I like it that way. I grew up in a fake society where plastic hearts rule. If our hearts are made of plastic, they can never be broken. My parents have expectations and I do everything I can to meet them, even if it means giving up on my own dreams. Now, all I want is to be free to make my own choices.Dane Wright is everything I have been warned to stay away from. We met one night while I was with my perfect, parent-approved boyfriend and I haven’t stopped thinking about him. I don’t want to like him. I am doing everything I can to ignore his pull, but my heart seems to want what it cannot have, what it has never had.Can he measure up? He may think I am too good for him, but maybe he is too good for me. Life is a series of choices and I have never been able to make my own. Until one day, when my heart decides to make a choice for me.Recommended for mature readers due to sexual content and language

    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.

    She promptly finds a job at a tattoo parlor, a craptastic first apartment, and one friend—Ryan—who is a little less friend, a little more benefits. Deo Beckett is a soulful surfer with a passion for tattoos and beautiful women. On the eve of his twenty-second birthday, he finds himself living with his grandfather, recently unemployed, and seriously adrift. He doesn’t know much about what he wants out of life, but he does know his current situation isn't cutting it. When Deo meets Whit, she’s all sexy makeup and fierce, smart-ass fun. It doesn’t take him long to see past her tough shell. And when he gets a good look at what's under all the superficial stuff that usually gets his attention, it leaves Deo wondering if there might be more to life than living fast and free. Too bad Whit has a past she doesn't plan on sharing—no matter how hot Deo is. She might want him, but she knows better than to let her guard down. Deo falls for Whit, and falls hard. But everything about her, down to that mysterious tattoo and the way she thrashes in her sleep, tells him that the girl he loves is hiding something. And the more he pushes for answers, the more Whit pulls away. Having your guard up is one thing, but are the lengths Whit goes to to protect her secret worth throwing away the second chance she has at happiness with Deo? LENGTHS is a Contemporary New Adult Romance to be released August 2012.

    They are strangers. Forced to be partners. Naturally opposites. EVIDENCE OF TRUST, Stacey Joy Netzel—Sparks fly when a headstrong wrangler & an alpha park ranger are thrown together while he’s searching for evidence to stop a poacher killing animals in RMNP. When the monster turns his sights on Brittany, Joel discovers he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. CROSS THE LINE—Wendy Ely Living the ‘no strings’ attached lifestyle has always worked for Leslie until she arrives in Phoenix and meets Chris Matthews. She doesn’t like bad-boys, so why can’t she keep her hands off her new neighbor? Can she let him lead her places she’s never been before? TREASURE ON MOON LAKE—Amy Gamet Tori Henderson has never forgotten her teenage crush, Gabe. When her mother gets engaged to Gabe’s father, Tori assumes Gabe will be at the wedding and hatches a plan to get him back. But Gabe also has a half-brother, Jed, with plans of his own to snag Tori himself. GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY—Donna Marie Rogers James is furious when his shiftless brother sells half their horse ranch to match a bet. When a golden opportunity falls into Angela’s lap, she takes it and sets out to prove she has what it takes to help James run the ranch—and ends up losing her heart to both. HEARTS IN MOTION—Edie Ramer Take two cats, a dog, a determined woman and her teenage sister… Add a businessman trying to do the right thing and a six-year-old girl with a damaged heart… And it’s hard to tell who is rescuing who... OUT OF CONTROL, Kate Kelly—One night of passion turned into a crazy, unforgettable month—until Serena McGregor walked away from undercover FBI agent Nick DeMarco. Six months later, her elusive scent still haunting him, Nick risks his career to prove Serena is innocent of a million dollar theft. LOST IN MANHATTAN, Lois Winston—A terrorist’s twisted need for revenge has claimed the lives of Sarah Montgomery’s entire family. One more kill will fulfill a promise made long ago. Can a woman who can’t remember and a man who can’t forget stop the assassin before Sarah becomes the final victim? ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE—Barbara Phinney Comedy, romance and a meddling family: Former beauty queen Janet Jemseg is asked to raise money for charity and ‘marry’ hunky, annoying Devon Kidder? No way! But it’s for a good cause. LADY ELINOR’S ESCAPE—Linda McLaughlin Lady Elinor Ashworth longs for adventure, but when she runs away from her abusive aunt, she finds more than she bargained for in Stephen Chaplin, a curious barrister determined to ferret out her secrets. Cinderella meets Mr. Darcy in this sweet Regency romance. LORD OF DARKNESS, Ava Bradley—The night Victoria Conrad runs away doesn’t turn out at all like she planned. After being accosted by two ruffians, she is rescued by the horribly scarred Earl of Carlisle—only to discover she is his prisoner!

    Organized, event planner, Jaya Trudeaux is used to doing things by the book and never making waves. The only thing that can tie carefree, playboy, Alec Danthers down is a promise he made to his mother. Can Jaya put the lists down long enough to enjoy the ride that is Alec?Sultry in Stilettos – book #2Shy, Fantasy Event Planner, Ricca Munroe has never been lucky in love, so she focuses on her career. Beckett Mills has never been in love. Personal entanglements are a recipe for disaster—that is until one kiss from Ricca Munroe changes everything. Can Ricca come out of her shell to land her dream job and the love of her life? Can Beckett trust himself enough to actually fall in love.Sassy in Stilettos – book #3Smart mouthed and in charge, magazine editor, Micha Bennett, has learned the hard way to choose her career over love. When she’s up for the job of a lifetime, the competition becomes deadly fierce. Sexy, security consultant, Caleb Atkins, knows what he wants and it’s Micha Bennett. With ugly shadows in his own past, he’ll die before he lets anything harm the woman he loves. Too bad Micha doesn’t think she needs his protection or his love. Warning: Sexy, sass talking women will make you laugh, cry and want a pair of killer footwear.

    I’m completely broken, irreparable. On the outside, I appear beautiful and bright, but on the inside, my soul is black and empty. I haven’t always been this fragile, scared, and heartbroken woman. Nope. I had the life my peers envied; happily married parents, captain of the volleyball team, and a dangerously sexy and loving boyfriend. Then, faster than I could blink, my life went to hell in a gasoline-soaked hand basket. Cancer struck. The sting of death pierced my heart, and my so-called ‘loving’ boyfriend left me. Wyatt shattered my heart into a million pieces when he left, but little did he know, it wasn’t just me he walked away from. Four years later, Blake changes everything. Unlike Wyatt, Blake treasures my heart. Blake claims I’m beautifully broken, and that he can fix me, but I know differently. How can you put something together without all its pieces? You can’t. When Wyatt left, he took most of my heart away with him. You see, hearts are like broken glass; you can put it back together again, but it will never be the same. While I’m undeserving of Blake’s love, he deserves every bit of mine. My biggest fear is that I’ll crush his heart, just as Wyatt did mine All for Allie Walking away from her was the hardest decision I ever made. Leaving her without an explanation broke us both. Our hearts have been left shattered. I could make excuses. I could lay the blame on others, but still I made the decision. I had to. It was the only way to protect the both of them. After all of Allie’s loss, my thought was only on her and her happiness. On her love and need for her big brother. I was replaceable, Kyle wasn’t. I wouldn’t allow him to crush her heart with his death. I knew I had follow him. I would throw myself on top of bombs, in front of bullets, whatever it took to get him home to her, alive. There are two sides to every story, and you’ve only heard one. Don’t be so quick to judge; I hate myself for what I’ve done. But all that I did, it was all for Allie. Shattered & Mended My mind was made up and my decision had been made, but fate felt the need to rear her ugly head and demand control. Fate is guaranteed, not to be reckoned with, and she won’t be defeated. You see, she’s the author to our stories that have already been written; there’s no editing them. Try as you might, but all you’ll do is piss her off. When you fuck with fate’s masterpiece, tragedy strikes, death occurs, and hearts get shattered. I’ve never been one to follow the rules. So instead, I stood with arms wide open and I challenged her. I knew the possibilities of her kicking my ass were high, but I refused to back down. I invited all the heat she packed, and quickly learned my lesson… You don’t fuck with her.

     Olivia isn't making it in Hollywood like she thought she would. She would go back home if she knew her father wouldn't say, "I told you so." Her two roommates are doing fine with their acting careers and they expect her to pay her share of the rents. So after she can't find a job she gets hired at a place that she would never admit to anyone. Billionaire Tristan Davis just got a divorce so how does he deal with it? His favorite underground club where pleasures could be paid for. That's where he meets Olivia. She's gorgeous and he can control her however he likes. But when his secrets are revealed will she not want to be around him like everyone else in his life? *This sexy alpha billionaire romance is perfect for fans of Cassie Cross, Hannah Ford, Deborah Bladon, Kendall Ryan, Lauren Blakely, and J.S. Scott*

    My once amazing dream of a life had all been taken away from me one tragic night. A night that I wouldn’t soon forget. I knew my job was a dangerous one, but it never crossed my mind that one day it could all just disappear right before my eyes. Now I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare and living a life that was no longer my own. At least I wasn’t completely alone, but Ky Wakely was the kind of man that made you wish you were. Sure he was easy on the eyes, but everything else about that man drove me utterly insane. I suppose every dream comes with a price, but when it’s your life, was it a price I was willing to pay?

    Her cousin Chloe’s wedding is the following day and she needs to get from Northern California to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have enough money to fix her car, much less buy a bus ticket. When Jake Bellomy, the hot Biology lab partner from last semester, offers to give her a ride home, she takes him up on his offer, even though she knows things are bound to get tense since he traded her for another partner in their Biology class. Kendra knows he’s a jerk, but what she doesn’t realize is that God has a way of revealing that people aren’t always what they appear to be.

    Lowen Seely has a criminal record to prove it. Determined not to follow in his father's footsteps, he fights instinct and tries honesty. But hunger becomes painful, and bills are due. Forced to choose between what is right and wrong, the boy from the hood learns abiding by the rules is nearly impossible when corruption is in your blood. Falling for an outlaw has changed everything. Poesy Ashby is the definition of ride or die, even when it means turning her back on freedom. The girl from the suburbs gives conformity the middle finger. Bonnie and Clyde have nothing on her love story. On the run with consequences in the rearview mirror, Lowen and Poesy accept the truth: they are the bad guys. But can they get away with their crimes?

    She knows she’ll see him when she moves back to Wisconsin. She’s planning on it, the connection she still feels to him after all these years is undeniable. But one lie tore them apart years ago, and she’s afraid some mistakes can’t be forgiven.Travis Parker doesn’t like liars. When he was younger, lies burned him in a bad way. It only took one summer with Charlotte’s innocence to know that she was it for him. When he thought he finally had something to look forward to, one misguided lie shattered everything he believed.Now, Char’s back, but she’s not the same girl he once knew.Make Me Forget is the first book in a series of second chance romances featuring the most loyal men as they battle their past in order to secure a future with their one true love. Defeat is not an option when their hearts are on the line. Each emotional and angsty story can be read as a standalone.

     LOVE OF MY LIFE by Mimi Barbour - A story about abandoned puppies, a controversial businessman and a woman who bought her very first home only to find she’s sharing the duplex with a hero whose heart is as mushy as a young girl’s dream. "A very cute little story about coincidences, in our lives, that sometimes, turn into great happenings! The rough and tumble combination of two adversaries, coming together, in more ways than one, made for a delightful read!" DROP DEAD GORGEOUS by Patricia Rosemoor - Sasha Brozynski arrives at the chapel for her best friend's Valentine's Day wedding, but the bride disappeared without a trace. Nick Donatelli, son of a crime boss, had a reputation as a ladykiller. Was he drop-dead gorgeous or drop-dead guilty? "Drop Dead Enjoyable! Great story, believable characters, and I wanted more ... my heart was racing with the romance and the mystery, and danger!!!" WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN by Taylor Lee - They call her the Blonde Barracuda. The press loves her, the politicians fear her, and the mob is out to get her! "A DOUBLE WOW! Lexie and Jake without a doubt are sexiest special agents ever." SOMEONE LIKE YOU by Suzanne Jenkins - Life gets in the way as upstate NY sisters, Marley and Abigail cling to each other and their young children. But a babysitter introduces them both to Jay Malik, a medical student from India, who becomes their lifeline to happiness, forgiveness and healing. "A tale of two sisters who have been through the ringer of emotions . After reading you feel you know them intimately and find yourself cheering for the sisters. Awesome!" TWO HEARTS UNBROKEN by Tamara Ferguson - Honorably discharged from the Air Force, wounded warrior Sarah Benton accepts a position retraining wounded warriors. When Lieutenant Brand Reardon discovers her cowardly fiancé broke up with Sarah because he couldn’t deal with her injuries, Brand decides to do what he’s wanted to do from the moment they met, and make her his. But can he break through her wounded heart before Valentine’s Day, when he’ll be reassigned? "Her plot is compelling and real, especially those parts concerning the care and rehabilitation of wounded veterans, and her romantic passages are sensitive, caring and tasteful. Each of her stories is inspiring" LOVERS IN TRAINING by Alicia Street - When private fitness trainer Shannon meets her hot new client, loving her job takes on a whole new meaning. "After reading one book by this author, I had to read them all!" ROAD TO REDEMPTION by Natalie Ann - Can the nurse heal the doctor? They say opposites attract, but is Cori’s over the top personality too much introvert Dr. Max Hamilton? “Sometimes love is slow and heartwarming then other times it's fast and fun. This book and this story will amaze you.”

    Betrayal. Denial. Sacrifice. Hope. One girl is escaping a world of abuse while another flees from her rapist. One girl slips away from slavery as another one runs away from a life of crime. One girl battles poverty while another one fights to win her life back. What ties them all together? At one time or another, they all worked at Mama’s nightclub, selling their bodies to make a living. And they all found a way out — a new life, new friendships, new chances, and new love. This is their story. Meet the RUNAWAY girls. While their lives may have started out in dire straits and their paths may twist and turn, they’re all looking for redemption and happiness. They’re all learning how to be stronger, braver, and wiser. And whether they know it or not, they’re all selfless and relentless, making sacrifices in the hopes of a better future, never stopping until they make it. WARNING: Not suitable for readers below 17yo.

    When tragedy struck and she lost the most important people in her life, she turned away from everything she loved before; shutting out every reminder of the perfect life she lost. It has been one year, three months, one week and six days since the accident; and Nicole is ready to stop counting the days she’s survived, and begin living again. On a dare from her best friend, Nicole encounters Zack Walters - the popular alternative rock star and man who signifies so much of her past – and suddenly everything in Nicole’s safe and quiet life changes. When she’s forced to face the pain she’s carried for so long, will she truly be able to heal from her past and begin to live again? Or will her new adventure ruin her completely?

    Moving to London to attend school she returns to the states after her father dies. Taking over his company, she's committed to succeeding. She isn't interested in a relationship, wanting to settle into her new life before even dating. But Ian Bradson saw her, and he had to have her. Unable to control the chemistry between them, Aubrey gives in to the one thing she swore not to do. Their chemistry keeps them coming back to each other, and Ian is on cloud nine. When Aubrey's past is thrown at them in the most unexpected way. Aubrey shuts down, and Ian is afraid he will lose her. And that is simply not an option.Deep Blue Hold: Book 2Ian Bradson fell and fell hard for Aubrey Jackson. He knows he will do anything to protect her and keep her in his life. Finding out there is something from her past that is driving her into the comfort of another man. Is something he cannot have. He will do everything in his power to keep her. She's scared to tell him her secret but when she does he knows that he will do whatever it takes to keep her secret safe. Aubrey Jackson can't believe after all this time that the one thing that changed her life forever is back to haunt her. Not only that but it's worse then she thought. Her best friend and ex-boyfriend, pro football player Rex Olsen is the only one who knew about it. Now she finds out there is a tape of the whole thing. If Rex knew about the tape it will kill her, and if Ian finds out the truth will he still want her.Deep Blue Forever: Book 3 When Aubrey finds out that the love of her life has been lying to her she runs. Broken hearted she turns to her friend Rex for support. Finding out all was not what it seems, she soon realizes her life is in danger. Ian has to get Aubrey back, it's not an option. Not only can he not live without her she is in danger. Knowing that no one can protect her like he can he is desperate to get to her.They start to experience life changes neither of them expected. Can their love keep them together with so many things trying to tear them apart? *Bonus Short Story, Rex Olsen's happy ever after. AKA, Sexy Rexy.