Mark Twain Library Long Beach

"The kingdom of Far Shore still resents Donnelly, its neighboring land, for forming an alliance with those filthy High Clifters and then defeating them in war. Twice! They really must pay for such an insult. And what better way to prick their pride than to steal their lovely, revered princess, mutilate her a little, and then ransom her back to them for a hefty sum. So, the king blackmails stable hand, Farrow, into accepting the mission of kidnapping Princess Nicolette and bringing her back to Far Shore to meet her gruesome fate. With his sister’s life on the line, Farrow reluctantly accepts the quest and travels through desert and forest, only to find Nicolette eagerly awaiting his arrival with her bags already packed and good to go, spouting off insane nonsense about being his destiny and one true love. What follows is a crazy, eclectic adventure that brings two lost souls together and helps them learn who they’re supposed to be and what they’re supposed to do in this ever-changing journey called life. A Love Mark Fantasy Romance! Can be read with ONE TRUE LOVE."

Felix and I had been inseparable for ten years, and everyone thought we would end up married. When he got into fights at school, I took the blame and got expelled in his place. When he slept with countless women, I delivered birth control pills and breakup money in his place. I had always played the part of the shameless doormat, and everyone believed I loved him more than life itself. But the moment he took over as the heir to his family's fortune, he dumped me. He looked at me with scorn and disdain. "Kathy, maybe once upon a time we were in love, but it's been too long. You're dull, and you've drained away every ounce of my affection. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with you, so get out of my sight. I'm going to marry someone I truly love." Everyone was waiting to watch me fall apart. But when I saw the hospital's proof that my mother had been cured, and the extra hundred million dollars in my bank account, I genuinely smiled. "Fine. I'll leave," I said. The truth was, I had stayed with a player like him only because of a business deal. Now that I had the money, it was time for me to walk away.

Cerita tentang Rania untuk menyadari bahwa kebahagiaan masih ada dalam hidupnya walau dengan liku yang panjang. Orang tua dan kedua adiknya meninggal bersama, pada hari dan waktu yang sama. Dia diangkat anak oleh adik dari ibunya yang seorang petinggi militer saat berusia 18 tahun. Keluarga kandung dari ayahnya menuduh Rania tak lagi ingat mereka karena sudah ada dalam keluarga ‘berada’. Orang-orang di sekitarnya tak pernah menghargai kerja kerasnya untuk meraih cita-cita karena di anggap menumpang nama dari Mama angkat yang berasal dari keluarga produser film. Keinginan untuk menikahi teman masa kecilnya harus pupus saat ia gugur dalam tugasnya sebagai abdi negara. Inilah kisah Rania Aprilia saat mencari alasan mengapa ia tetap dihidupkan saat semua alasannya untuk hidup diambil darinya. Bergembiralah, Orang yang meninggal tidak ingin mereka yang ditinggal menderita terlalu lama.” (Lim Ju-Kyung – True Beauty 2020)

Two weeks ago, my family and I went hiking and camping. When the storm hit and the mudslide erupted, my adopted sister shoved me into a ravine. My parents and fiance only cared about my sister. They remained completely unaware of my predicament. A week later, when the rescue team finally finds me, my parents accuse me of being selfish and malicious.—— "You clearly know that your sister is suffering from a terminal illness and is about to die, yet you still try to murder her!" they yell. "The bride for next week's wedding will be your sister. She has end-stage kidney cancer, and her dying wish is to marry your fiancé.Ethan. You have to agree to this!" "I agreed to their wedding, and for atonement. I am willing to donate my kidney to my sister, and I will also give her all the academic papers I own and the oil paintings I have collected." Seeing how sensible I was, my parents and my fiance all smiled with relief. They said, "I've grown up and become sensible. I'm no longer that willful elder sister who didn't know how to care for my younger sister." In my final three days, I will give them everything they want and leave behind a perfect image. And when I die, I hope they won't cry, mourn my death；

Audrina, a powerless omega, becomes entangled in a web of deception created by her own flesh and blood. Her crafty stepsister sends her into the arms of MistyMoon Pack's Alpha, James, where she meets a guy whose icy demeanor conceals his powerful and fair character. With chiseled features and a stare that could melt steel, James is both hot and gorgeous. Their one-night affair suddenly blossoms into a lifetime commitment with the news of a kid on the way, leaving them divided between desire and danger. But behind the surface of their undeniable mate bond, there lies a hidden identity and buried truths that could ruin the spark that was just beginning to ignite.

"Custom demanded that Prince Urban get a love mark tattooed to the side of his left eye as an infant, just like the rest of his people, but to him, the stupid things have only brought on the scorn of his father, the misery of his siblings, and caused his entire kingdom to go broke from fighting so many wars over the irritating ink stains. When Urban’s sister must travel to Donnelly, the kingdom within the sand, for her arranged marriage to align two realms, he goes with her. But he no sooner steps foot inside their castle than his mark starts itching like a son of a bitch, telling him his one true love is near. It just figures, though, that the woman meant for him is completely forbidden. Now he must decide if he should ignore the persistent mark, telling him she's the one, in order to avoid a possible war between kingdoms, or if he should discover whether she's worth risking everything for so they can be together. Either way, his life gets sucked into chaos with threats of beheadings, dark magic lurking, castle traitors scheming, and sword fights eminent. Who knew one little tattoo could cause so much trouble? (ONE TRUE LOVE is the author’s first attempt at a fantasy romance. Please forgive her; she might’ve read an overabundance of Cassandra Gannon, Sarah J. Maas, and Eve Langlais books, then gone off to watch too many episodes of Supernatural, Game of Thrones, and Outlander, because this was the outcome.)"

“Used. Marked. Betrayed. Now it’s her turn to break the rules." Elena thought being mated meant safety, love, and forever. But forever shattered the day her husband brought another woman home, under the lie of sickness, only for Elena to discover she was pregnant with his child. And worse? He wanted an open bond, like she was some convenience to be traded when bored. Heartbroken but not broken, Elena makes the boldest decision of her life: divorce him, break the mate bond, and make him bleed for every lie he fed her. But Michael isn't letting go that easily. Not when power, pride, and his darkest secrets are tied to her. When Elena turns to Alpha Horace, the ruthless Alpha King and her husband’s estranged cousin, she finds more than protection; she finds someone who sees her, desires her, and is willing to burn everything down to keep her safe.

Nagmadaling nagpahanap si Elijah Reigo ng babaeng papalit bilang bride sa kasal nila sa Isla nang biglang naglaho na parang bula ang kanyang kasintahan. Sakto namang na-stranded si Claudette Revista sa Isla matapos ang malakas na bagyo. Dinala siya ng mga tauhan ni Elijah sa isang rest house at pinilit na maging asawa ng isang mafia boss. Sa Isla na iyon, hindi basta basta ang buhay dahil kailangan sundin ni Claudette ang lahat ng utos kung gusto niyang mabuhay. Ang kalayaan? Nasa dulo ng panganib.

When I was five months pregnant, I was kidnapped by a group of thugs. They used my phone to call my brother, Jeremy Wirkola, and my husband, Grant Sanders, to demand a ransom of ten million, but no one answered. I was tortured and assaulted until I was barely alive. When I was finally rescued, Jeremy cried and promised to avenge me. Grant was in tears too. He vowed to get me treated. However, while under the haze of anesthesia, I overheard Grant's cold voice outside the door. “Jessie is waiting for a bone marrow, but don’t forget to remove Ashlyn’s uterus. Just tell her the injuries were too severe to save it. Oh, and get the best surgeon for her. She’s afraid of pain.” His assistant hesitated. He was clearly uncomfortable. “Mr. Sanders, isn’t this going too far?” Grant paused for a second before he replied firmly. “She refused to donate her bone marrow to Jessie and even used the baby as an excuse. She’s selfish. Besides, if we don’t do this, how can I bring back Jessie and our child into the family? As for Ashlyn, she’s my wife. I’ll make it up to her for the rest of my life. She used to bully Jessie with her status, which resulted in Jessie suffering from depression and almost killing herself. It’s time she paid the price for it.” As I listened to his heartless words, something inside me shattered completely. Since they had chosen to sacrifice me for Jessie, let them have what they wanted then.

Bago makuha ni Valeria Solano ang kayamanang iniwan ng kanyang pamilya, kailangan niyang magpakasal sa isang mayamang lalaki at magkaanak bilang kundisyon. Nang muling bumalik si Luciano Navarro — ang lalaking unang kumuha ng kanyang pagkabirhen. Nakita ni Valeria ang pagkakataong gamitin ito para sa kanyang mga plano. Desperada at handa siyang gawin ang lahat kaya pumayag siyang pumasok sa isang kasunduan para makuha ang mga yamang iniwan sa kanya. Ngunit may lihim si Luciano na magpapabago sa takbo ng buhay ni Valeria, at ang kalayaang inaasam niya ay maaaring maging kanyang pinakamalaking pagkakakulong.