Ocean County Library Hours Novels & Stories

Two paths crossed on a rainy night at the bar. Lorie was seeking space from an abusive boyfriend when she met Asher, who despite his emotionless eyes and cold aura, dripped with everything sinful. In the heat of the moment, they shared an intimate night, one that was etched into their memories. They parted ways not expecting to see each other again until Lorie was shocked to see Asher arrive at the company she worked as the new CEO who she was to be his secretary. Ten hours working together everyday, the memories of that night haunted them till an unexpected love story was born. But before they could welcome it, they were faced with obstacles in the form of themselves, people they knew and didn't know. Personal trauma, Abuse and manipulation embedded in their past and present tried to pull at their budding love. Amidst the pressure from family, Asher proposed a contract marriage with Lorie which she accepted to save her from a financial crisis. Their marriage brought them closer and at the same time increased their enemies. Will their love be strong enough to face the opposition?

I was performing the hundredth "restoration" surgery on my mafia husband's latest mistress when I finally decided to leave him. For five years, I, Isabella Rossi, have lived a double life: the respected wife of a powerful Don, and the personal physician tasked with "purifying" the women he discards. Vincent's twisted religious conviction is his law: only a wife untouched by any other man can bear his legitimate heir. I was that pure wife, yet he treated me as his most unclean possession. My love for him died a slow death. A thousand empty nights. It was killed by the cold steel of my own operating table. By the sounds of other women boasting about his touch. The five-year prenuptial agreement that bound me to this hell was set to expire at midnight. I had already called my grandfather, the only man Vincent truly fears. My escape was hours away. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.

The night I sleep with Graham Rowland, he has just broken up with his girlfriend, Leanna Sandoval. Out of responsibility, he marries me. Our marriage is calm and steady. I once believe this is forever. But then, Leanna dies of illness. When he goes to mourn her, he learns that Leanna discovered what happened between us that night. That is why she loses hope and leaves him. At the same time, he discovers my secret diary of unrequited love. He becomes convinced that I deliberately destroyed their relationship and comes to hate me deeply. He divorces me, leaves me with nothing, and makes my life difficult at every turn. At the brink of death, I hear him say in an icy voice, "Your love disgusts me." When I open my eyes again, I return to two hours before the fateful event that night—when he is about to get drunk after the breakup. I grab my coat, rush out of the room, and knock on Leanna's door.

Right after my father dies, I receive a call from the hospital, urging me to settle the hospital bills. "You're the next of kin for Carl Stone, Bed 23 of the Neurology Ward, correct? You still owe the hospital 246,000 dollars. Kindly settle the bill as soon as possible." The call completely catches me off guard. I turn around to look at my father's body in the casket. A rush of anger courses through me, but I suppress it and say, "I'm afraid you've made a mistake. My father is no longer a patient at the hospital." "I knew people like you would never admit to it. Do you think you can get away with it just because you snuck him out of the hospital without permission? "I'm giving you 24 hours to complete the payment. You don't want to find out what will happen if you don't!" Well, now I'm furious. "Go ahead and test me."

The night my family’s rival gang stormed the mafia ball, I was taken as leverage. My boyfriend, Nolan, and my closest friend, Riven, stood only steps away. But they chose to shield my cousin, Anna, instead. I was being saved by a secret man hours later—bruised, shaken, and already forgotten. No one asked what had been done to me. Nolan only said, “Anna was scared. She needed us more.” Days later, Anna invited me to her birthday party. I went out of courtesy—only to watch her cast me as the villain of her story. Nolan and Luca stood by her, protecting her again. That night, I said yes to the marriage alliance my family had prepared years ago. When I left the city, Nolan finally texted—angry, wounded, offended. “You’re really leaving?" I replied with just one line. “You’re more than welcome to my wedding.”

When the SAT scores are out, I've scored 400 out of 1600. That's because I never wrote anything on my exam papers. My mom goes crazy, whereas my younger sister, Melinda Bolton, bursts into tears. But I just laugh at them instead. In my previous life, Melinda had formed a pact with the score-swapping system. That was how she swapped our SAT scores. She became the top scorer that all prestigious universities fought to recruit. I, the valedictorian of my year, not only got into a trade school, but I also got expelled from my previous high school. Melinda had the gall to comfort me. "Didn't you call yourself a genius, Melissa? Trade schools are very popular right now. In the future, you'll secure a job at a factory out there!" In this life, I spend my exam hours sleeping in my seat the whole time. Melinda wants to swap her scores, right? Then, let's do it properly!

While I'm poisoned with wolfsbane, a female Omega named Rita Thorne has accused me of being a traitor of the pack. But my husband, Fenrir Grimm, refuses to listen to my explanation. As he holds Rita in his arms, he tells me icily, "Cynthia Huntley, you're no longer worthy of being my Luna. From today onward, Rita shall replace you as the Luna. You, on the other hand, shall be exiled from the pack." Not only does Rita brand a mark of humiliation on my face, but she also secretly swaps out the antidote for the wolfsbane with something else. She wants me to die as a disfigured she-wolf. I don't want to, nor am I willing to accept this fate. The moment before Death embraces me fully, I pray to the Moon Goddess desperately. When moonlight illuminates the land, I hear the Moon Goddess's loving voice. "Cynthia, you're given 48 more hours to live."

On the day billionaire CEO Damian Cole divorces her in favor of his mistress, Elena Reyes loses everything she thought mattered. Humiliated, betrayed, and carrying a secret she hasn’t shared with anyone, Elena walks away from her marriage determined never to look back. But fate has other plans. Within hours, Elena discovers she’s pregnant with twins and inherits her grandfather’s twelve-billion-dollar empire. Overnight, the discarded wife becomes one of the most powerful women in the world—and the owner of a debt that could destroy Damian’s company. As old secrets unravel and hidden betrayals come to light, Elena must decide whether revenge is worth the price of her future. With powerful enemies closing in and the father of her children desperate for a second chance, she finds herself caught between the woman she was and the woman she’s destined to become. This time, Elena Reyes isn’t fighting to save her marriage. She’s fighting to reclaim her life.

We've all had bad days, but when Jayna Mitchell gets dumped by her long term boyfriend AND loses her job in the same 24 hours, she believes she's hit rock bottom. While drowning her sorrows at an unfamiliar bar she meets Ryan Hanson, a handsome man who was also recently dumped by his boyfriend. After a night of drinking, Ryan offers Jayna an opportunity she can't refuse--to escape with him to his family's vacation home in Siesta Key. With nothing to lose, Jayna agrees, looking forward to a drama free vacation away from her worries. However, nothing prepared Jayna for the drama that is the Hanson brothers. What happens when Jayna and Ryan show up to the house at the same time as Ryan's estranged older brother Alec? Can the 3 of them co-exist peacefully, or will the attraction between Alec and Jayna and tension between Ryan and Alec tear apart her newly formed friendship?

“Fuck you, Carlo! I will not be marrying your son!” My body trembled slightly not just from anger, but fear also. “You will, piccolina,” he said in a low growl. “And if you curse at me again or use any foul language in my home, you'll be sent back to the dungeon.” My father was an abusive drunkard who made my life miserable, but there was hope, because I had just graduated high school, I planned to attend a college hours away from home where I could love dad from afar without having to be constantly hurt. I could almost taste my freedom until the devil, Don Carlo Moretti, showed up at my doorstep. Carlo was a dangerous mafia don, feared by many in both Europe and outside Europe. He was a heartless and cold-blooded murderer. A man who always got what he wanted—including me, his son’s betrothed. I was his now… his property as he always says…