Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program Novels & Stories

Scent witch, beautiful female assassin, or innocent tea shop owner? Mafia family's young master, terror vampire, or outstanding handsome genius? Gotha Edward Ethelbert and Coronis Emma meet on a snow-covered winter night in December, where the old tea shop has warm embers of a fire. He is a handsome genius with a cold and quiet personality who is a descendant of the illustrious Mafia family Gotha. She is a girl with a lively, innocent, and pure personality and a starlight smile. When fate brought them together, the genius Ethelbert discovered the hidden secrets behind Coronis's origin - a calculated assassin with a tragic past buried in the case of more than 15 years ago. A terrible fire destroyed the UVS orphanage. Even his true love is also not the real Coronis! More specifically, her always-hidden past is directly related to the Gotha family's bloody criminal scheme. His true background is also beginning to emerge. When everyone in the masquerade is wearing mysterious masks, Where will this love go?

Aubrey was on vacation with her brother when she met Elisa in an unfortunate event; Elisa was the owner of the hotel where they were staying. They clicked so instantly but Aubrey needs to go back home and leave Elisa with their short love story but the latter can’t take Aubrey off her mind that’s why she decided to look for the girl and when she finally found her something from her past will challenge them.

Everything comes crashing down as my eyes widen into his. Both of our breathing labored but his hands not releasing me. “Grace.” He says breathlessly. That name is all it takes to wake me up. ‘Grace’ I’m not Grace. He thinks I’m someone I’m not. I shouldn’t be doing this when he doesn’t even know who he’s with. I scramble off of him and stand in the middle of the room panting. I can see him start to fumble, standing up and walking towards me. I look up at him, my eyes wide. “I’m so sorry. We shouldn’t… We shouldn’t have done that.” I stammer out and he looks at me shocked. Walking towards me like I’m a trapped animal he’s scared is going to run away. “Why, Grace? Why shouldn’t we have done that? Please, just talk to me.” I can hear the pleading in his voice, the fear that I didn’t want him to kiss me, but that’s not it. I don’t know why. Why I’m so scared to just tell them the truth, so I decide to lie. “I’m sorry, Gunner. I like all three of you. I’m not going to choose, so I’ve just decided I wouldn’t be with any of you. It’s not fair to you guys.” I don’t wait for him to respond, I run out the door and down the steps, landing face first in Dean’s chest. He pulls me up and wraps my legs around his waist causing me to gasp. “Who said we’d make you choose, Bambi?” And before I can respond his lips are on mine.

Everyone knows I'm Brooke River's bootlicker—I've stuck by her side for the past ten years. Now, she's getting engaged to someone else, and everyone's waiting to see me make a fool of myself. The problem is… I already got married three years ago.

My husband had a severe addiction for physical intimacy. However, in the seven years of our marriage, he never touched me, not even once. To suppress his urges, he soaked himself in bone-chilling ice water every night. His arms were covered in needle marks from constant injections. It broke my heart to see him like that. I offered myself to him many times, but he insisted on simply giving me a restrained kiss on the forehead before saying, “Don’t be silly, Summer. I’m not like those animals. How could I ever bear to hurt you? For you, I’d gladly live the rest of my life in a platonic marriage.” This strange, almost obsessive restraint of his lasted seven years. Despite the numerous times he pushed himself far enough to end up hospitalized, he still refused to cross that line. Then, on our wedding anniversary, a young woman named Anna Brandt came in for her ninth hymen restoration surgery. After the anesthetic was administered, her cheeks flushed red. As her mind grew hazy, she started crying weakly like a lost kitten. Looking at the love bites scattered across her body, I shook my head and assumed she was just another girl who had gone astray. That was until I heard her last tearful whisper. “John Shaw, you jerk.” My hand trembled and I nearly dropped the scalpel. Because my husband’s name also was John Shaw.

On the first day of summer break, my husband, Alfred Manning, cancels the family trip I have booked again. He reasons that his childhood sweetheart, Edna Moore, has just gotten divorced. She needs a trip to Flordale with her son to clear their heads. Alfred finds her pitiful, so that is how the trip my daughter, Bella Manning, has spent two semesters earning with her gold stars turns into another child's vacation. Hugging her stuffed animal, Bella looks up at me with tear-filled eyes and asks, "Is Daddy not coming again?" The word "again" makes my heart throb in pain. Alfred wires some money into my account and sends a soothing voice note. "Just take Bella to a local park or something. She's just a kid, so it's the same to her no matter where she goes." Meanwhile, Edna posts a photo on X, showing Alfred cradling her son in his arms. "You don't need a biological bond to be the best dad in the world." It hits me then that Bella and I are the only ones working hard to protect this family. That night, I change our family passes into two one-way tickets that are bound for the new city where I'm relocated for work. "What about Daddy's pass?" I tear the canceled boarding pass into shreds. "He has already made his choice."

A Vanished girl. A broken boy. A word that haunts them all. When Summer disappears without a trace, Kai's world collapses into grief and panic. Ria loves him silently, forbidden by blood and circumstance. Jia mocks him, hiding her own scars. Lilith enters, fragile and haunted, her dreams echoing Summer's fate. On a campus where shadows whisper and rivalries burn, Kai is pulled into a web of obsession, betrayal and forbidden desire. Every chapter ends with cliffhanger, every chapter hides a secret, and one word binds them all: Until...

"Jayden, your grandfather gave a promise to Queen Camellia, the mother of King Henry to protect their kingdom after the death of her King consort. And as you know about the backstabbing of Edward II. It seems like we are incompetent in fulfilling the promise of your grandfather. For protecting the throne of Orbloem and giving its actual Ruler back the only way possible is to have a relationship with the Bloemen Royal Family other than Frienship. As Rosaleigh is the crown princess of Orbloem and you're the heir apparent to Swedwish throne. I want you to marry Rosaleigh." Grandmama adjured. Without any further thoughts I stood to my feet and picked up the box from the mahogany table. "Your wish my command mormor." I smiled and bowed at her before leaving the library. Being Born to a royal family is not a cake walk. We're taught to abide by our elder's wish. And here it was about the promise my late grandfather made to Queen Camellia. Or'bloem is a comparatively small monarchy than Swedway. And the only way I see to regain and protect Orbloem's land is to marry Rosaleigh. I am a Royalty and fulfilling my grandfather's promise is my duty. I'll fulfill a NOBLE PROMISE. *** Jayden Alexander Krigston wants to marry Rosaleigh Isabelle Bloemen to fulfill his grandfather's promise. In that attempt he indeed falls in love with Rosaleigh. But as always fate has another plans.. How will Jayden being a NOBLE fulfill the PROMISE? Copyrights © 2020 by B_Iqbal

After the college entrance exams are over, I buy a flight ticket to Carula for my graduation trip. In fact, I refuse to return to my country despite everyone's attempts to contact me. I spend the next two months in bliss. Meanwhile, Zachary Fuller, the campus hunk who keeps brainwashing me that Carula is filled with murderers, starts to panic. In my previous life, after I graduated from high school, Zachary had hired the entire class to work at his family's factory during the summer break while promising them lucrative wages. He even promised everyone that once they went through their summer jobs, they'd be able to join Zachary's company as senior executives as soon as they graduated from college. But two days after I started my job at the factory, a machine went into malfunction, resulting in my limbs getting mangled and severed. Even after I got sent to the hospital, the doctors couldn't do anything about my condition. When my parents sought out Zachary, he didn't show an ounce of guilt at all. "I already told Adrian not to touch the machinery. He's the one to be blamed for being clumsy and idiotic in the first place." My childhood friend, Natania Sutton, also took Zachary's side. "The rest of the class is fine, making Adrian the only handicapped one. He must be trying to scam money from your family, Zachary!" The rest of my classmates, who had received their share of my lucrative compensation, were quick to forge their witness statements just to help Zachary. My parents believed their version of the twisted truth. Thinking that I brought them endless shame, they left my corpse to rot in the morgue without a care in the world. In fact, they even gave their assets to Zachary to compensate for his emotional distress. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day Zachary has hired us to work at his factory during the summer break while promising us lucrative wages.

"Ms. Longstaff, are you saying the wedding will proceed as planned, but the bride will be replaced with someone else? Is that correct?" Faced with the staff member's puzzled expression, Heather Longstaff nodded without hesitation. "Yes, the wedding will take place in two weeks as scheduled. I'll deliver the revised materials to you in the next few days." "Understood. Should I inform Mr. Bennett about—" "There's no need!" Heather cut the other person off, her voice sharp with emotion. Noticing the startled look on the staff member's face, she quickly composed herself and explained, "He's busy. All wedding-related matters should come directly to me from now on." This wedding was meant to be her final gift to Mitchell. And like any gift, it had to remain a surprise until the very last moment.