Harper Avery Award Novels & Stories

When Dr. Ella Harper uncovers her billionaire husband Marcus’s affair with a glamorous model, the perfect marriage she believed in shatters. Betrayed by the man who vowed eternal love, Ella is forced to confront the ghosts of her past—her mother’s heartbreak and her own vow to never forgive a cheater. Determined to reclaim her strength, she seizes a life-changing opportunity to study abroad and secretly signs divorce papers, leaving Marcus a parting gift he’ll never forget: the truth, delivered when she’s already halfway across the world. “You’ll only know I’m gone when it’s too late, Marcus. Then you’ll see I’m not a woman to be played with.” Devastated by his mistake, Marcus spirals into desperation, chasing after Ella and pleading for forgiveness. But Ella, now thriving in her new life, has moved on—her heart guarded, her future bright, and a new suitor vying for her affection. Years later, Marcus is still haunted by his betrayal, refusing to give up on the woman he loves. Yet a shocking secret—a hidden child born from their fractured love—threatens to unravel everything. Will Ella ever open her heart to Marcus again, or will the pain of his betrayal and the weight of their shared secret keep them apart forever?

I plan a family trip at my mother Lucia Sweeney's request. While avoiding the danger zones, my sister Linda Harper and I are ambushed by rogues. To protect her, I throw myself in the path of their claws and get driven into a silver mine. As I fall, my back is slashed open to the bone, and shards of silver embed deep into my right leg. The searing silver poison spreads quickly, burning through me and my wolf. My wolf is whimpering—she's close to death. However, as the pack's chief healer, Mom gathers all the healers around Linda to give her a full check-up over a few minor scrapes. I sob and beg her to save me first. "Mom, the poison has almost reached my heart. I can't hold on anymore." She turns around impatiently and yells, "Are you seriously still fighting with Linda now? Do you have any idea how close she came to getting clawed in the face by a silver claw? Our pack doesn't have a wolf as heartless as you!" And in that moment, I hear my wolf's final whimper, saying goodbye. I finally fall asleep in the cold wind, never waking up again.

Natalie Harper leads a simple life. A trained professional secretary, she had always been diligent, organized, and committed to staying out of trouble. Her uneventful life is upended when her gruff boss, Alexander Hayes-a wealthy CEO-makes her an offer she can't refuse: a marriage contract. Alexander needs a fiancée to save his reputation and to get that crucial business contract, and Natalie fits perfectly. From the beginning, it would seem pretty easy: she gets financial security, and he saves his company. But getting into Alexander's glittering world is far from simple. Thrown into a whirlwind of lavish parties, prying socialites, and Alexander's guarded past, Natalie quickly realizes she is in over her head. Things get even more complicated when Alexander's ex-fiancée resurfaces, determined to wreak havoc. As old secrets start to unravel, Natalie begins to question everything-especially her own feelings. The more time she spends by Alexander's side, the more impossible it is not to feel the emotions she was so determined to keep out of their deal. Is this a game he is playing, or is there really something genuine behind those cold and remote eyes? Can Natalie navigate his world of deceit and power, or will she lose herself in the process?

Once upon a time, they were friends. But high school changed everything. Ethan Cole became the untouchable king of the rink: star hockey forward, party legend, and the guy who now treats Mia Harper like trash. Popularity went to his head, and the boy she used to know vanished. Mia, meanwhile, is the quiet overachiever buried in books and AP classes—the virgin nerd who's never even been kissed, let alone anything more. When Ethan's GPA threatens to bench him from the team right before playoffs, desperation forces him to swallow his pride and approach the one person who can help him. The deal is simple: Mia tutors him in exchange for "experience." Kisses. Touches. Lessons in everything she's curious about but too shy to chase on her own. But old memories have a way of thawing even the coldest hearts. Late-night study sessions turn heated and the line between fake intimacy and real vulnerability blurs fast. Can two people who started as enemies rewrite their story... or will the ice between them stay frozen forever? [CONTENT WARNING: This book contains explicit sexual content and is intended for mature readers 18+ only. All characters are consenting adults over the age of 18.]

I was a princess of the sea. And the moment I saw the werewolf Alpha, Dominic, I fell. Hard. I wanted to be his mate. To be part of his world. So I sacrificed everything I was to the Moon Goddess. But he locked me in the pack's isolation room for three days. To "think about what I'd done." All because I didn't rush to help his childhood friend, Harper. She took a dive at the pack banquet, and the room erupted in laughter. Harper cried and collapsed into Dominic’s arms. "Marina must be jealous of how good you are to me. She used her outsider magic to make me fall in front of everyone!" As he locked me away, Dominic's eyes were full of disappointment. "I've spoiled you, Marina. And now you're using my love as a weapon against my own people. Three days. When you're ready to submit, you will contact me through the mind link and apologize. Only then will I let you out." But he didn't know the truth. Burning sage soothes a werewolf's spirit. But for a mermaid, it’s poison. The smoke scorched my lungs. The poison flooded my veins. I suffocated in that sealed room. And no one ever knew.

One drunken night. One stranger's bed. One ring she never agreed to wear. Aspiring actress Sienna Harper wakes up in a penthouse suite with a pounding headache, a marriage certificate in her hand, and no memory of how she got there except for him. Grayson Kai. Billionaire CEO of a media empire. The man rumored to be incapable of wanting any woman... ever. Turns out the rumors were wrong. He wants her. And now she's his wife. What begins as a marriage of convenience a contract to silence the scandal and save her career twists into something neither of them can control. Sienna sees past the ice to the broken man underneath. Grayson, for the first time in his life, can't stop chasing someone. But their fragile happiness doesn't last. A car crash steals Grayson's memories and an impostor is waiting in the wings to steal everything else: his name, his empire, his place at Sienna's side. His family calls her a gold-digging mistake. The world calls her nothing at all. Sienna refuses to disappear quietly. She'll fight for a love he can't even remember. Then, just when she thinks she's finally won him back... he looks straight through her and calls another woman his wife.

" I thought...I..owe you a child only..", Katherine whimpered in pain, several shreds of glasses making their way deeper into her skin. " Yes but now... you owe me your body too, Principessa.", Ace replied with a sly grin, the dark layer of smoke hiding the demons behind his hazel eyes. ********* Twenty years old, Katherine Harper had everything in her life, a perfect grade,sweet boyfriend and an unfulfilled dream of becoming the next top international fashion designer. Returning to her homeland after years spent abroad, Katherine was all ready to settle down with her long time boyfriend, Nathaniel Cooper. But on the day of her engagement ceremony,she never expected to meet her ex-boyfriend, Ace King who had now become the next billionaire in town. Ruthless, Cold, arrogant, Ace wasn't the same like her childhood lover from the past.When she accepted the bitter destiny that they let go of their past, Ace started to influence her emotions mentally and sometimes physically. Secrets were yet to reveal, hatred was yet to turn in love and Katherine had yet to fall in his Devil's Trap. At the end, Katherine had yet to learn that you can never hate a person whom you loved once.

In the split second when the research lab explodes, my boyfriend, Thomas Bastion, dashes to Melody Harper, who is standing furthest from the blast zone. He shields her from the impact with his own body. When the sounds of the explosion stop, the first thing he does is carry Melody to the hospital. I'm lying on the floor. My body is covered in fresh blood, but he doesn't spare a single glance at me. Thomas has taken care of Melody for the past 18 years. His heart is filled with nothing but her. There's no space for anyone else. I only survived because my colleagues rushed me to the hospital. When I am discharged from the ICU, I call my teacher, Louis Carpenter. Both my eyes are swollen from how much I've been crying. "Mr. Carpenter, I've made up my mind. I'm willing to join you for the confidential research. It's fine if we have to leave in one month. I don't care that I'll be unable to contact anyone for the next five years." The wedding ceremony that I have been dreaming of is supposed to take place in a month's time. However, I no longer want to get married.

"I can't fall in love with you, Lucas," I whisper, my hands sliding down to the ache pressing against his grey sweatpants. His breath catches, lips parting, veins rising along his forearms as he responds to my touch. "Why? Is it because of your husband?" His voice is husky, hands pinning mine to his straining cock "Come with me, Eleanor. I’ll treat you better than he ever did." My chest heaves as we hold each other’s gaze. I swallow hard, my mind racing. Should I abandon my revenge and go with the man I shared a night of reckless passion with? * Eleanor Harper’s life is built on lies. Her husband betrayed her, her best friend deceived her, even her daughter isn’t biologically hers. Now, Eleanor is playing the long game. She is dismantling their power piece by piece through her inherited company. Then Lucas Kane steps into her life. He is a man from her past with secrets of his own. He becomes both an investor and an unexpected love interest. As the lines between vengeance and vulnerability blur, Eleanor must choose. Will she pursue revenge or trust the man who could save her—or destroy her?

Alina Harper is determined to survive her first year of college without falling into the typical clichés—until she collides with Rhett Blackwood, the infuriatingly handsome captain of the university hockey team. But Rhett isn’t just a star athlete; he’s an alpha werewolf carrying a dark past, a cursed reputation, and a temper that could shred anyone who gets too close. When a dangerous shadow pack targets the campus’s supernatural community, Alina and Rhett are forced into a fake relationship for protection. The rules are simple: keep it pretend, avoid real feelings, and survive the semester unscathed. Except rules are meant to be broken. As Alina navigates college life, parties, and exams, she discovers a web of secrets, betrayals, and dangerous enemies hiding in plain sight. Rhett’s brooding charm and protectiveness make her heart beat faster than any hockey match ever could, while hidden rivalries and past mistakes threaten to destroy everything. Enemies become lovers, allies turn into traitors, and the line between deception and desire blurs. With supernatural threats lurking in the shadows and their feelings growing impossible to ignore, Alina and Rhett must confront their fears, confront their pasts, and fight for a future neither of them thought they deserved. In a world where trust is a luxury and love can be deadly, will their hearts survive the game? Or will secrets, vengeance, and betrayal win?