when Hawk wants something he takes it. Cara Minelli doesn't want to go to the biker bar, but her friend talks her into it. Swearing off men since she caught her fiancé cheating on her right before her wedding, she has buried herself in her career not wanting a man in her life. Until she sees him. He is sexy, rough, crude, and oh so very wrong for her. So why can't she stop thinking of all the nasty things he'll do to her if she relents and lets him in her bed?Then a vicious killer who has been strangling women in the area focuses on Cara. Police think bikers are involved. Can Cara set aside her trust issues and let Hawk into her life? Hawk sees it as his job to protect what is his...and Cara is very much his even if she doesn't know it yet. Cara keeps her heart guarded, but when danger comes calling, their lives collide. Hawk will stop at nothing to keep Cara safe and make her “Property of Hawk”. The Insurgents MC series are standalone romance novels. Hawk’s Property is Book One in the series. This book contains violence, strong language, and steamy sexual scenes. HEA. No cliffhangers. The book is intended for readers over the age of 18.

    Ellen soon meets Neil, a gorgeous loner with a bad reputation. Her classmates warn her to stay away, but he seems to be the only one who understands her. Besides, the rumors about Neil are too far-fetched to be believed. When she is threatened by Derrick (a jealous classmate) it becomes clear that there is more to Neil than meets the eye. In this sexy page turner, Ellen must discover Neil's dark secrets and learn to stand up for herself before the plot hatched against her unfolds.

    Her prey, ex-special forces officer Grayson Walker, is ruthless, a killer. She shouldn't feel attracted to him. Even so, the closer she gets to finding Grayson, the louder her instincts shout that things are not what they seem.It's only murder...Grayson Walker is dangerous...and determined. Someone is killing those closest to him, and he's desperate to find out why. When a firecracker of a bounty hunter comes close to capturing him, he fights back and ends up shooting her. Yet not even a gunshot wound can cool the sparks that fly between them whenever they're together. Soon, his life turns into a deadly race to earn Vega's trust, track down a killer, and avoid falling in love.

    He left his victims stabbed through the heart holding a telltale single red rose and was deemed the Valentine Killer. Three years ago he vanished. Now he's back. And he's hunting the one who got away. In New Orleans, Katherine dared to hope she was finally safe, yet somehow he found her. This time, Katherine won't just sit silently by; she'll do anything to stop the monster she once loved, even trust the sexy cop promising to keep her safe? Detective Dane Black never lets his emotions interfere with the job, even as the Valentine Killer surfaces in New Orleans to stalk his prey. But when Dane agrees to protect the killer's ex-fiance, he can't ignore the passion kindling between them. After a single unforgettable night binds them body and soul, Dane won't rest until Katherine is safe in his arms and the Valentine Killer is dead.

    When his two killers see her witnessing their gruesome work, she runs, but she doesn’t get far. FBI agent Nick Manelli has to keep his cover intact and keep the sexy witness alive, and there’s only one way he can think of to do both. He has to kidnap her. RECKLESS (formerly Reckless Angel) was the first published novel of romance superstar Maggie Shayne’s stellar career. This romantic thriller, a RITA Award nominee that garnered raves from RT Book Reviews, has been completely revamped for today’s readers.  Maggie Shayne writes wonderful romance with page turning thrills that have a permanent spot on my keeper shelf.” ~New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Robards Don’t miss Book 2 of THE SHATTERED SISTERS series, FORGOTTEN.