Anne Arundel County Public Library

Emily Carter thought heartbreak would be the end of her story—but it was only the beginning. After catching her long-term boyfriend cheating, she walks away shattered, determined never to look back. But fate has other plans when she crosses paths with Ethan Sinclair—her ex’s older, enigmatic brother—at a high-profile gala. Ethan is everything Daniel wasn’t: powerful, reserved, and dangerously captivating. He’s also off-limits. Yet when a single glance turns into a stolen kiss, Emily finds herself drawn into a world of secrets, passion, and power plays. But in Ethan’s world, nothing is simple. Public image is everything, and Emily quickly learns that being with him means staying hidden in the shadows. As emotions deepen and their secret affair intensifies, Emily must ask herself—how long can she be someone’s secret before she forgets her own worth? A story of forbidden desire, dangerous power, and the cost of loving a man who was never supposed to be hers.

Nia’s world shatters in a single night of betrayal. Drugged and manipulated by her best friend, she wakes up in the arms of a stranger. Her marriage of two years crumbles as her husband, Caleb, casts her out in public shame. With nowhere to go, she’s approached by the enigmatic billionaire Damien Aldridge, who offers her a chance at revenge and redemption. Their secret marriage blooms quietly, surrounded only by Damien’s family, who soon accept Nia as their own. As Damien’s kindness heals her wounds, their bond grows into a fierce, undeniable passion. Together, they face the venom of her past — a best friend who won’t stop scheming and an ex-husband consumed by regret. In a lavish showdown, Damien reveals the truth: Nia was framed all along. With her enemies exposed and their power stripped away, Nia finds freedom at last. In Damien’s arms, she discovers a love worth fighting for — a new chapter that promises healing, passion, and the sweet taste of victory.

Jensyn Sawyer is out of time. Desperate to save her dying mother, she makes a terrible decision by stealing a priceless watch from her client. When she is faced with the repercussions, billionaire Linden Rawlings offers her a solution at a cost. To protect his shares and hide a daughter the world must never know about, Linden needs an obedient wife for the public to see. Jensyn fits perfectly. But she is nothing close to being obedient. She begins to question everything, especially the mysterious death of the woman who gave birth to Linden's daughter. The truth is buried deep beneath his carefully arranged life, and someone close is determined to keep that hidden. When the line between fake and real begins to blur, Jensyn is forced to play a game of survival. Because in this marriage, the risk isn't just about the contract or the shares to be lost. As she digs deeper... There's every probability she wouldn't make it alive. Because love wouldn't kill her... The person watching would.

“You're perfect,” Daniel whispered, his large hands moving urgently over my body, one settling on my waist and the other moving up towards the gentle swell of my breast. “Right here, right now, in this moment, in this garden, you're perfect.” **** In order to secure a lucrative contract, Daniel Sutherland needed a wife for a year. A wife he could court in public, and share a bed with at night. But who could he find to fulfill this special position? When a grave illness almost took the life of her step mom and when her fiance ended things with her after betraying her, Jessica Adams was ready to grasp at any straw to salvage what's left of her esteem as a woman and more importantly to save her stepmom's life. And when Daniel asked her to marry him for a year, it suited her to accept. She had no feelings for Daniel or he for her- or so she thought, until Crystal Rodriguez came back into his life. And by then, it was too late.

Pamela Riles' business is failing. A day before her birthday and their public introduction, she finds out that her fiance Liam, is married. Pamela attempts suicide, but is saved by one of her new recruits, Royal. Royal Markinson is the Markinson empire's first heir. He proposes a business to Pamela's failing company in his father's name, and then disguises himself as a commoner and gets a job at Pamela's firm. Liam tries to disgrace Pamela by showing up to her birthday with his wife, but Royal intervenes and publicly claims her, revealing his true identity to her. Royal agrees to partner with her company and save her face through an arranged marriage on the condition that she act as a spy for his main competitor. Pamela is forced to sign the contract because she has no other option. What happens when Pamela discovers Royal's competitor is her high school ex, with whom she is still deeply in love? Will she stick to the contract or give in to the fist of love?.

SEQUEL TO MY LITTLE SUNSHINE On the same day I got married, I learned a heartbreaking truth; I was merely a substitute; a stand-in bride for my husband's beloved. My dreams and feelings didn't matter to anyone but me. In the eyes of the public, I was his wife but at home, I had to live as a furniture and a prisoner. Refusing to live such a miserable life, I ran, faster than I had ever done in my entire life, but then, I found myself walking on thin ice. I was on the brink of a precipice when someone reached out his hand and gave me a lifeline. He was Reign Fletcher, and he became my everything.~~~~CORA She bumped into my life unexpectedly, and suddenly, what started out as an accident became the most important moment of my life. I never understood what it felt like to love someone else more than I do myself until I met Cora Gilbert.~~~~REIGN *THIS BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE*

Everyone in the city knows Lena Moore award-winning investigative journalist, fearless, sharp-tongued, and impossible to intimidate. She’s built a career exposing powerful men and tearing down corrupt empires. What she doesn’t know is that the quiet man she keeps running into at her neighborhood café Eli Carter, the one who listens more than he talks, who fixes broken chairs for free and always smells faintly of ink and rain is one of those men. Eli isn’t just rich. He’s the silent owner of multiple companies, operating behind shell boards and faceless executives after his family was destroyed by public attention years ago. He chose anonymity over dominance. Their connection grows slowly. Conversations about ethics, loneliness, and truth. Late-night walks. Shared silences. Real intimacy. Then Lena is assigned a career-defining investigation. She’s hunting a mysterious billionaire whose companies are quietly reshaping the country. She’s hunting him.

Il m’a rachetée comme on achète une voiture. Maintenant… je suis à lui. Quand son père perd tout au jeu, Léna se retrouve vendue à un riche inconnu pour éponger les dettes. Elle croit à une mauvaise blague… jusqu’à ce qu’elle reconnaisse le regard glacial de l’homme face à elle. Ilyès Blackwood. L’homme qu’elle a giflé en public deux ans plus tôt après une nuit trouble qu’elle a préféré oublier. L’homme qu’elle n’a jamais revu. L’homme qui la déteste. Il ne veut ni son amour, ni son respect. Il veut sa soumission. Son silence. Et son corps. Il fera ce qu’il faut pour qu’elle lui appartienne entièrement avec ou sans son accord.

Knile Monte Forteros, a CEO at the renowned Fragments Fox Newspapers and Magazines Company and hailing from a wealthy family, was about to marry his fiancée, Cayleigh Shaine Montemayor, who also came from a family of business owners and owned the Hotel de Montemayor, but it was thwarted due to an accident. Akira Rodrigo Salamanca, a fashion designer and owner of the famous Magic Fashion Boutique, was the one who hit Knile's fiancee, Cayleigh, causing her to lose both legs. Out of anger, Knile imprisoned Aki and hid the events from the public using his high position in society. Seeing no other hope, Aki made a deal to be Cayleigh's aide for life in exchange for his freedom. Aki became Cayleigh's legs and eyes, which also led to frequent interactions between him and Knile. But if the heart of the oppressed falls into false love, is the feeling of the heart heavier than the depth of gratitude? Is it wrong to fall in love with a conqueror? Maybe so, but it's worse to fall in love secretly.

All Brielle Taylor wanted was to deliver a late-night cake and keep her dying bakery afloat. What she got was public humiliation at the hands of Damian Sterling, New York’s most powerful billionaire and her worst nightmare. But one reckless night later, her life changes forever. She disappears. He forgets her. Or so she thought... Until he shows up weeks later, demanding answers. Demanding ownership. Now she’s pregnant. He’s offering a contract. Live in his mansion. Carry his child. Obey his rules. She should say no. But someone just burned her bakery to the ground... and Damian may be the only man powerful enough to protect her. Only, his reasons for keeping her close aren’t as noble as they seem. He doesn’t want her heart. Just the baby. But what happens when the coldest man on Wall Street falls for the woman he tried to tame?