Grayslake Public Library

Paloma Sofia Santos, 24, has endured the hardships of poverty, working tirelessly to change her fate. Her life takes a turn when she meets Asher Quinto, a 26-year-old wealthy heir stuck in a passionless marriage with Cassia, a composed yet manipulative woman. Drawn to Asher’s charm and wealth, Paloma begins an affair with him despite being in a long-term relationship with Amir, a struggling mechanic who has repeatedly promised her a brighter future. Paloma’s world shatters when she discovers Amir’s betrayal: he has impregnated Cassia. Devastated, Paloma confronts Cassia, who shockingly reveals she has always been aware of Asher’s infidelity and Amir’s involvement. Instead of anger, Cassia proposes a pact. A master manipulator, she admits she never loved either man and has been using their weaknesses to secure control of her family’s business and protect her unborn child. Reluctantly, Paloma agrees but uncovers Cassia’s deeper schemes. Cassia aims to force Asher into choosing between her and his inheritance, solidifying her power. Meanwhile, Asher’s obsession with Paloma spirals, leading to reckless actions that threaten his marriage and business. Amir, desperate to win Paloma back, becomes a pawn in Cassia’s manipulations. A startling truth emerges: Cassia orchestrated Amir’s betrayal to destabilize her marriage and gain leverage over Asher. In a heated confrontation, Paloma exposes Cassia’s schemes, leading to a public scandal that destroys Asher’s family empire. Asher loses both his inheritance and Paloma, while Cassia retains her power but faces isolation. Amir, burdened with his mistakes and fatherhood, begins a journey of redemption. Choosing independence, Paloma walks away from the chaos, stronger and wiser, determined to rebuild her life free from the toxic cycle of betrayal and deceit.

She’s the one woman who said no. Now he’ll do anything to make her his even if it means breaking every rule he built his empire on. Ava Sinclair doesn’t bow. Not to billionaires, not to power, and definitely not to Luca Hart the cold, calculating tech mogul who thinks everything has a price. When he tries to buy her company and erase her legacy, she slams the door in his face. She doesn’t expect him to come back. She definitely doesn’t expect him to come for her. Forced into a temporary partnership to contain a public scandal, Ava and Luca collide behind closed doors sharp tongues, sharp tempers, and sharper attraction. He’s grumpy, ruthless, and infuriatingly hot. She’s stubborn, brilliant, and determined to hate him. But every fight pulls them closer. Every look burns hotter. And when the anger cracks, the need between them is vicious,raw, consuming, inevitable. Then the threats start. The shadows close in. Someone wants Ava silenced. Someone who knows she’s not just a woman with a sharp mind and a guarded heart She’s the living vault for secrets that were never supposed to surface. As her hidden past unravels, Ava realizes the most dangerous thing isn’t losing her company. It’s losing herself. And Luca? He’s no longer fighting for a deal. He’s fighting for the only thing he’s never been able to buy, break, or control: Her. In a world built on lies, they’re each other’s only truth. And the deeper they fall, the more everything around them burns.

On their first anniversary, Demi finds her boyfriend fucking her best friend after standing her up on their dinner date. Feeling betrayed, she decides to drink her sorrows where she meets a stranger who will change her life for good. Gavin Morgan, a public figure, and one of the youngest billionaires in New York, is caught by her beauty at first sight. He sees her in a vulnerable state but doesn't take advantage, despite his attraction towards her. When he learns that she's set for an interview with his company, Demi is guaranteed the job. Working together, they grow fond of each other and fall deeply in love. Gavin gives Demi a luxurious life more than she has ever dreamed of. Demi experiences a love she has never seen before from Gavin who treasures her more than anything. However, there are outside forces trying to break them apart. So many girls are obsessed with Gavin and jealous of what Demi has, including her former best friend. Seeing her glowing, her ex also wants her back. To add on that Gavin's family doesn't accept Demi since she doesn't come from a rich family. But Gavin is determined to protect his woman no matter what. Will the opposing forces win or will love conquer all?

Eden Blake never believed in fairy tales—especially not the kind that begin with a billionaire’s offer and end in a penthouse suite. But when a desperate night leads to a fake engagement with cold, ruthless CEO Cassian Wolfe, Eden signs on for one month of pretending, pretending she’s in love... and pretending she isn’t falling for him. The rules were simple. No touching. No real feelings. No strings attached. But in Cassian’s world of press scandals, public enemies, and hidden trauma, the line between fake and real quickly blurs. And when secrets come to light—and hearts get involved—Eden realizes the most dangerous thing about the deal… is that it might be real after all. In this steamy, emotional billionaire romance, hearts are currency, secrets are leverage, and love might be the most expensive risk of all.

Summer spent her life blaming herself for her dad's death until she started to get bullied at school by Freya. Freya was a well known bully and then she set up her boyfriend Ashton to ask Summer for a date, therefore making Summer a public disgrace. A masked fellow took shelter in her room on that same night she was humiliated and it turns out that the masked fellow was her mate. Next day at school, Summer was saved by Trey Moonshine the school hottest guy who asked her to fake date with him. She agreed after some thinking.... But heavens know that more is waiting for her.

I was born a male Omega, but raised as a Beta. I had no scent, no voice, and no freedom. My uncle had killed my parents to seize their company, and I was spared only to serve as a puppet heir. But when my suppressed heat broke through during a public gala, the ruthless Alpha Prince of the North caught my scent. And he didn’t just recognize it. He claimed me. Now, with the kingdom watching, he won’t let me go. But if he learns who I really am… He might protect me—or finish what my uncle started.

A love lost to memory. A vow erased with words. A secret worth killing for. Three years ago, Elsie Monroe was Liam Grey's secret wife. Until a suspicious accident stole his memory and erased their love from his life just a day before they were to go public with their relationship, now he’s a cold, untouchable billionaire, engaged to a woman chosen by power and bloodline. And Elsie? She’s returned under a false name, determined to uncover the truth behind the crash that nearly killed him and his family who wanted her gone. Working as his assistant in the empire they once dreamed of building together, Elsie walks a tightrope of forgotten kisses and secret glances. Liam doesn’t remember but his soul does. Every touch lingers. Every look makes him question the life carefully crafted around him. But as Elsie digs deeper, she discovers a darker truth buried in her mother’s past. One that could bring down the Grey family. Someone wants those secrets buried forever, even if it means destroying her again. Now what could be the reason behind the scar on her neck?

I thought I knew love until I had to choose between two powerful alphas.” I've always dreamed of a love story with Jack Quinn, the Good Looking man and the powerful alpha heir of our pack. But to him, I was just a weak omega, and I wasn't someone who deserves a man like him, only worth gracing his bed, we happened to be fated mates but when he shattered my heart with a public rejection and embarrassment, I left everything behind, determined to start a new life far away from the shame and humiliation. With the loving support of my best friend, Kathy, a fellow omega, I quietly raised my son. Four years later, fate led me to Ryker, the alpha of my new pack. Ryker is everything Jack Quinn wasn't, kind, protective and genuinely interested in me. His growing affection is tender and true, though he keeps it hidden, afraid that loving an omega like me might be seen as a weakness Just as I began to feel safe and cherished, He begged for my forgiveness and a second chance, claiming he's changed and ready to be the mate I deserved. Now, I find myself in a love triangle between two alpha's: jack Quinn, whose intense passion still lighted a spark within me, and Ryker, whose gentle love promises safety and warmth. With secrets about my child threatening to be exposed and my heart pulling me in different directions, I must make a choice. In this feet sweeping romantic tale I'm stuck in, I embark on a journey of love, redemption, and self discover. Will I return to the fiery passion of my past with jack, or embrace the tender promise of a new beginning with Ryker? One thing was certain: my heart will never be the same.

Crown Princess Isla's life takes a terrifying turn when a bizarre urge compels her to steal iron at the market, triggering unsettling dreams, a disturbing connection to metal, and a public scandal. Her family, horrified and confused, confines her to her room. There, a monstrous transformation begins: Isla's body twists into a wolf-like creature, driven by primal instincts and a chilling connection to iron. As Isla grapples with her horrifying new reality, her sister Anne, fueled by ambition and exploiting the public's fear, plots to seize the throne, even resorting to supernatural means to undermine Isla and marry Prince Caius. Escaping her confinement under the full moon's influence, Isla, now a terrifying werewolf, unleashes chaos upon the city. Amidst the terror, she encounters Kael, an ordinary man haunted by the same curse that afflicts her, a descendant of the woman who cursed the royal line generations ago. They find solace and love in their shared monstrous fate. The curse's origin is revealed: a vengeful act targeting the seventh princess, compelling her to worship the curser and bring her iron. United in their shared affliction, Isla and Kael terrorize the city together, their love story unfolding against a backdrop of fear and destruction. Their reign of terror is ultimately brought to an end when the terrified populace captures them, leaving the future of the cursed kingdom uncertain. The story explores themes of transformation, betrayal, the destructive nature of curses, and an unlikely love born in the heart of a nightmare.

Adelaine Montclair has built her entire life on perfection — the perfect daughter, the perfect fiancée, the perfect public image. But when she discovers her secret fiancé, Zain, tangled in the arms of her best friend on the night of her lavish engagement party, perfection shatters. Cornered in front of two hundred influential guests, Adelaine makes a reckless move: she introduces a mysterious stranger, Dante Moreau, as her real fiancé. What begins as a desperate lie spirals into a dangerous game of appearances. Dante, cold and enigmatic, has his own reasons for playing along, reasons tied to the Montclair empire and the father who controls it. Together, Adelaine and Dante navigate staged kisses, relentless media attention, and family pressure to wed quickly. But the line between fake and real blurs, forcing Adelaine to question whether Dante is her salvation or her downfall. As old betrayals resurface and hidden family secrets threaten to destroy everything, Adelaine must choose: keep playing the role others wrote for her, or reclaim her own story, even if it means falling for the man who vowed never to love her.