Best Books Of The Decade: 2000s

My best friend wanted to adopt an injured kitten. Seeing the cat’s unusual appearance, I suddenly recalled a state-protected animal called the manul. Its young resembled cats but were exceptionally ferocious. So, I advised her against keeping it. But my friend would not listen to me and brought it back to our rental apartment. Unexpectedly, the manul seemed to understand human emotions and harbored a grudge against me. Five years later, it suddenly burst into my home and killed my entire family. I lunged to kill it, only to have my throat torn. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my best friend adopted the manul. This time, I did not stop her from taking it in.

No matter how far I ran, no matter how deep I hid, I knew one truth… He would always find me. Knock. Knock. I jolted up from my sitting position, with my heart hammering in my chest. Just as I was saying... He had found me. But by the time he broke down the rickety door, I was already standing and facing him with a knife to my wrist. I'd rather die than return home with him as his mate. *** Eve thought she and her mother had successfully escaped her abusive father by getting married to the former Alpha of a pack far away from where they lived. But all her hopes were cut short the moment she realized her new stepbrother, Alpha Saint, who was also the current Alpha of her new pack, was the same man she had a one-night stand with eight months ago, along with his best friend, Beta Kyrie. And on that fateful night, she had stolen very valuable items from these men. Hated and controlled by her stepbrother, Saint, who saw her as nothing but a thieving whore, Eve decided to find solace in Kyrie, who was already falling madly in love with her. But Saint would rather fight his best friend to the death than let him anywhere close to the woman he was secretly obsessed with from the day he set eyes on her – Eve. All hell was let loose when Eve turned twenty-one and found out that not only was she mated to the man she loved and desired – Kyrie. She was also mated to her overly possessive stepbrother, whom she dreaded with her life. *** TRIGGER WARNING! This is a dark romance novel, which might contain some unsettling themes rated 18+. It is everything dark and forbidden. Please, be guided.

Blurb: The only crime Joanna committed was protecting him from the fact that he could have lost his inheritance if they didn't marry. She has been in love with him since they were kids, they were best friends, but he certainly didn't feel the same way. She thought maybe one day he would spare just a second to look at her but that never happened. Just like that, she was stuck up in a loveless marriage with the one she thought was her best friend not until he brought his pregnant sister to live with them.. She was supposed to be his sister but why does he keep looking her way? He preferred her needs more than his wife's needs.. He would kill to protect his sister but not his wife? Joanna would feel like a third wheel each time she was in their presence.. It didn't take so long for her to find out that she was truly a third wheel. He married her so he could be able to hide his relationship with his sister! How could he?! She never meant anything to him.. Now it all made sense. Joanna divorced him and walked away but what's one best way to get revenge? If not, seducing his best friend, the most powerful man in the city at the time, LUTHER MARTINS.

My name is Greta Ellsworth. In my past life, my best friend, Poppy McKellen, and I both married into the Lockwood family. They are a prestigious household with a long-standing legacy in alternative medicine. Poppy marries the eldest son, Bruce Lockwood, while I marry the younger son, Owen Lockwood. Poppy gives birth to three children with Bruce. They each grow up to be prodigies in medicine. Meanwhile, I have only one daughter with Owen—Wendy Lockwood. Sadly, Wendy struggles with even the most basic math and isn't very bright. Owen's pride takes over, and he is left feeling utterly embarrassed. Years later, I take Wendy to a medical symposium. When she shyly whispers, "Dad," the crowd erupts in laughter. Enraged and humiliated, Owen stabs Wendy to death. Before I can react, he turns my way and strikes me down as well. When I open my eyes again, I realize that both Owen and I have been reborn. I take in the scene of our families' matchmaking event once more. This time, Owen reaches for Poppy's hand and says, "I like you. Will you marry me?"

Liliana Humphrey was born to rule. Daughter of a powerful Alpha, heir to a thriving kingdom, and promised to a mate chosen to secure her future, her life was destined for greatness—until her father died under mysterious circumstances. His death shattered everything. Her once-protective stepbrother turned cruel, determined to steal the throne at any cost. Framed for her father’s murder and betrayed by the mate she was meant to marry, Liliana was tried, condemned, and cast into exile—left to die alone in the wilderness. But death never claimed her. Instead, she was taken by Gerald. Ruthless. Untouchable. Feared across kingdoms. A biker Alpha with a reputation soaked in blood and power. What Liliana doesn’t know is that Gerald wasn’t just another Alpha. He was her father’s closest friend. The man who once swore to protect her… not claim her. The bond between them ignites before the truth is revealed—hot, consuming, and impossible to ignore. By the time Liliana learns who Gerald truly is, her heart is already his… and walking away may be impossible. Gerald knows crossing this line could destroy them both. Loving her means betraying the promise he made to the man who raised her. With enemies closing in, old wounds reopening, and a war brewing for the throne stolen from her, she must decide: Will she choose revenge… or surrender to the Alpha who claims her heart? Taken by the Biker Alphas is a dark, forbidden romance filled with betrayal, power, passion, and survival. ️ Recommended for mature readers (18+). Contains strong themes, violence, and sensual content.

Liliana Humphrey was born to rule. Daughter of a powerful Alpha, heir to a thriving kingdom, and promised to a mate chosen to secure her future, her life was destined for greatness—until her father died under mysterious circumstances. His death shattered everything. Her once-protective stepbrother turned cruel, determined to steal the throne at any cost. Framed for her father’s murder and betrayed by the mate she was meant to marry, Liliana was tried, condemned, and cast into exile—left to die alone in the wilderness. But death never claimed her. Instead, she was taken by Gerald. Ruthless. Untouchable. Feared across kingdoms. A biker Alpha with a reputation soaked in blood and power. What Liliana doesn’t know is that Gerald wasn’t just another Alpha. He was her father’s closest friend. The man who once swore to protect her… not claim her. The bond between them ignites before the truth is revealed—hot, consuming, and impossible to ignore. By the time Liliana learns who Gerald truly is, her heart is already his… and walking away may be impossible. Gerald knows crossing this line could destroy them both. Loving her means betraying the promise he made to the man who raised her. With enemies closing in, old wounds reopening, and a war brewing for the throne stolen from her, she must decide: Will she choose revenge… or surrender to the Alpha who claims her heart? Taken by the Biker Alphas is a dark, forbidden romance filled with betrayal, power, passion, and survival. ️ Recommended for mature readers (18+). Contains strong themes, violence, and sensual content.

Celeste Lyra and Nizar Kale, best friend since elementary days. Napaka-close nilang dalawa. Celeste knows Nizar secrets, and nobody knows about it. Until one day, nakaaway ni Celeste ang ‘girlfriend’ ni Nizar. It resulted in a deal she couldn’t refuse. After that intense night, Celeste fled away to hide because she was ashamed of what she did. Nagulat si Nizar nang makita ang isang bata—no, there are three of them who have the same face as him in the park. At mas nagulat pa ito nang makita kung sino ang nanay ng triplets. Is it coincidence na kamukha nito ang mga bata? O may tinatago ang babaeng matagal na niyang hinahanap?

After one soul-crushing breakup, Summer Peterson—quirky, invisible, heartbroken—swore she’d never fall again. But secrets don’t care about promises. Especially not the kind hiding in her best friend’s older brother. Hayden is everything she shouldn’t want. Dangerous. Magnetic. Off-limits. But one forbidden kiss was all it took to unravel her. Now every stolen moment pulls her deeper—into a twisted affair of obsession, lies, and betrayal. Hayden doesn’t just touch. He marks. He owns. And he’s hiding a secret that could destroy them both. Someone is watching. Someone who wants her. And someone who will do anything to tear them apart. Loving him might ruin her. Leaving him might kill her. How do you run from the boy who’d burn the world to keep you? And how far will she go for a love that was never meant to save her? ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING – MATURE CONTENT AHEAD This story doesn’t hold back. It dives deep into explicit sexual content, intense emotional trauma, abuse, violence, and psychological manipulation. This content is strictly for 18+ audiences. If you proceed, do so with your eyes wide open. You’ve been warned.

He is a 10 but he is a decade older than me, my brother’s best friend, a therapist who wants to counsel me and... he likes to hurt little girls like me. “What were you doing this morning?” “I was meditating.” He is right. I am a terrible liar. Aiden raised his eyebrows. “Is that so?” He waited for my answer, crossing his arms over his chest. I got distracted by the way his biceps bulged. He noticed me staring. I glanced down at my lap, twiddling my thumbs. “Y-yes, Doctor Aiden, I was meditating and I-I focused on my breath like you taught me—” “Why are you lying to me, Ivy?” My head snapped at him. “I-I am not lying.” Aiden tilted his head and my throat went dry when he said, “Then why did I hear your voice moaning my name when you orgasmed with your fingers inside you?" He is her first love. She is his best friend's little sister. Will a chance reunion lead to true love? I was a good girl. An honor student. A dutiful daughter, sister and a sweet girlfriend to my boyfriend until I found him in my best friend’s bed. I didn’t want goody-two-shoe nice boys who gave me empty promises. What I wanted was a man who wouldn’t hurt me. When I found my brother’s best friend, Aiden Stone, with only a towel around his hot Greek body dripping wet from a shower, I decided that what I wanted, what I had been wanting for years, was him. The only problem? He is a decade older than me, my brother’s best friend, a therapist who wants to counsel me and... he likes to hurt little girls like me.

"I can't be with you," he states, and I look up at him in outrage. "This isn't right." I take a step closer to him, pressing my body on his and feeling him responding with desire. "Look me in the eye and tell me that it feels wrong." He doesn't move. But he doesn't turn away either when I lift my hand to his chest, letting my hand trail down. "Don't," he warns, but I can only hear lust in his voice. "Dont' start a game that you can't finish." I don't listen. I let my touch speak for itself, to let it translate all the need I feel in my body right now. I go lower, much lower, until he finally snaps and grabs my face, devouring my lips and pressing me up against the wall. "You asked for this, and now I have to claim you." *** Astrid Marshall has always been infatuated with her best friend's dad, former Alpha Klaus Slate. At first she thought it's just a childish crush, but she later finds out that they're connected in ways that she can't comprehend. They're fated mates. He's the man of her desires, but she's his temptation, the woman he's forbidden to have.