New York Times 100 Notable Books Of 2023

“Who is this angel?” This was Sébastien Olivier de Monfort’s question the moment he saw Cassandra Applegate. She seemed so young, so innocent and so damn beautiful… He knew he had to have the gorgeous Cassandra at all costs. Sébastien discovers she is a young widow, and that her marriage has left her feeling ugly, broken, unwanted, and very doubtful around men. So, the moment they met in person, he took it upon himself to teach her all he needed her to know about sex, pleasure, passion… and love. In a short period, Sébastien teaches Cassandra so many things about life, about love, about herself… Right in front of her stunned eyes, he opens the gates of a new world where everything is possible, even falling in love and getting married in Paris to a devastatingly handsome French tycoon.

[R18] Daniel is the epitome of a badass police officer. Every girl he dated fell head over heels in love with him. His closest friend's brat sister, who is 12 years younger than him, is the only one who can tame him. But he is not the only man who fantasizes about her. He married her to ensure she was his, and she couldn't say no. Marriage, however, is not the key that will unlock her heart to him. To his wife's affection, he'll do everything. It's all or nothing.

She lowered her eyes, not being able to look directly into the eyes of his crush. Matthew however no longer felt embarrassed and in fact lifted Martha’s face by her chin and implanted a deep kiss on Martha’s glossy lips. The kiss lasted for not more than 10 seconds and it was Martha who had backed out of it. As quickly as she withdrew herself from the kiss, she made quick steps towards the encampment and after a few steps, she stopped and turned behind to Matthew “Let’s get back to the encampment or other might get worried” As she lost the sight of Matthew after turning back and walking towards the encampment, a smile made its way on Martha’s lips since deep inside, she was melting like a hot chocolate by remembering the tender way in which Matthew had lifted her chin and kissed her. On the contrary, Matthew panicked as he believed he made a mistake by kissing Martha without her consent. He quickly followed up with Martha when they were just a few meters away from the camp, fearing if she would blurt out everything in front of others. He couldn’t even muster up the courage to talk to her and chose to leave everything on fate. They reached the camping venue, much to Matthew’s surprise; Martha acted very normally in front of everyone but constantly avoided taking a look at him, let alone talking to him.

Jessica is living her life peacefully with her husband, Adam Peterson, when a creep shows up at her work place and sneaks a photo of her. Soon after that, an infamous boss of a drug cartel, Hugo Ortiz, arrives at her workplace with an army of guards. He calls her "Camila" and asks her to leave with him. She does not remember the man at all. She realizes that her husband had been keeping things from her. Upon digging deeper, she finds out that she had been married to Hugo Ortiz. It didn't take long for Hugo's enemies to use her as a target. Ivan Volkov, the most feared name of the bratva, has been sniffing for an opportunity to get his hands on Hugo and have his revenge for killing his only son. Jessica finds herself caught in the crossfire of a gang war while she struggles to remember how she ended up in Nebraska. What is the reality of her "husband"? Who Hugo Ortiz? Why doesn't she remember any of this? When she actually stumbles upon the answers to her questions, a part of her preferred living in blissful ignorance rather than stepping back into the world of blood and misery.

She was auctioned like an object, bought like a secret, and caged like a sin. After a brutal betrayal by the people she trusted most, Seraphina Vale is left drowning in debt and despair—until she’s sold at an underground auction to the one man every criminal fears: Lucien Marchesi, the ruthless head of a powerful mafia empire. Cold. Controlled. Deadly. The world assumes she’ll be discarded like the others who came before her. But Seraphina isn't a lamb sent to slaughter. She’s a lioness in velvet chains—calm, calculating, and waiting for her moment. Lucien didn’t expect her fire. She didn’t expect his scars. What begins as a twisted game of control and survival becomes something far more dangerous: emotion. As secrets unravel and obsession burns into something deeper, Seraphina edges dangerously close to what she swore she’d never feel again—trust. Love. Want. But she hasn’t forgotten her mission. Lucien was supposed to be her weapon, not her salvation. And when her revenge explodes into reality, both hearts will shatter under the weight of betrayal. Until he asks the one question that changes everything: “Have you ever loved me?” Chains of Velvet, Heart of Fire is a gripping dark mafia romance about love born from power, loyalty forged in fire, and two broken souls who dared to rewrite their fate. Perfect for fans of morally gray heroes, twist-filled emotional sagas, and heroines who take their power back—beautifully, mercilessly, and on their own terms.

Eve finds herself in a stranger's bed and she does the first thing that comes to her mind; run. This stranger appears later on to give her the formal offer to be his girlfriend with benefits. But what kind of benefits are they? And does she agree? What does the future hold for her and this stranger? Find out.

(Completed) A vampire with memory loss. A fae with vampire issues. What happens when fate merges their path? -----———————— Willow, a fae, an assassin, and also known as 'whisperer' by a selected few, is ordered to spy on the vampire king by her Guild head. But before she can venture on her task, she stumbles on a vampire in need of dire help. Lothaire, a two-thousand-year-old vampire, also known as the most powerful vampire by a selected few, has only known the life of a prisoner since he woke up in a cage some years ago. But before he can escape his reality he was tied and left to die. What happens when these two meet? Can Willow help him before Lothaire's captors re-capture him to finish the job? Will Willow help him when she learns his identity? Who are those captors? Why do they want to kill Lothaire? Can they find out before it's too late?

After six years of working tirelessly with every other thing in her life taking the back seat. Aria suddenly decided, it was time to kick off her working shoes and live life a little as she came up with a to-do list to guide her through. Easily said than done right? Especially when life doesn't always give us what we want. Not even with a carefully planned out to-do list to keep us grounded. Read to find out more in this journey of self discovery and love.

Denied for 18 years, Grace finally got the approval of her father, Alpha Dean, to take a vacation. She had never left the safety of the Black Hallow Pack. What her father didn't know, she never had plans to return once her vacation was over. Grace had a secret that even her father didn't know about, and never planned on telling him. However, any plans she thought she had came to a quick halt. Grace had a knack for getting into unfavorable situations and that included her first night visiting the Boone Valley Pack. The bar fight might not have been her fault but the last thing she expected was to be handcuffed. To make matters worse, the person that came to collect them from the human police was her mate. How will her mate react to meeting her for the first time, while being handcuffed? Will he rescue her from the claws of her father? The biggest question, can he keep her safe once her secret gets out?

Elena, a young girl known as the disgraced wolfless princess, confronts the harsh reality of royal life, discovering that her trusted friends are not as loyal as she thought. Meanwhile, Ryker and his family are bound to a life of servitude to the goddess. They learn fate and love are not always intertwined. Between Ryker’s obsession with young princess, his brother’s dark past, and his sister’s unforeseen destiny, twists and turmoil intertwine them with the royal family, leaving them shattered and their mission to the goddess unfulfilled. Jealousy, betrayal, lust, and love weave a complex tapestry, leading them through unexpected twists. Preview: “You try to belittle me, but it’s not going to work,” I taunted. “Do I look like a little girl?” She straightened, her glare fierce and untamed, canines protruding as she challenged me. “On the outside, you look like a warrior goddess, but I see in your eyes the little girl begging to be played with,” I retorted, trying to get under her skin. “And you look like a sick man with too much power on the outside, but I see the impediment boy whose daddy never really loved him inside you,” her smirk revealed she’d struck a nerve. I couldn't hold back. I stood, pulling her up by her neck and slamming her into the wall, my feral growls echoing. “You’ll be careful how you speak to me. I can sense your strength, but trust me, I will overpower you.” Her claws dug into my wrist, more growls erupted. My canines poised to end her life, but she welcomed the confrontation. “You’ll never control me!” She declared defiantly. “No? You don’t think I can make you submit?” I challenged, my wolf and I ready to teach her a lesson.