Duke Library Hours

Synopsis - Isabelle Ellwood, a plain, fuller-figured 19-year-old, hides her poetic soul and dreams of teaching behind dry wit, overshadowed by her beautiful sister who is counted as a family jewel for her grace and beauty and an ambitious father dreaming of snagging a royal title. When Prince Sebastian Nathaniel Winthorne, a bold, dark, and formidable warrior-king at 30, announces a bride-selection season at Cresthaven Palace, Isabelle dares to hope—not for love, but to glimpse the scarred-handed savior of her childhood. Unbeknownst to her, and him, he’s Sebastian, whose commanding presence and passionate heart blind him to her worth, fixated instead on the angelic Amelia Everhart, Isabelle's dearest friend. A secret library meeting shatters Isabelle’s illusions: Sebastian seeks her help to woo Amelia, praising her mind yet oblivious to her love. Their friendship deepens—his admiration grows, her longing festers—culminating in a rain-soaked confrontation where the lavender and breeze ignites his primal desire, clashing with her insecurities. Public scorn and familial cruelty drive Isabelle to flee, forcing Sebastian to confront the void she leaves. As time apart unravels his obsession with Amelia, he pursues Isabelle, his awakening raw and relentless. Their reunion at a glittering ball sparks a dance of resentment and longing, leading to a climactic confession where love triumphs over doubt. Isabelle’s journey from invisible dreamer to empowered princess, and Sebastian’s shift from idealized obsession to soul-deep love, crafts a tale of unseen hearts finding their place—a fiercely unique love story for readers craving wit, angst, and romance. In the opulent yet unforgiving world of Regency-inspired Eldoria, The Crown's Wrong Kiss weaves a slow-burn romance of unrequited love, repressed desire, and transformative self-worth.

Jenna’s life shatters when a dangerous-looking stranger corners her asking about Alpha Caesar, the most feared man on campus, survival instinct kicks in. She lies straight to his face and runs. But fate has other plans. She thinks she's escaped. She's wrong. The man in her bathtub proves it. Caesar—the ruthless alpha himself—is barely alive in her bathtub, his memories scattered like the trail of carnage he left behind. Jenna patches him up, counting the hours until she can shove him out her door and reclaim her quiet life. But when Caesar's eyes finally open, everything changes. He looks at her like she's the answer to a question she never asked. His words raw and impossible; "Mate." One word. Her whole world tilts. Because if Caesar believes she's his mate, whoever tried to kill him will be coming for her next. And the man who can't remember his own name somehow remembers her in ways that make her blood run cold. How can Jenna escape from the possessive grip of the Alpha who have sworn to never let her go?

BXB Kane Trésor is annoyed that he had to move six hours away, into a new home and even worse, share a room with his step-sister Ally. Even the new school he has to attend has the most annoying type of kids, and let's not even mention the jocks that truly believe they're up and above everyone else. But Kane has to include himself in the surrounding, that was why he agreed to go to the welcome party at a football guy's house. Kane was having a good time, but he found a few people playing pool downstairs. And that's when he met him. Jay Kalister had been intriguing from the moment he met him. He was frail, pale and had the most beautiful blond curls he had ever seen. He was way too friendly, and Kane cannot help but pursue a friendship with this boy. But there are secrets that a being kept...something happened months ago that nobody speak on, but everyone knows happened. And it involves Ally, Jay and Jasper, the captain of the football team. They did something to Jay, but nobody's admitting to it, and Ally tries to break the friendship between Kane and Jay as much as she can before he uncovers the truth. But she never realized how difficult it would be to break such a bond...certainly when feelings start to surface between Kane and Jay....

In the shadowed alleys of Ravenwood, Celeste Osborne finds herself irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic and dangerously alluring Lucian Bathory. Hired as an au pair for the mysterious Bathory family, Celeste quickly discovers that Lucian is no ordinary man—he’s a centuries-old vampire with a thirst for blood and a hunger that goes far beyond the physical. As Celeste is pulled deeper into Lucian’s dark world, the boundaries between fear and desire begin to blur. Her days are filled with tension, but it’s in the secret hours of the night that their passions ignite. Lucian’s touch awakens something wild within her, something she never knew existed, but it comes at a price. His world is one of power, danger, and ancient rivalries, and loving him means embracing a darkness that could consume her whole. As their forbidden romance intensifies, Celeste must decide if she’s willing to surrender to the seductive pull of Lucian’s world, where every kiss could be her last and every touch could bind her to him for eternity. In this tale of love, lust, and immortality, Celeste will learn that some desires are worth risking everything—even her soul. "Crimson Shadows: Forbidden Thirst" is Book I of the Crimson Shadows series. It is a dark and passionate story where love and danger entwine, pushing the boundaries of what it means to surrender to desire.

"Do I feel like I need someone to warm me up?" He asked in a low voice. He had sat up, and suddenly, they were very, very close. "No," I whispered, staring at my hand that stubbornly attached itself to his chest. I had spent hours touching him, trying to find the worst injuries and treating them. But being face to face, where I could count each individual lash on his eyes, felt kind of intimate. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart if I concentrated hard enough. Without thinking, I stroked his skin softly. He breathed in sharply, and I felt the shudder that ran through him. I felt like I was barely breathing at this point. If I inhale too sharply, something in the air would just snap. "I must admit," He said in a low voice as though it was some kind of confession, "If anyone had ever told me you would be my final undoing, I would never have agreed to allow you become my son's nanny." *** When the ruthless billionaire finds himself falling for the single mother that's supposed to be the nanny of his son, he expects history to repeat itself again. (Possessive, obsessed, nanny, strong female lead, dominating male lead)

My boyfriend's childhood sweetheart bound herself to a transfer system: everything she ate would be redirected straight into my stomach. She opened a streaming account and broadcast herself eating for twelve hours straight. She earned a fortune. Meanwhile, I collapsed with acute pancreatitis and was rushed to the hospital. When I explained the situation to my boyfriend, he only stared at me like I was insane. "How could something that absurd exist? If food could really be transferred, no one in the world would ever starve. You're just jealous that she's making money from streaming." After that, every time his childhood sweetheart went live, I ended up hospitalized again. I kept hovering between life and death. I sought medical help, but the doctors couldn't explain my condition. Some even wanted to commit me to a psychiatric ward. Then, one day, in order to outdo her rivals in a PK match, she devoured ten pounds of rice in a single sitting. At that very moment, my spleen and stomach ruptured, and I bled to death on the spot. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of her very first livestream. This time, I was prepared. I rushed out and bought twenty takeout meals. "This time," I said, "I'll eat first."

Matt Simpson meets Tess Holloway on a dating app through with the help of his friend Greg. They (Matt and Tess) go out on a coffee date where they bond after which they fall in love. It doesn’t take long before they get married. It doesn’t take long before tragedy strike. Tess dies a few hours after her childbirth throwing Matt into a deep sorrow. This incident leaves Matt totally devasted knowing how heartbroken he has been all his life after he lost his parents at an early age and also a series of heartbreaks. After some time, Matt decides to give Love another shot but after a few dates, he gives up any hope at getting a shot at love and tries to concentrate on raising his son. Just when he thinks he had forgot about the way Love feels, destiny smiles at him in a such a way that he never imagined. Gradually Matt is thrown into the dilemma of coping with stress of being a single Dad and maintaining a relationship with Karen who has just fallen in love with. He has to decided whether to be a father to his son or give up the custody of his son to Joan (Tess’s Mum) just to be with Karen.

Isabella Monroy is hours away from marrying the man she loves — until the night before the wedding turns into a nightmare. After her best friend secretly spikes her drink, Isabella wakes up in the wrong room, half-dressed, with a dangerously handsome stranger stepping out of the bathroom. Her fiancé and her guests witness her leaving the room. And that cost her wedding and reputation. The stranger is Dante Moretti — a seductive billionaire who is secretly the ruthless King of Mafia, known as Draco. Their encounter had been a complete misunderstanding… or so they both thought. Weeks later, with her life in ruins, Isabella runs into Dante again. Sparks and hate collide. Dante is amused by her anger, drawn to her fire, and refuses to stay away. But when a rival mafia faction uses Isabella as leverage, Dante’s true identity comes to light. As danger encircles her, Isabella uncovers the truth: her best friend Camila and her fiancé Sebastian betrayed her. The “accidental” night was a setup meant to trap her. Now forced into Dante’s dangerous world for protection, Isabella battles her feelings for the man who ruined her life… and then saved it. Their chemistry turns explosive, their enemies grow ruthless, and their pasts collide in blood, passion, and betrayal. But that only made Dante more obsessed.

On the night of my 30th birthday, I waited until the early hours of the morning, but my husband, Theodore Hawk never showed up. Instead, I came across an Instagram post from his childhood sweetheart, Emily Gallagher. [What romantic is not the starry night, it is having you by my side.] In the picture, she was wearing a delicate, sky-blue camisole that revealed just enough to charm and seduce. A man stood close behind her, his hand firmly gripping her waist. The scene was set in the seaside villa that Theodore had gifted her, their figures intimately entwined under the soft glow of the night. Someone had commented beneath the post: [I can’t stand you two being this lovey-dovey all the time! Just get married already!] Emily had responded with a shy-face emoji. I had just liked the post when Theodore, who I had failed to reach all night, blew up my phone with calls. "Are you out of your mind, Camilla? Emi and I grew up together! If we wanted to be together, we would’ve done so long ago! Why are you being so petty?" Looking at how Theodore gently held her in his arms, comforting her, I realized something. Letting go of someone you’ve loved for seven years... can take only a moment.

Kieran Voss is my boyfriend, and his first love has slept with every one of his closest friends. Yet, she still manages to play the innocent little angel in front of him. I plan to expose her, especially after I accidentally uncover her biggest secret. But before I can, Chloe Bennett uses dark magic and somehow transfers all her physical reactions onto me. She's flirting with a man below the stage while I'm giving a company presentation. I can't help but let out a soft moan at the podium the moment his hand slips under her skirt. I become the shameless and indecent woman everyone despises. Despite this, my boyfriend goes against public opinion and proposes to me in front of everyone. Chloe spends ten hours in bed with ten men on our wedding day. Meanwhile, I collapse on stage and tremble uncontrollably in a white gown, my face burning red with heat. I die of heart failure from sheer excitement and carry a tarnished name even in death. As I open my eyes, I'm back to the moment I first discovered Chloe's secret. This time, I close my eyes and say "Don't worry, I swear I didn't see a thing."