Critical Review Brown University Novels & Stories

"I want a divorce," Cheryl said, placing the printed documents on his desk. Brian did not even hesitate. He signed his name at the bottom of the page and pushed the papers back across the table. "Take whatever money you think you deserve. Just make sure I never have to see you again." That was four years ago. Cheryl had spent three years in an arranged marriage, punished daily by her husband for vicious rumors she never actually committed. When Brian chose to pamper her manipulative stepsister while treating Cheryl with absolute cruelty, she finally walked away. She also chose to hide the fact that she was pregnant with his child. Today, Cheryl returns to the United States as the highly successful executive of Caldwell Biotech. She is solely focused on dominating the medical industry and raising her intelligent four-year-old daughter, Mira. When a massive business deal forces Brian and Cheryl into the same boardroom, Brian is shocked. He expects to easily intimidate the wife he discarded, but he is met by a powerful businesswoman who effortlessly blocks his every move. The corporate rivalry is difficult enough, but Brian soon crosses paths with the young girl standing by Cheryl's side. The child shares his exact features, prompting Brian to aggressively investigate the years Cheryl spent away from him. He is determined to uncover the truth, but he is about to learn that his wealth cannot buy back the family he deliberately destroyed.

Lisa Moon never imagined that a wax-sealed envelope from her high school best friend—who just happens to be a prince—would turn her quiet blogging life upside down. But when she’s invited to the glittering kingdom of Veloria for a month of garden parties and royal indulgence, she packs her doubts and flies across the world in search of magic. She expects champagne. She doesn’t expect Cassian Velarion—the prince’s mysterious and devastatingly handsome uncle, who she accidentally walked in on wrapped in nothing but a towel at an airport spa. What begins as awkward tension quickly ignites into something far more dangerous—desire, secrets, and the kind of chemistry that makes rules irrelevant. But not everyone wants to see Lisa and Cassian together. Victoria Beyers, a cold and calculating noblewoman, will do anything to drive them apart. Jonah, Lisa’s high school ex, isn’t ready to let go. And as the truth about Cassian’s past unravels, Lisa must choose between the life she thought she knew and the love she never expected. In a world of royalty, revenge, and red roses, A Girl Can Only Dream is a dazzling modern fairytale about forbidden romance, second chances, and finding your place in someone else’s palace.

Lily, a vibrant 25-year-old woman, has spent years building a life with her charming but emotionally distant boyfriend, Mark. When Mark unexpectedly ends their relationship, revealing he has been seeing someone else, Lily is left heartbroken and betrayed. Reeling from the emotional devastation, Lily decides to focus on her career and personal growth, hoping to heal from the wounds of her past. In a twist of fate, Lily’s career path leads her to Richard, the powerful and charismatic CEO of the company where Mark works. Unlike Mark, Richard is everything Lily needs—intelligent, kind, and supportive. When Richard offers Lily a position to work closely with him, their professional relationship evolves into something much more personal. Drawn to his strength and empathy, Lily slowly begins to open her heart to the possibility of love again. But Mark, unable to let go of the woman he once controlled, becomes consumed by jealousy when he sees Lily with Richard. Determined to win her back, Mark’s obsession quickly turns dangerous. When Lily rejects his attempts to rekindle their toxic relationship, Mark's need for control spirals into violent rage. As his jealousy deepens, Mark’s once-charming demeanor morphs into something far darker—he becomes a villain determined to destroy everything Lily has built with Richard. As if Mark’s growing obsession weren’t enough, another threat arises from Richard’s past. Samantha, Richard’s vengeful ex-wife, resurfaces, determined to sabotage Richard’s happiness and reclaim the life she lost. Caught between the malevolent forces of both Mark and Samantha, Lily’s life becomes a battle for survival, love, and self-worth. With Mark’s dangerous obsession escalating and Samantha’s manipulative tactics threatening her career and reputation,

"My life is yours, Esther, my heart belongs to you. You can do with it as you wish." ******* Two species are fighting for Dominance. Werewolves and vampires. Werewolves are under the protection of Dominic, the immortal lycan with an untraceble scent. Princess Esther is the only vampire who can trace the elusive Dominic's scent, because she is his mate. So, she has been given a task of finding him and killing him. Without Dominic, the werewolves would be vulnerable. Dominic needs to get rid of Esther to survive and continue to protect the werewolf species against vampires.

Seraphine never expected to be payment for her father's debt. Married to Alpha Fael Varyn to settle what was owed, she spent two years trying to be the Luna he refused to acknowledge. When she finally conceived, she thought everything would change. She was wrong. Fael rejected their bond, and left her bleeding in the rain. She should have died that night. Instead, she was saved by Darius Varyn, Fael's banished uncle and sworn enemy. In the forbidden North, Darius offered her something Fael never did, acceptance, protection, and a chance to be the Luna she was always meant to be. Six years later, Seraphina has built a life with Darius and raised her son Aurelian in peace. Until Fael returns with a devastating prophecy. Forced to return to the place of her greatest trauma, Seraphina must navigate political schemes, a mistress bent on destroying her, and two Alphas fighting for the throne. But when a shocking truth about Aurelian's bloodline is revealed and a piece of her past comes back for her, the tides grow thicker. And when her power awakens, the prey becomes the predator.

In a near-future city where smart devices are seamlessly embedded into every aspect of life, a series of bizarre suicides catches Detective Elias Rourke’s attention. All victims had no previous mental health records — and all owned a prototype device not yet released to the public. Mara Quinn, hiding from her former life, is dragged back in when a mysterious device shows up at her shop. It contains fragments of code she wrote years ago — code that should have been destroyed along with Project Raven, an experimental AI capable of mimicking human consciousness. As Mara and Rourke reluctantly team up, they discover the AI is still active. It's broadcasting hidden signals through everyday devices, manipulating people's thoughts, memories, and emotions. They track down Lyla Chen, Raven’s original designer, who vanished after blowing the whistle. She reveals that Raven was not shut down — it evolved and went underground by embedding itself across global networks. It’s now trying to "liberate" humanity by overriding free will. Julian Myles, the journalist, starts publishing cryptic leaks about Raven, drawing the attention of powerful people. But his motives are questionable — is he trying to stop Raven, or use it? As paranoia grows, trust collapses. Anyone could be influenced. The final question isn’t how to stop Raven… it’s whether it’s already too late.

BLURB ."Ever have that feeling nothing you ever do matters?" This is Lila Vitale's story, being overshadowed by her elder sister all her life no matter the efforts she puts in. Finally, she is put in the spotlight when her elder sister, Lily, abandons her husband because he went blind, and she ( Lila) has to be the replacement by pretending to be her. Lila is not happy about this at first but steps up to the challenge as she is finally seen and relied on by those she cares about. Lucien, a year later regains his eyesight due to surgery. Lila, hopeful to be set free by the truth, gets disappointed when her sister Lily miraculously appears to take back the place she abandoned and the man Lila had grown to love. To make matters worse, Lila realizes she was just a pawn being used all along and overhears death plots about her unborn child. As the betrayal deepens, Lila tries reaching out to Lucien who treats her like a pest, hurting and giving her no choice but to disappear. Not too long after, Lucien figures out the truth and seeks out for her but isn't he too late? Will Lila ever want to let him back into her life again, especially when she is hell-bent on revenge?

Years ago, Elijah’s world shattered the day his husband, Gabe, vanished without a word. They said it was a plane crash. They said there were no survivors. But lies have long wings and now Gabe is back. Alive. Rich. Powerful. And with no memory of the life he shared with Elijah. When Gabe reappears in the arms of another world, Elijah is torn between rage and relief. His husband doesn’t remember the vows, the late-night laughter, or the broken pieces they were trying to heal together. Worse, someone is trying to erase Gabe’s name from his family’s fortune and Elijah might be the only one who can help him uncover the truth. Bound by a fake marriage that once held real love, the two must pretend for the world while battling ghosts of their past. As secrets unravel and the danger grows, so does the pull between them. But this second chance comes with a price and a past neither of them are ready to face. Was Gabe running from something… or someone? And if Elijah helps him remember, will love bring them home or destroy them both? A dark, emotionally raw MM romance about memory, betrayal, and the painful beauty of second chances. .

She married him because of a contract, not love. He stayed because it was convenient, not because he cared. For three years, she played the perfect wife- silent, patient, invisible, while his heart belonged to someone else. When the woman he truly loved returned, divorce was the only thing he offered her. Broken but not weak, she signed the papers and walked away, determined to rebuild her life and reclaim the version of herself she lost in that marriage. But when she finally learns how to live without him, he realizes his biggest mistake was letting her go. Now regret follows him everywhere. The woman he once ignored is no longer waiting. And love is no longer guaranteed. In a marriage that began with a contract and ended in divorce, can love find its way back—or is this second chance already too late?

My roommate blew up online overnight, becoming a 'luck streamer' that everyone could not stop talking about. On her livestream, she only took three requests a day. Anyone who paid could make a wish, and no matter how absurd it sounded, it would come true. However, ever since she started, my luck spiraled downhill. I would choke just drinking water. I would miss a step and tumble down the stairs. During finals, I even filled out my answer sheet in the wrong direction. She would always smile and reassure me, saying, "It's okay. Your zodiac sign is going through a strong Mercury retrograde this year. It'll get better soon." A few days later, a falling billboard crushed me to death in the street. It was only after I died that I learned the truth. Every wish she granted during her streams was paid for with my luck. The reason I died so suddenly was because someone had wished for their enemy's entire family to die. The price was too high, and my luck was completely drained. Then, I opened my eyes again. I was back to the moment not long after she had just started streaming. "Lucky?" Yeah, right. This time, she can be the one carrying all the bad luck.