Montana State Library Novels & Stories

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.

On the first day of every month, my mom will give me my allowance based on the number of times I had checked in with her last month. "You'll receive 20 dollars for greeting your parents once in the morning and once in the evening. But last month, you only hit ten days' worth of quota, so you can only receive 200 dollars. This also means your 300-dollar punctuality fee will be deducted as well. "After adding on 150 dollars for your basic necessities, you shall receive only 350 dollars for this month's allowance. Remember to write a reflection report on your lack of punctuality later. I'll only transfer you the money if your report is acceptable." I become so overwhelmed by anxiety that my voice starts trembling. "I was busy with my finals last month, Mom! I had to line up outside the library at 5:00 am every day just so I could secure myself a seat! That's why I couldn't call you in time!" In a choked-up tone, I plead to my mom, "I need 600 dollars for the train ticket all the way home during the holidays! 350 dollars really isn't enough for me! Mom, can you please—" But my mom cuts me off firmly, "The allowance system is something that I've specifically designed for you so that I can help you get rid of the bad habit of wanting to receive everything without putting in hard work! Why can't you just understand that I'm doing this for your own good?" After that, she ends the call mercilessly. Just as I'm filled with despair and helplessness, a blond appears before my eyes. He's willing to buy my train ticket for me, but in return, I need to leave with him.

"What are you doing, Ms. Samantha?" Jack angrily said after seeing the employee chit-chatting with some random guys while the other girls are waiting for her service.  The surprised look was evident to the librarian when she sees her boss in front of them. She also stood up in her seat, and she gave a quick bow to her boss. But Jack ignored it. He walks in the direction of a librarian. "This is not an hour of flirting. I'm not paying you a lot of money only to flirt. But, if you like to seduce some guys. So, why don’t we make it intense for the men you’re flirting with? Hmm?" He smirks at his librarian, whose name is Samantha. "S-Sir…I-I'm sorry…I-I will never do…i-it…a-again…j-just please…s-spare my life." "Oh, sweetie, I'm not going to kill you. But, I'll help you to seduce a guy, you want?"The woman quickly shook her head many times because of fear. "N-no…no… si-sir please…no!" But she can't stop her boss from ripping her uniform. When Jack finished tearing off her upper and lower uniform, he even grinned demonically. "You're welcome, sweetie, don't cry. I'm just helping." Jack Krean Tomizara Miller is known as heartless and ruthless. He doesn't even care about people who beg him or asking him to forgive them for what they've done. He humiliated many employees.  So it isn't easy to get a new one on his property, even how significant the income is because they knew him as a demon. But a woman will give a try to apply as a new librarian. She's Linzi Mikaele Franzie.  What will be her fate after entering the famous library and meeting the Notorious Mafia King, Jack?

Meet Leon — a promising indie actor who’s about to take on a new film project. But his life takes a bizarre turn when he starts hearing a mysterious voice in his dreams, a voice that he cannot seem to recall. As the voice becomes more insistent and the dreams more frequent, Leon’s mental state begins to crumble, leaving him questioning the world around him. In the midst of all this chaos, Leon stumbles upon a fortune teller with incredible abilities who hands him a necklace and cryptic instructions to “listen to the voice of his heart.” With this new talisman in hand, Leon starts to unlock the truth behind the enigmatic voice, and as he digs deeper, he realizes that nothing in his life is quite as it seems. As he grapples with this revelation, Leon must also confront his long-term lover, Sheldon, and the secrets that have been kept from him. But what he uncovers goes far beyond what he could have ever imagined, and the truth he seeks threatens to unravel his entire existence. Will Leon be able to navigate the treacherous waters of his own mind and uncover the truth before it’s too late? One thing is for sure — when he finally discovers the truth behind everything, the repercussions will be more profound than he could have ever imagined. Copyright ️ 2022 HiGANBANA

Dominixe Cantavalle, an Alpha slayer, is torn between her loyalty to her father and her love for her Alpha mate. In a desperate bid to gain her father's favor and become the heir of the powerful House of Cantavalle, she chooses to betray and slaughter her mate's pack members, a decision that leaves her in a state of misery and despair. As if that wasn't enough, Dominixe finds herself betrothed to an abhorrent man arranged by her father and is forced to sleep with him against her will. But her fate takes a dark turn when she is poisoned by one of her own sister. In her dying moments, the only one who tends to her is a rogue Alpha who has long admired her. However, when Dominixe wakes up, she finds that she cannot remember him. She can only recall her fated mate Valerian Leveaux, whom she betrayed in the past. Determined to seek revenge against those who have wronged her and protect those who care for her, Dominixe sets out on a perilous journey, with her new allies by her side, to right the wrongs of her past and change the course of her and her Alpha mate's destiny. ︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵ Moon Goddess' Daughters series: Dameta, the Goddess of Time

Prologue. “You are not her,” his deep, dangerously dark voice whispered softly in her ear. “W…what do you mean? I am not who?” holding her breath unconsciously, she stuttered. “My bride. You are not the woman I was supposed to marry. Where is she?” His hoarse voice pierced through her chest like a knife and she felt her knees go weak, and then staggered backward, shivering. “Where is my bride?” === Sapphire Rodriguez's life got turned upside down when she suddenly had to take her twin sister’s spot on her wedding day. When she thought nothing could be worse than the maltreatment she was getting from her family, her twin sister got involved in an accident a day before her wedding which caused her to go into a state of comatose and she had to be the substitute bride until the real bride wakes up to take back her place. When the billionaire who married her was smarter than she had expected, Sapphire knew that her life was never going to be easy because this husband of hers will not believe that she didn't cause her sister’s accident in order to take her place at her wedding.

" I....I don't have anything else left with me, except my heart with love." She said crying her heart out with a pained expression in her black orbs. Staring at her vulnerable state, I went near her pulling her into my embrace and hugging her tightly preventing her from crumbling into pieces. Tears well up in my eyes too, but I blinked back squeezing my eyes shut. I didn't lie to her saying that everything will be okay and false promises that everything will be better. I stood there hugging her that would say enough for her that I'm there for her no matter what! Athena is a broken girl with only the memories of the horrible past which she hides it from everyone. She always smiles to heal her broken heart. Liam Knight is one hell of a successful and ruthless billionaire who owns Knight Industries. No one stands when it comes to business. To him, love means nothing but a trash and has no sympathy or kindness towards anyone. But she changes him at first sight. What happens when Athena is appointed as the Personal Secretary of Liam in which Liam tends to find the mystery about her that catches him off-guard. Will he protect her with all his life? Content/Trigger Warning: this story contains sexual content and deals explicitly with sexual assault and violence.

After crashing her stepfather's car, Jo Fisher faces a five-year sentence under the strict oversight of a high-level mafia vampire guardian. **WARNING: INCLUDES DARK SCENES SOME MAY FIND DISTURBING** In this new world order, large vampire families once thought to be the mafia in the 20th and 21st centuries, now preside over all legal matters and wield global authority after making their true natures known to the world. Jo's sentence is to be served as a contracted slave at Camilla Academy, a prestigious institution established by the more refined families. Here, vampires at a young age learn to coexist with their human counterparts and maintain control. All while ensuring their human charges become compliant and dependable sources of sustenance. Jo's options are limited. She must either adopt the role of a slave/pet to a vampire master or become the more cherished ward of a Daddy (or Mommy) vampire, expected to regress into an almost adolescent state of obedience. Dane, an ancient vampire prince underboss from the original family, is drawn to Jo's vibrant spirit and tendency to push boundaries. Captivated by her fiery demeanor and stubborn temperament, he is determined to have her as his mate rather than a subordinate. Can he temper Jo's vivacious spirit just enough for them to navigate the academy's demands without extinguishing the very fire that draws him to her?

I help my students gain admission to top state art academies, yet my boss, Sebastian Emerson, withholds every cent of the pay I earned from 24 consecutive days of overtime. When I confront him in anger, he accuses me of stealing 120 thousand dollars in training fees from the students. "Honestly, being poor is no excuse for being shady. And having disabled parents doesn't give you the right to steal. "You've got two days to pay it back! Otherwise, I'll make sure you spend a few nights in jail, and I'll even inform your parents!" When a student calls, he snatches the phone and starts screaming, "There's no money! All your tuition went into buying your art supplies! If you've got a problem, go ahead and sue me, brat!" Meanwhile, Jayla Buckley, who is curled up in his arms, keeps placing order after order of Chaennal haute couture without the slightest hesitation. Watching the two of them colluding so shamelessly, I grip my attorney license in my pocket until my knuckles ache. Take it to court? Litigation? That's my arena. And I'll make sure both of them end up exactly where they belong—behind bars.

After experiencing a devastating rejection, Eleanor found herself struggling to piece together the fragments of her shattered life. Accused of inadvertently causing her mate's father's death by administering herbs as a treatment, she was heartbroken when her mate chose to disbelieve her, imprisoning her and replacing her as his Luna. Despite giving birth to twins, she was forced to part with one of her children. In a state of irreparable heartbreak, Eleanor managed to flee the pack with her remaining child. Seven years later, she gained renown as a successful fashion designer and model. When Killian, her former mate, reappears in her life, will he easily recognize her as the once-vulnerable omega, Eleanor, whom he had mistreated? With a heavy curse hanging around Killian's pack, he embarks on a perilous journey to win back Eleanor's trust and unite their separate offspring. Will she ever find it in her heart to forgive him ? Turns out she was not only Killian's second chance mate but also the key to breaking the curse. Faced with a choice between forgiveness and uniting her twins, will Eleanor find it in her heart to rebuild a fractured family with Killian? In this gripping tale of love, betrayal, and redemption, Eleanor navigates a treacherous path where the stakes are high and the price of forgiveness may be their very survival…