Anchored: How To Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory

Once full of laughter and dreams, Lily Harrison’s life shatters after a tragic accident leaves her confined to a wheelchair. The loss of her mother and her shattered sense of safety push her into isolation, sealing her heart behind walls of fear and silence. Wealth surrounds her, yet loneliness is her constant companion. Ethan never planned to become anyone’s caretaker. Struggling to find work, he accepts a strange offer that leads him into Lily’s guarded world. From the moment they meet, Lily resists him—rejecting his help, his kindness, and his presence. But Ethan stays. Quiet, patient, and steady, he fills the mansion with warmth she thought she had lost forever. Slowly, trust begins to grow. Through shared mornings, sleepless nights, and small moments of courage, Lily finds herself leaning on Ethan in ways that terrify her. He becomes her anchor, her safety, and the one person who sees her not as broken, but as someone still worthy of love. Just as their fragile bond deepens, danger strikes. A violent attack shatters their fragile peace, revealing shadows tied to Lily’s powerful family and forcing Ethan to risk his life to protect her. In the aftermath, emotions they can no longer ignore rise to the surface—fear, longing, and a love neither of them expected. But love comes with boundaries, secrets, and choices that could destroy them both. As past trauma collides with present danger, Lily and Ethan must decide whether they are brave enough to cross the line from caretaker and patient to something deeper… or if fear will cost them the one place they finally feel safe. In a world filled with uncertainty, can love become the strongest form of healing?

Morgan is just trying to survive her cousin’s destination wedding in Bermuda. She didn’t come prepared for emotional damage, and she certainly didn't expect the biggest drama of the weekend to involve a head injury, a blocked tunnel, and a very confusing run-in with three dudes dressed like they raided a Pirates of the Caribbean casting call. Turns out they’re not LARPing. They aren't actors. It's not a fun sunset cruise. No. They’re privateers. Like, real ones. From the actual year 1725. And Morgan? She’s stuck. She may have a pretty good handle on how to survive in the wilderness, thanks to her ex-Green Beret dad. But eighteenth-century ships, sexist crewmates, and suspicious captains aren’t exactly her area of expertise. Especially not Flynn, the broody, grumpy, maddeningly handsome Captain who might rather toss her overboard than deal with whatever disaster she’s brought onto his ship. But as danger closes in, from rival ships to secrets Morgan didn’t mean to bring with her, she’ll have to find her place in this brutal new world. That is… if she doesn’t drive Flynn to keelhauling her first. Or fall for him. Maybe both. Adventure, slow-burn tension, and fish-out-of-water chaos collide in this swoony, high-stakes romantic tale across time. For fans of enemies-to-lovers, pirate drama, and heroines who don’t know when to shut the fuck up.

I'm learning to swim when my childhood friend, Vivian Thorne, fakes a cramp. My boyfriend, Oliver Wilde, suddenly lets go of my hand and swims toward her. I'm left alone in the two-yard-deep pool, completely stunned. After Oliver carries Vivian ashore, he smiles as he watches me thrash around. "Vivian says you rely on me too much and need a push to learn, so just swim over here yourself." I choke on water and sink. At the sight of my struggle, Vivian laughs so hard she slaps her thigh. Oliver says something to her, then drapes a towel over her shoulders in resignation. Even though I can't hear what he says, I bet it must be, "Now that you've had your laugh, don't tease her the next time. Aria is already pitiful enough with her fear of water." It's true that I was born with a fear of water. I've known them for seven years. All this time, Oliver and Vivian have been tormenting me under the guise of helping me overcome my fear of water. In college, at the beach, Vivian deliberately pushes me off the speedboat. Oliver jumps in to shield her and watches me swallow a bellyful of seawater in the waves. On the graduation rafting trip, Vivian suddenly capsizes the kayak. Oliver swims over to pull her up and watches me slam into a rock, my leg bleeding nonstop. Last year at the water park, Vivian shoves me down the waterslide. Oliver slides down to catch her and leaves me in the pool, nearly suffocating with fear. Every time, my fear and despair are met with a burst of laughter from Vivian. Meanwhile, Oliver stands behind her, always saying the same thing. "No more next time." However, the next time always turns into Vivian's new way of having fun at my expense. Water floods into my mouth and nose, the suffocation shooting straight to the top of my skull. But suddenly, I realize that I can actually float on my own. I grab the safety rope and haul myself ashore. Two pairs of hands reach out to pull me up, but I push them away. "From now on, I don't need you two to help me build up my courage anymore."

When Nayla lost everything she thought mattered — her mate, her future, her place in the pack — she vowed to survive on her own terms. Orphaned, heartbroken, and fighting to rebuild her life, she never expected to cross paths with Dominic Gray — the powerful Alpha who rules the Neutral Zone of the city with a quiet, deadly strength. One accidental meeting ignites something neither of them can deny. Dominic lives by control. By rules. By distance. But Nayla pulls at him in ways he can’t explain — or resist. As Nayla struggles to heal from the betrayal that shattered her trust, Dominic fights a battle he’s never lost before: the one against his own instincts. Their bond crackles between them, raw and magnetic, but secrets from Nayla’s past are rising — including an ex who isn’t willing to let her go. In a world where loyalty is survival and power is everything, love could be the most dangerous weakness of all. Tethered by fate, torn by choices — can two broken souls find a way to heal, or will the past consume them both?

I was supposed to be preparing for the end not craving a life I can’t have. At twenty-two, my world is already shrinking. A failing heart. A future that feels more like a countdown and a love that’s safe enough to survive it. Nathan gives me everything certain, the kind of love that doesn’t ask for more than I can give. Then there’s Kai. My boyfriend’s best friend, the one person I should never want. He doesn’t treat me like I’m fragile or temporary. With him, everything is louder, sharper… real in a way I haven’t felt since before my life became something to manage instead of live. He makes me want things I buried a long time ago—risk, freedom, more. But wanting him means breaking everything. And choosing safe might mean losing myself before my heart ever gives out.

In the blink of an eye, Astrid's mother turned her love to venom, leaving her questioning everything. Once the recipient of unconditional love, Astrid's life shattered before her when her brother drowned saving her. Guilt and regret consumed her, but her family's rejection cut even more profound. With an absent father and a mother who blamed her for the tragedy, Astrid faced bullying that slowly developed into abuse. Her self-worth was in tatters; she longed for escape. Then came her mate, Magnus, Alpha of the strongest Pack. But instead of salvation, he pushed her away, fighting their bond. Can Astrid forgive herself and find redemption? Will Magnus accept their mate bond and love her for who she is? Dive into this heart-wrenching tale of rejection, redemption, and love as they navigate the darkness and fight for hope.