Ocean County Library Hours

16 year old Scarlet Paine struggles to understand what’s happening to her, as she wakes and realizes she’s becoming a vampire. Alienated from her parents and her friends, the only person she has left to turn to is Sage, the mysterious boy who has quickly become the love of her life. Yet Sage, whose house she finds boarded up, is nowhere to be found.

Scarlet, alone in the world, with nowhere left to turn, seeks out her friends and tries to reconcile with them. All seems to be patched up when they invite her to join them on a trip to an abandoned island in the Hudson—but as things get out of hand and Scarlet’s true powers are revealed, who her friends and enemies are becomes more confusing than ever.

Blake, still interested in her, tries to make amends. He seems sincere, and Scarlet is confused as she has to grapple with whether to be with Blake or to wait for Sage, who is nowhere to be found.

When Scarlet finally finds Sage, they have the most romantic time of her life; yet it is tinged with tragedy, as Sage is dying, with but a few days left to live.

Kyle, meanwhile, turned into the only other vampire left in the world, is on a murderous rampage, seeking Scarlet; Caitlin and Caleb consult with Aiden, and they each embark on different missions—Caleb to stop and kill Kyle, and Caitlin, to the famed Yale University library, to research the ancient relic rumored to both cure and kill vampires for all time.

It is a race against time, and it may be too late. Scarlet is changing rapidly, barely able to control what she’s becoming, and Sage is dying with each passing moment. As the book culminates in an action-packed, shocking twist, Scarlet will be left with a monumental choice—one that will change the world forever. Will Scarlet make the ultimate sacrifice to save Sage’s life? Will she risk everything she has for love?

I took a shortcut through the alley and watched Dante Marchetti put a bullet in a man like it was nothing. He saw my face. That was the end of my normal life. Within an hour I was in the back of his car being driven to an estate I had never seen before with gates that locked from the outside and a wardrobe full of clothes in my exact size waiting like someone had known I was coming before I did. He told me I wasn't a prisoner but a guest. He said people who wanted to find me were considerably worse than him and that his walls were the only thing standing between me and a conversation I wouldn't survive. Maybe he was right. The problem is the longer I stayed the harder it became to remember which one was true. Because the man who caught me in that alley wasn't the only version of him. There was another one that nobody else seemed to get to see. The one who stood alone in his dead mother's library looking tired in a way that had nothing to do with sleep. The one who had my cat brought to the estate because he heard me crying through a closed door and didn't know what else to do about it. The one who almost smiled when I threw a glass at his head. That version of him was the one I couldn't stop thinking about. I came here as a witness. I stayed as something else entirely. Somewhere between the locked doors, the candlelit dinners and the secrets we started sharing in the dark I stopped wanting to leave. The question was whether a woman like me could survive loving a man like him. I was about to find out.

Hugh McConaughey had always been in love with his girlfriend, but when he caught her cheating on him with his favorite student, he was devastated. The emotional turmoil he experienced was so intense that he contracted a strange disease, leaving him feeling more isolated and alone than ever before. In an effort to find peace and heal from his emotional trauma, Hugh decided to transfer to Santander, a tranquil town where he could start anew. He live in the house of her late grandparents near the university where he would be teaching and tried to forget about the past. But the peace he had hoped to find was not meant to be. One day, while arranging his things inside the house, a young lady entered and immediately caught his attention. She was beautiful, with long, flowing hair and piercing topaz brown eyes. But there was something about her that gave him a headache, both literally and figuratively. Despite his initial reluctance, Hugh found himself drawn to her. They began to spend more time together. He discovered that her name was June Skye and that she had a crush on their neighbour named Anton. As they spent time together, Hugh realized that he had developed feelings for June. But he was afraid to get hurt again after what had happened with his ex-girlfriend. One day, while having on a date in yatch overlooking the ocean, Hugh finally confessed his feelings to Skye. Her advised resonated with Hugh, and he knew that she was right. Hugh learned to let go of his past and move forward with a new love in his life. And his relationship with Skye showed him that love can heal and mend even the most broken of hearts.

Sold like a circus animal. Collared, forced into misery and self-hatred. With a single blow, she hopes to change her life, only to find herself trapped again. Ocean has no idea what freedom means, but she desires nothing more than a taste of it. The secrets hidden from her will unfold before her eyes, no one can escape the truth. ~~~ The book excerpt: "Here, I have a key to your heart," I left the key in my palm, metal, and skin together. I stumbled upon the ancient artwork in the locker rooms. It caught my attention because it resembles a dagger, so I took it and waited for the perfect opportunity. "Silly girl, that is not the key to my heart. Pathetic attempt." Vladimir growls in disgust. If I'm lucky, I'll be free by the end of the night. Taking the first step toward my destruction, I grin and move my hips in time with the slow music in the background. Vladimir swallows, his Adam's apple bobbles in his throat. The vampire's eyes focus on the crook of my neck as I stop directly in front of him. I place my palm on his chest, guide my fingertips down to his abdominal muscles, a corner of my lip twitches in disgust. When he closes his eyes, I take the opportunity to plunge the key directly into his heart, smiling as his eyes shoot open and he looks down at me in horror. "Are you still convinced I don't have the key to your heart?" I ask, grab him by the collar, and pull him closer. My lips nearly touch his ear as I whisper, "It fits."

Three years ago, on the day I married Luca Moretti, he personally handed me a marriage contract with a fixed term of three years. His tone was casual, indifferent, as if he were discussing an ordinary business deal. "This marriage exists solely to serve the alliance of interests between the Morettis and the Vitales. Sign this agreement. After three years, the marriage will automatically dissolve. When that time comes, you can go and pursue your true love." I barely hesitated before signing. Ten years earlier, at an inter-family business gala, when I was ten and Luca was sixteen, I had already fallen hopelessly in love with him. What looked like a strategic alliance was, in truth, the outcome of my decade-long unrequited love. During the three years of our marriage, Luca was attentive and gentle toward me. Over time, I began to believe I was loved. I sank into that illusion, unable to pull myself out, forgetting entirely about the agreement. That illusion was shattered completely on the night of our third wedding anniversary. That evening, Luca arrived with Elena, who had just returned to New York, and attended what was supposed to be our third anniversary celebration together. She stood beside him with ease and composure, smoothly engaging with business partners. People praised her, saying she looked more like the Donna of the Moretti family. In that moment, even though Luca never mentioned the agreement again, I understood clearly that it was time for me to step aside. After breaking free from his control, crossing an ocean to rebuild myself, and becoming a brilliant leader in my industry, I would no longer wait for his love.

Jenna’s life shatters when a dangerous-looking stranger corners her asking about Alpha Caesar, the most feared man on campus, survival instinct kicks in. She lies straight to his face and runs. But fate has other plans. She thinks she's escaped. She's wrong. The man in her bathtub proves it. Caesar—the ruthless alpha himself—is barely alive in her bathtub, his memories scattered like the trail of carnage he left behind. Jenna patches him up, counting the hours until she can shove him out her door and reclaim her quiet life. But when Caesar's eyes finally open, everything changes. He looks at her like she's the answer to a question she never asked. His words raw and impossible; "Mate." One word. Her whole world tilts. Because if Caesar believes she's his mate, whoever tried to kill him will be coming for her next. And the man who can't remember his own name somehow remembers her in ways that make her blood run cold. How can Jenna escape from the possessive grip of the Alpha who have sworn to never let her go?

"Do I feel like I need someone to warm me up?" He asked in a low voice. He had sat up, and suddenly, they were very, very close. "No," I whispered, staring at my hand that stubbornly attached itself to his chest. I had spent hours touching him, trying to find the worst injuries and treating them. But being face to face, where I could count each individual lash on his eyes, felt kind of intimate. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart if I concentrated hard enough. Without thinking, I stroked his skin softly. He breathed in sharply, and I felt the shudder that ran through him. I felt like I was barely breathing at this point. If I inhale too sharply, something in the air would just snap. "I must admit," He said in a low voice as though it was some kind of confession, "If anyone had ever told me you would be my final undoing, I would never have agreed to allow you become my son's nanny." *** When the ruthless billionaire finds himself falling for the single mother that's supposed to be the nanny of his son, he expects history to repeat itself again. (Possessive, obsessed, nanny, strong female lead, dominating male lead)

Isabella Monroy is hours away from marrying the man she loves — until the night before the wedding turns into a nightmare. After her best friend secretly spikes her drink, Isabella wakes up in the wrong room, half-dressed, with a dangerously handsome stranger stepping out of the bathroom. Her fiancé and her guests witness her leaving the room. And that cost her wedding and reputation. The stranger is Dante Moretti — a seductive billionaire who is secretly the ruthless King of Mafia, known as Draco. Their encounter had been a complete misunderstanding… or so they both thought. Weeks later, with her life in ruins, Isabella runs into Dante again. Sparks and hate collide. Dante is amused by her anger, drawn to her fire, and refuses to stay away. But when a rival mafia faction uses Isabella as leverage, Dante’s true identity comes to light. As danger encircles her, Isabella uncovers the truth: her best friend Camila and her fiancé Sebastian betrayed her. The “accidental” night was a setup meant to trap her. Now forced into Dante’s dangerous world for protection, Isabella battles her feelings for the man who ruined her life… and then saved it. Their chemistry turns explosive, their enemies grow ruthless, and their pasts collide in blood, passion, and betrayal. But that only made Dante more obsessed.

In the shadowed alleys of Ravenwood, Celeste Osborne finds herself irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic and dangerously alluring Lucian Bathory. Hired as an au pair for the mysterious Bathory family, Celeste quickly discovers that Lucian is no ordinary man—he’s a centuries-old vampire with a thirst for blood and a hunger that goes far beyond the physical. As Celeste is pulled deeper into Lucian’s dark world, the boundaries between fear and desire begin to blur. Her days are filled with tension, but it’s in the secret hours of the night that their passions ignite. Lucian’s touch awakens something wild within her, something she never knew existed, but it comes at a price. His world is one of power, danger, and ancient rivalries, and loving him means embracing a darkness that could consume her whole. As their forbidden romance intensifies, Celeste must decide if she’s willing to surrender to the seductive pull of Lucian’s world, where every kiss could be her last and every touch could bind her to him for eternity. In this tale of love, lust, and immortality, Celeste will learn that some desires are worth risking everything—even her soul. "Crimson Shadows: Forbidden Thirst" is Book I of the Crimson Shadows series. It is a dark and passionate story where love and danger entwine, pushing the boundaries of what it means to surrender to desire.

BXB Kane Trésor is annoyed that he had to move six hours away, into a new home and even worse, share a room with his step-sister Ally. Even the new school he has to attend has the most annoying type of kids, and let's not even mention the jocks that truly believe they're up and above everyone else. But Kane has to include himself in the surrounding, that was why he agreed to go to the welcome party at a football guy's house. Kane was having a good time, but he found a few people playing pool downstairs. And that's when he met him. Jay Kalister had been intriguing from the moment he met him. He was frail, pale and had the most beautiful blond curls he had ever seen. He was way too friendly, and Kane cannot help but pursue a friendship with this boy. But there are secrets that a being kept...something happened months ago that nobody speak on, but everyone knows happened. And it involves Ally, Jay and Jasper, the captain of the football team. They did something to Jay, but nobody's admitting to it, and Ally tries to break the friendship between Kane and Jay as much as she can before he uncovers the truth. But she never realized how difficult it would be to break such a bond...certainly when feelings start to surface between Kane and Jay....