The Latte Factor

María López, a twenty-seven-year-old Dominican lawyer, decides that she is not ready to marry, her partner Reed is filled with revenge and hatred towards her and begins to create rumors about alleged bribes accepted by María, bribes of which were even from the defendant for her. After a discussion with the directors of the Buffet, María decides to take a vacation to her homeland on Christmas Eve. On the plane he meets Julio Medina, a man with cinnamon skin, honey-colored eyes and a captivating gaze, who had recently found his wife being unfaithful to him. Julio takes an interest in María and proposes her to a night of sex without commitments. After all, she is no longer engaged to anyone and decides to accept the indecent proposal. Julio is the change she needs in her life, a tender, attentive, romantic man and most importantly ... LOVE COFFEE! Could it be that it is too late when Maria realizes that love at first coffee does exist? Will Julio hold out for Maria to realize that she loves him? Julio is not looking for something temporary, he knew it the moment he saw that woman for the first time. He should make her his, she was perfect for him. Do two souls recognize each other when they belong? Was he wrong? Julio is a man sure of what he wants, and who he wants in his life is that woman so incomprehensible and afraid of falling in love.

Canary Lienne is playful, skips classes and never serious in her studies. 'You only live once' is the title of the song she thought of as her motto to believe. Then with just one reservation at a café, she met Samuel. He is mature, silent and an adult. Samuel is her first crush. Isn't it great that they both like each other? As she grows up and faces independence, learns of things she never knew, will the bad little girl Cana remain? Or does Samuel's love and care make her the good girl she has always wanted to look up to? A warm cup of coffee in the summer and a slice of romance, a story of growing up, family, friendship, betrayal, bullying, coming out and the first struggles of teenagers. This is solely based on the experience of the author's teenage years with peers. Disclaimer: The names, characters, setting and scenes are fictional.

"How could you conspire with them. I trusted you Layla!" He was really mad. "I didn't give them the code Damon, okay? I don't know how they got it?" She said. She strangely felt no nervousness or fear. Only the guilty felt fear. "Why didn't you tell me the truth about him? God! We've been dating for almost a year and you never told me he was a ex-convict", he said a shade quieter. He watched Layla look down for a minute and stare back up at him, tears gathering in her deep blue eyes. "If I did tell you, would you still have fallen for me...?" Working in a coffee shop wasn't Layla's dream. She has a degree in Business Administration but getting a got job in America was difficult for minority groups like her. But her boss, William Grey was wonderful, plus, she did get some pretty awesome customers like Damon Prince, the billionaire businessman and New York's most eligible bachelor and some pretty awful ones as well like Logan West, Damon's annoying and stuck-up assistant. After a brief argument with Logan, Damon comes to the coffee shop to make an apology to Layla on behalf of Logan and offers her a check. She turns both down and demands that Logan apologizes or they can forget about their coffee orders. She wasn't going to be pushed around by some rich folks. This intrigues Damon and he gradually falls in love with her. They begin a beautiful relationship but it's not all roses. They soon meet Damon's ex, Yasmin Kyle and Layla's criminal and terrible father, Dario Hernandez. Their trust and love for each other is tested as well as family ties but will they pull through or are something's just not meant to be?

My roommate Sue Lynd had gotten addicted to the tiramisu that went viral lately, and always brought a box back to our room every evening. She always kept telling us how smooth and sweet it tasted, but I never cared for it, until the day before the announcement of postgraduate admissions. I was reviewing past exam papers when I saw the lines scribbled on the sheet. [Your roommate Sue Lynd will ask you to get her tiramisu tonight, and then she will leave the room in a hurry.] [The next day, the cops will arrest you for premeditated bodily harm, and you will be exposed on the internet for poisoning your roommate, drawing public outrage.] [You will miss your postgraduate admission interview, after which that spot falls to Sue.] [The cyberviolence won't stop, with even your parents losing their livelihoods, while you die from mental breakdown and severe depression.] I threw the sheet aside—must be seeing things since my stress had been building up. However, as evening arrived, Sue entered the room, asking in her melodious voice, "Can you get me tiramisu, Zoe?" My brain short-circuited for a moment—the scribble was actually prophetic?! As Sue smiled sweetly and leaned close, I felt the creeps because the most important part of those scribbles still weighed heavily on my mind: [You will miss your postgraduate admission interview, after which that spot falls to Sue.] She wants to destroy my life over a spot at postgraduate admission? My fingers clenched around my pen, and I replied, "Sorry. Can't do."

Tough, self-willed, silly and not so awkward. Audrey is a young college student is determined to pass through college with good grades. No drama, no complications. With her best friends in the same college, she couldn't have been more happier. It was like having her safe circle around. Everything was going according to plan till Pretty boy, basketballer, Enzo Santana walks in. He's bold, effortlessly cool, Handsome to the core, with a panty dropping smile and a voice that could make any lady wet without having to try. Now here's the deal, he wants her to tutor him and she doesn't want any boy drama. How long will she be able to resist his charms and act oblivious to him. Because there's one thing about Enzo, what he wants, he gets. And as for her, it will be a cold day in hell before she gets her heart broken. If you love humor, sarcasm, romance, friendship and eternal war against goofiness, then this is definitely the book for you.

Claire Blake, 23, works double shifts at a café to cover her mother's medical bills and her brilliant sister Clara's college tuition. Her life is a careful sacrifice - no room for dreams, only survival. Then she accidentally spills coffee on Damian Cole, billionaire CEO and the city's most eligible bachelor. Instead of anger, he's kind. Days later, his assistant calls with an impossible offer: pretend to be his girlfriend for six months. His family won't stop pressuring him to marry, and his manipulative ex-fiancée Caroline refuses to accept they're over. In exchange: $10,000 monthly, her mother's medical expenses covered, and a completion bonus that would transform her family's life. Claire knows it's crazy - she doesn't belong in his world of charity galas and high society. But the money would solve every problem. So she signs the contract and steps into a glittering world where everything feels like pretend. Except it doesn't stay pretend. Damian isn't the cold CEO she expected. He remembers her coffee order, values her opinions, treats her family with genuine warmth. His careful respect comes from protecting his sister from abuse - he's not controlling, he's considerate. As Claire navigates his world, the performance becomes real. When he kisses her, he confesses: "This stopped being fake for me weeks ago." But Caroline launches a media campaign suggesting their relationship is paid - uncomfortably close to the truth. With headlines dissecting Claire's background and questioning whether she "belongs," they must choose transparency over hiding. Can a love that started as a contract become real enough to survive the spotlight?