Does The Picture Of Dorian Gray Require Background Knowledge To Read?

BOOK 2: The Gentleman Series *Can be read as a standalone* ~~~ I think I had a one night stand with the Beast my sister was supposed to marry, now I’m marrying him. Angelica Hearst’s beauty is the bane of her existence. All she is and all she knows are tied to her beauty that everyone covets, but deep down she wants better for herself. She longs for escape from the man who has sworn to make her life a living hell and because of that she made a list of things she wants to do for herself and she’s determined to get through them somehow, but how would she with the Beast lurking? An illegitimate child, abused and forced to marry a wicked, bruised and pensive Don in place of her sister. It’s the last thing she wants, but maybe it’s a chance at the freedom she desires. ~~~ TRIGGER WARNING!!! This book contains themes that are not suitable for all readers, including; death, graphic violence, scenes of intimacy, strong language, physical and verbal abuse, manipulation, substance abuse, family trauma, and mental health issues. Proceed with caution and read at your own risk. Enjoy. x

Aurora Kingston has everything—money, beauty, and a habit of ruining her father’s reputation. Her latest scandal pushes him too far. Her punishment? Become the personal assistant to Damian Blackwood—her father’s ruthless, impossibly controlled best friend. Damian is the last man she should want. Forty-two. Divorced. Dominant. A billionaire who turns obedience into an art and mistakes into consequences. He thinks she’s a spoiled brat. She thinks he’s an emotionally unavailable tyrant. But when he discovers she’s untouched, curiosity turns into obsession… And her smart mouth turns into an invitation he can’t ignore. Now Damian wants to teach her discipline. Submission. Pleasure that borders on pain. Rules she’ll kneel to obey. He swears he won’t touch her. She swears she’ll make him break. And when he finally does… Daddy’s little spoiled princess becomes a very, very bad girl. But their secret burns too brightly—and when it explodes, it could cost them her father, his empire, and the one thing neither of them expected: Each other.

"I am a monster, Miss Hart. You wouldn't want nor wish to see me..." He is mysterious and brilliant, wealthy and prominent, but no single soul has seen him in person. Well, no one should see him—that's one of his many rules. No one can touch him either; that's another rule. Except for me because I have broken every rule. Now I'm extremely drawn to him. His peculiarity is out of this world, and his beauty is beyond physical. But the Master has demons of his own and is being chased by his brutal past. Suddenly, we've become the reflection of each other's nightmares. I realize that the Master and I are not so different. Is this newly found bond just another uncertain fate that could deepen our wounds, or is it finally going to be our redemption?

Meet Esmerelda Sleuth. Sleuth is her name and investigating is her game. (Paranormal Investigating, that is.) Esmerelda makes a good living as an investigator in a rather progressive firm. She lives a stable and sensible life until she meets Lance; an old money "hottie" who works for a real estate firm next to her building. After accepting an invitation for a weekend getaway party, she quickly discovers that Lance has a secret. He is wealthy. That part is true. And, yes, he's procured a job as a realtor in the building next door. His secret is that he belongs to an underground society of humans who didn't abandon their connection to magic centuries ago when religion declared it evil and he has traveled through time specifically to find her and bring her back to his time to marry him. If that isn't enough of a far fetched tale to absorb, he informs her that she was born in his time to a family belonging to that same secret society and was promised in marriage to him as an infant. When enemies who didn't want to see the union of families take place made attempts on her life, her parents sent her into the future and erased her memories of them as a precaution. Possessing virtually no belief in magic, ghosts, psychics, time travel, etc., it takes some doing on Lance's part to convince her to believe his story and go back with him. When she does, the lies, deceit and attempts on her life start all over again. Will she escape emotionally and physically unscathed? "The Other Side Of the Mirror" is a steamy-paranormal-romance- mystery-thriller and book one of the Esmerelda Sleuth series.

Amelia Carter never expected her life to collide with Dominic Blackwood — the grumpy billionaire, ruthless CEO, and her brother’s best friend. Once the carefree boy who teased her like a little sister, Dominic has become a man shrouded in power, secrets, and a dangerous edge she can’t ignore. Desperate for a fresh start, Amelia takes a job as Dominic’s executive assistant, stepping into a world of high stakes and cold luxury. But working for Dominic is a battle of wills—he’s as demanding as he is infuriating, pushing her to her limits with biting comments and piercing gazes that stir something deep within her. As days turn into nights and business bleeds into temptation, the line between professional and personal blurs. Beneath Dominic’s gruff exterior lies a storm of pain and passion, and Amelia soon discovers that the man she thought she knew is far more complex—and broken—than she ever imagined. Their connection ignites into a fierce, unrelenting fire, forcing Amelia to confront her own desires and the dark past Dominic hides. But loving Dominic Blackwood comes at a price, and surrendering to him could ruin them both. In a world of power, secrets, and shattered trust, can Amelia break through Dominic’s walls without losing herself? Or will their love destroy everything in its wake? Ruin Me, Blackwood is a dark, steamy modern romance of forbidden passion, emotional scars, and the fierce battle to find redemption in the arms of a man who refuses to be tamed.

After her father died, Regina got sick and had to stay in a hospital for commoners, even though she was the daughter of a count. Instead of getting better, she got worse and almost died. Her stepmother, half-sister, and husband told her a shocking secret, and she died with a grudge. When she woke up, she was back a few years before her father and herself died. Regina wanted to save her father and herself, so she asked the famous Grand Duke for help. Will she get revenge and save her father?