Marcella Brand Novels & Stories

Is it possible for a cage to offer freedom? A deeply conservative father, a mother resigned to the status quo, and the ghost of a twisted abuse have beat Kriti Tripathi into a numb kind of acceptance. The kind of acceptance that allows her to block out the uncomfortable realities that come with forming meaningful bonds with the people around her. When her mother shoves her into an arranged marriage to a stranger, Kriti is forced to confront secrets that have painted her past black and surrendered her future to the demands of her possessor. But Kriti’s quietly mysterious husband has been whispering things as she struggles to adjust to her new life. Things that make her think she might not be as trapped as she feels, and Kriti begins to suspect that this marriage might mean more than she expected. Kriti isn’t the only one who has been keeping secrets. Even her perfectly responsible, too mature husband has something to hide. Secrets have a way of revealing themselves, though. When the demons of her past show up on her doorstep, the secrets they‘ve been keeping threaten to destroy Kriti and her marriage; unless Kriti can reform herself into her own brand of a savior.

Wren Holloway was branded and rejected at her Claiming. The Moon Goddess chose her for Prince Caiden. He denied her in front of the court. The High Priestess cut her bond and scarred her shoulder. She watched her sister Lyra become the Luna she was promised to be. The Alpha King gave her one hour. Marry the Butcher or die on the altar. Exile at the border forced her into Alpha Draven Duskbane’s keep. He is Caiden’s uncle. The male who ended the last war by lining his walls with heads. Draven is lethal and precise. But around Wren, instinct overrides hatred. The longer she stays, the harder it gets to see her as anything other than his. Her gray eyes flash silver. The color that killed his parents. The color he vowed to destroy. Her brand hides witch runes. Lyra sold Wren’s firstborn to a marsh witch to steal the crown. The debt still stands. If Wren bears an heir, the witch takes it. If she doesn’t, the curse kills every Duskbane pup for twenty more years. Now she has to choose. Stay weak and let the witch win, or become strong enough to burn down the kingdom that branded her, in a court that was designed to make girls like her disappear.

Holly has always loved Christmas, but this year is different. As a school teacher, she’s worried about her students, her dad, and her entire town. All of them are poised for a terrible Christmas, and there’s nothing she can do about it. The only bright spot in her life is the mysterious man she meets at the holiday party. Nathan has always hated Christmas, but this year is different. As a billionaire, he’s excited about his new plans for his company, but as always, it’s all about the money. When he meets the bubbly woman who doesn’t care about his wealth, love blossoms under the mistletoe. It almost seems like magic. But their lives are more intertwined than either of them originally thought. It turns out that Nathan’s plan for the future of his company is the very thing that’s destroying Holly’s community. Holly begins to understand why everyone refers to Nathan as a Scrooge, and she thinks that the wonderful man she shared a passionate weekend with was nothing more than a lie. Will Nathan be able to prove that she saw the real him? Will Christmas magic prevail, or will their love vanish like a kiss under the mistletoe? NYT Bestseller Krista Lakes brings you this brand new heartwarming holiday romance. This standalone novel will convince you that love can make the magic of Christmas real.

BLURB "If you weren’t my son’s mate, then I wouldn’t waste a second to brand you, to own you, to keep you by my side forever…" he whispers, hugging me from behind. "But I’m your son’s mate, so what we have can't be forever." "What if I tell you that I’m considering taking you from him forever? What if I tell you that I just may ruin him because I am obsessed with you? What would you say?" "I'd say you’re a greedy monster." He chuckles darkly. "Greedy? Just with you. A monster? Sure. If that’s what I should be to keep you by my side for-fucking-ever." I turn to look at him. He isn’t kidding. No hint of amusement on his taut but handsome face. This whole thing just got scarier. It all started as a one-night mess. My mate had cheated on me with my best friend and I fucked his father in revenge. I was drunk, so you can blame it on the booze. But I think I started what I can’t finish. Because now, I just may never get away from my mate’s father who has an uncanny obsession with me.

I was sent to reap her soul. Now, I am it prisoner." ​Sloane is a Wingless Reaper. For five centuries, he hasn't known mercy only the cold weight of his blade. His final mission was supposed to be easy: find the girl born with the Infinite Soul and kill her before she manifest and destroy his kind. Elena has spent twenty- four years in a guarded palace, hidden from the world and even the air outside by the ancient Ouroboros cult. She is a walking miracle whose blood holds the key to immortality. She doesn't know she’s a savior; she only knows she wants to be free. ​The cult wants her blood. The Wingless want her dead. When Sloane finally corners his prey, the universe intervenes. A golden brand sears into his wrist a Divine Shackle. A 24-hour countdown to his own death begins, and there is only one way to stay alive : He must protect the girl he was sent to kill. ​Now, the world’s deadliest hunter is her only protector. To the Ouroboros, she is a prize to be harvested. To the Fallen, she is a plague to be erased. To Sloane, she is a beautiful curse. ​As the prophecy draws closer, he realizes the most dangerous thing isn't the ticking clock on his wrist... it’s the heartbeat he could feel for his enemy. ​One HUNT. One LEASH. No ESCAPE.

On the day I attend the centennial celebration of my alma mater, I encounter my first love, Victor Whitmore. After he delivers a speech as an alumni representative, he publicly presents me with a diamond ring. "Back then, you said you wanted to use your 'Wild Roses' design to make me a wedding ring. Now it's my turn to propose. Claire Webb, will you marry me?" The auditorium erupts in excitement. Everyone waits for me to nod tearfully in agreement. After all, I once pursued Victor with such passion that it shocked the entire school. However, everyone has forgotten something. Back then, I was accused of plagiarizing Emma Palmer's work for my graduation project. Victor knew the truth, yet he slandered me as the plagiarizer. At the press conference, as the brand representative, he announced that they would cease collaboration with me and called for me to be blacklisted across the industry. On the very day my reputation was ruined, I moved abroad. Now that I'm back, his close friend keeps advising me. "He's been waiting for you all these years. Even though you embarrassed him back then, you're still the one in his heart. "He even made a scene at the principal's office just to get your graduation certificate. Claire, he truly loves you."

Fae’s been in love with Carl Easton for a long time. Orphaned by her mother when she was two and by her father when she was fourteen, she was fostered by the wealthy Eastons until she was eighteen. Fast-forward ten years, Fae attends a wedding and watches Carl marry her snake of a bestfriend. That night, she begs Carl's best buddy Jigo to help her forget. Hands down, he is the most gorgeous, sexiest man she has ever met. He is way out of her league and she will never have the guts to proposition him if she isn't drunk. Stoic and brooding, wealthier and more successful than Carl, he vibes power. She can never guess he was such a molten lava of emotions and the sweetest teddy bear behind closed doors. She spends part of the weekend in his bed then ran from him before she can get addicted to his brand of passion. She needs the distraction but he is more than she can ever dream of. It is foolish to hope for more. But he appears in her doorstep and seduces her to make him her willing rebound for as long as she needs him. No way will he let her go until they are done. And they spiral so fast that Fae can’t tell where distraction ends and falling in love begins…

She was an heiress to one of the most prestigious luxury shipping lines in the world, a bi-product of nobility, by birthright, Aurora was meant to oversee multibillion properties and be in charge of the Cunard brand that was well-regarded in the world. But she chose to be an ordinary yet independent woman and pursued a life of service as a cardiothoracic surgeon. To safeguard her family's assets, her parents had to make a deal with someone capable of overseeing something as big and broad as Cunard Shipping while ensuring corporate ownership retains in their bloodline. There was only one way that it can be done. Aurora needed to marry. Not just anyone. She needed to marry someone capable, with a proven track record on managing multi-million properties across all continents, someone their family trusted, and powerful enough to wield authority in handling an inevitable merger. His name was Jared Rickford. Known in the business scene as a ruthless strategist, CEO, President of Rickford Hotels International. Also playboy, ex-military, and a womanizer of the first degree. He was the most unsuitable man Aurora could ever think to be her husband. But she had no choice. She could not play surgeon in the Board Room. She needed the man's expertise to ensure that her family's corporate assets are secured, and she would do anything in her power to safeguard her dying father's legacy. Including agreeing to be married to the devil.

I'd been married to Joshua Merck for five years, but we still didn't have kids. To stay healthy, I took those pricey custom vitamins he ordered from overseas—never missed a dose. Then my cousin came back from studying abroad, took one look at the bottle, and was like, "That brand doesn't even make custom vitamins." I sent them to the hospital for testing. The lab report hit me like a truck—birth control pills. Powerful ones. Suddenly, all those mornings with Joshua hovering over me, acting so concerned while I took my "vitamins," made sense. The whole thing had been a lie. Five years of lies. Just as I was gearing up to confront him, my phone buzzed—a group chat notification. Shirley Hoare had tagged Joshua. [Honey, I had a prenatal checkup today, and the doctor said I'm carrying twins! Your family's about to get two grandchildren at once—excited?] My heart turned to ash. Everything clicked. Fine. We were done. I pulled out my phone and replied to my childhood sweetheart's message from three days ago: [After watching the northern lights, I still wanted to see penguins in Antarctica.]

Dark Romance: A reckless dare reunites a rebellious young woman with a handsome, daunting man. *** SHE WAS POWERLESS AGAINST HIS ULTIMATUM BECAUSE SHE WAS STUCK BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA-BETWEEN HIM AND THE LAST DARE GAME WHICH HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT SHE PLAYED IT BECAUSE OF HER RECKLESS BEHAVIOUR- HER FIRE OF REBELLION HE IS DETERMINED TO EXTINGUISH THAT FIRE AFTER HER CARELESS MOVE ON HIM TO QUENCH A FIRE, YOU HAD TO BE SOMEWHAT CLOSE, HENCE HIS DECISION TO MARRY HER- AND HE WASN'T ASKING "You have until the end of today to give me a positive response or I will get you to marry me in the Mafia way." She gasped and her eyes were like saucers. "Mafia?" "I told you that you never really knew me. I was on my own when you came looking for trouble. Tonight, Elizabeth." SYNOPSIS: A dark dare game forces Zee, a reckless young woman, to reach out to the man who took her innocence and beg him for marriage. She expects rejection—and freedom. Instead, he says yes, binding her deeper into the game and pulling her into the ruthless Mafia world he belongs to, where love comes wrapped in control, power, and a harsh brand of discipline she must learn to survive.