Book Review: Before We Were Yours

YVES' fiancee lost all of her memories due to tragic history about her past. Even her, was having a hard time to accept her situation. She never expected that she would also forget the man she loves the most. For the past five years, Yves had been secretly looking at her from a far until he finally decided to meet her in person, with a desire to capture her heart all over again. A longing smile was plastered on his face as soon as he saw her. He unconsciously uttered those four words, with sixteen letters. “Honey, we meet again.”

Sebastian ‘Baste’ Paner was a jock of hotel services and master of client pampering, especially for rich old women. When his best friend who was running a dating agency enlisted his help to fulfill a dying woman's wish, the greedy Baste accepted the offer right away. Who wouldn't be anyway if you're bound to inherit a massive land in the province after her death? However, it wasn't as easy as Baste had initially thought. “When I called and told your orphanage that I want a family, I didn't mean I need a husband. I need a child,” clarified 61-year-old Filomena Geronimo who mistakenly dialed the agency instead of the orphanage. By the way, it's not a love story. It's something more profound than that. It's... something only we know.

Karen's life, a dedicated nurse, crumbles upon discovering her fiancé's betrayal. Seeking healing for her emotional wounds, she decides to seek refuge in Fernando de Noronha. On the island, Karen becomes involved with Othon, a charming doctor, in a passionate night that unfortunately proves to be yet another disappointment when a supposed pregnant fiancée unexpectedly appears. Returning home pregnant, Karen makes the courageous decision to raise her child alone, keeping the paternity of her baby Otávio a secret. However, destiny weaves new paths for Karen seven years later. Othon becomes the director of the hospital where she works and also her neighbor, while Otávio considers him his best friend. Now, Karen faces a dilemma: reveal the truth about Otávio's paternity or continue to silence this reality that unexpectedly binds them?

When disgraced journalist Elliot Dorne receives an anonymous invitation to Wintercroft Hall—a decaying mansion on a fog-shrouded island—he is promised the story of a lifetime. But upon his arrival, Elliot finds himself among six strangers, each with their own shadowy past. Their enigmatic host, the frail and reclusive Vivienne Ashworth, claims she has summoned them to reveal a deadly truth about the Ashworth family legacy. Before she can confess, Vivienne collapses, and chaos ensues. A violent storm traps the guests on the island, and the discovery of a gruesome murder sets paranoia ablaze. As Elliot uncovers cryptic messages, hidden rooms, and a chilling photograph that ties him to the Ashworth family, he realizes that nothing about this gathering is random. With the mansion’s dark history unraveling and secrets surfacing at every turn, Elliot must confront the ghosts of his own past to survive. But the deeper he digs, the clearer it becomes—someone inside Wintercroft Hall is playing a deadly game, and not everyone will make it out alive. When disgraced journalist Elliot Dorne is invited to the remote and crumbling Wintercroft Hall, he’s promised the story that could save his career. But the mansion’s sinister halls conceal more than just secrets—they harbor a legacy of betrayal, murder, and lies. Elliot is joined by six strangers, all summoned by the enigmatic Vivienne Ashworth. Frail and reclusive, she claims to know the truth about their darkest sins. Before she can reveal anything, a violent storm cuts them off from the outside world—and the first body is discovered. As cryptic messages and chilling clues emerge, Elliot realizes that his connection to the Ashworth family runs deeper than he could have imagined. Someone in Wintercroft Hall knows the truth about his past, and they’ll stop at nothing .

When Valentina met Matteo in 2019, they both felt as if they’d known each other before. Everybody knows Matteo Giudice is the first son of a billionaire who is probably, but not surely, the head of the Sicilian mafia. Everything he does seems to be for his own pleasure even though there’s a certain darkness to him that seems to follow him everywhere he goes. Burnt-out from a young age due to his generational wealth, being bored is his biggest problem in life. Valentina is the daughter of a successful Russian businessman and has always flown under the radar at school but now seems to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. There’s something a bout her, as if she has something nobody else possesses, that stirs up Matteo’s interest in the first place. Somewhere along the way of trying to figure each other out they unintentionally fall in love. When buried secrets come out, their lives turn into a deadly game of power, in which love and war have no choice but to co-exist. A slow-burn coming of age mafia romance novel, in which the only thing the protagonists know for sure is that fate doesn't care if you're ready for the love of your life. Part 1 of the Games We Play works.

Scarlets has always been different. Born an omega but shielded from the cruelty that usually came with it, her life under Alpha Jackson’s care has been peaceful — almost charmed. She’s found love with Cole, the Alpha’s golden son: the boy who once saved her, the boy she’s always trusted. The only scar on her past is the shadowy memory of a cruel boy who wore the same face as her beloved — a figure from her childhood who left bruises deeper than skin. After six long years, Lloyd — Cole’s estranged twin brother — returns to the pack. His presence brings back buried fears and half-remembered nightmares. But something doesn’t add up. The man who once haunted her steps with surprising gentleness now. He watches her with sadness, not cruelty. As Scarlet struggles to make sense of the past and the confusing present, she finds herself torn between two brothers. In a world where loyalty is everything and betrayal is a death sentence, Scarlet must choose who to trust before it's too late.

Why is Love so cruel? Why does the same heart have to go through all the sufferings, pain and heartbreaks? Is there an end to this distance or were you never my destiny to begin with? The life of four people takes a drastic turn when all of them happen to intern in the same company. Series of unexplained events brings them all under one roof. Old flames will reunite and new flames will have to fight its way to happiness. Who knows what destiny upholds when it's hard to even figure out what your own beating heart represents. You might have a happy ending but 'LOVE does not always mean you have to end up being together, LOVE just means that you have to have immense care and endearment for that person so that if and when time comes, you can let go of him/her.' *** Who will confess their feeling first? Who might end up together? Will the sparkles that they feel in their heart brighten their life or will it be penned in, in the heart itself? Will their feelings be reciprocated or does destiny have something else written for them? A story with a perfect blend of romance, intensity, comedy and pain.

'"Tell me what you want, Amara,” Zane said, voice like silk over fire. His lips were a whisper from mine. I could feel the tension in his body. The restraint. The raw, maddening awareness. He dragged a finger down my cheek. “To be touched? Or to be remembered?” I stared at him. “Neither. I just want you gone.” “You don’t mean that,” he said, leaning in just a fraction closer. “I do,” I lied. His breath fanned my lips. His nose grazed mine. I felt every inch of my body coil, traitorous and trembling. I wanted him to kiss me. But it would be wrong. He was engaged to someone else.' *** He is the bridegroom. She is the wedding planner. He doesn’t seem to remember her. Or so he says. Five years ago, wedding planner Amara Ibe was madly in love with her fiancé, Zane Blackwood. Until she exposed a massive corruption scandal that was tied to Zane’s father’s company, to which Zane was the primary heir. Her whistleblower tip destroyed Zane’s career, or so she thought. Now Zane is back, bigger and better than ever, and about to marry someone else in the wedding of the century. The catch? Amara has been hired to plan the wedding. And Zane doesn’t seem to remember her. Behind the luxury wedding, perfect vows and Zane’s strangely elusive fiancée, nothing is what it seems. Everyone has secrets, and Amara gradually realizes that everything the couple sells out to the public is a lie. And loving this man could destroy her… again.

What was it like to grow old? Graduate college? Have a career in life? Get married and have your own family with your own kids? I am Celene Monte and I dreamt of those once maybe somewhere in my other ninety-nine lifetimes. Once the hands of the clock struck at twelfth midnight on the 22nd of April again, the day I turned eighteen, I died all over again and reincarnated to another world. And now this will be my 100th new cycle of life to live before turning 18. But I didn't knew that in this lifetime, new things would begin again when I met a crazy but famous lead vocalist of Dare, the Interhigh Academy's most famous band. And a very stubborn girl who was determined to beat Dare and dream to become the best band in the world. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wordcount per chapter excluding the Prologue: 1200-2000 words A/N: Happy Reading to all!

Vivienne Sinclair married Caden Lawrence, hoping her love would melt his cold heart and that he would accept her as his wife sooner or later. But as they say about the best-laid plans, Caden never fell in love with her, nor did he accept her as his wife in front of the world. Three years later, Vivienne is hurt and broken, wanting nothing more than to break this toxic cycle of betrayal and constant rejection. She wants a divorce. “What gives you the right to ask me for a divorce?” he roars, looking angry. “It was you who seduced me! You who insisted on getting married. And now you want a divorce? I don’t think so.” But Vivi is tired of playing the role of a loving and obedient wife. She wants to live her life and explore other options. She wants to find the happiness and joy she was deprived of in her marriage. With the help of her friends and family, Vivi reveals her other identity as the world-class jewelry designer, Jasper Sterling, a name she had built after years of hard work during her failed marriage. She is strong, confident, and capable of living life on her own terms. And it’s time to let the whole world know. During one of the success parties, when Vivienne walks in with a handsome man by her side, everyone starts whispering. “Who is he?” people want to know. “Is she dating him?” Vivi and her new companion look good together. They make a perfect couple. But when Caden sees her with this mystery man, he can barely contain his rage. He pulls her aside and hisses. “You are making a mistake.” She laughs, kisses his cheek, and says, “No, darling. This is the start of my new life.”