Romantic Online Reads

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

My fiance, Victor Blackwood, is a mafia boss who rules the country's underworld with an iron fist. To the rest of the world, he is the epitome of power. Yet to me, he is the embodiment of love. But I do not realize the cost of loving a man like him. On Valentine's Day, I cook his favorite dishes and wait for him to come home. However, time passes, and his chair stays empty. Uneasy, I go to Queenie Stone's social media page. She is Victor's foster sister. She posts, "All I said was that I felt lonely, and he came right away. "Even when I accidentally spilled wine on him, he didn't mind. Victor is still someone who puts family first, even if it means neglecting his lover. "He never lets me down. I hope things stay that way." In the photo, Victor's shirt is soaked at the waist. Queenie's handkerchief lingers near his most private parts, but he doesn't pull away. He merely looks at her affectionately. I do not make a fuss and give Queenie's post a like. Then, I send Victor a message that reads, "Let's break up." Victor ignores it as always. Later, I discover that when my breakup message popped up, he had said offhandedly, "Vivienne can't live without me. She's just acting out. "If I ignore her for a few days, she'll come crawling back by herself. She's easy to please." What he doesn't know is that I was easy to handle only because I once loved him. But now that I have decided to leave, he cannot make me turn back, no matter how he tries to win me over.

Emma has always excelled at everything—except love. Betrayed by the two people she trusted most, her heart shatters in an instant, leaving her questioning everything she believed about loyalty, trust, and happiness. When an unexpected opportunity lands in her inbox—a prestigious internship in Paris—Emma sees a chance to escape the heartbreak and start anew. But leaving behind everything familiar is never easy. As she steps into the romantic streets of the city, she discovers that love can be as unpredictable as it is irresistible. Between stolen glances under the Eiffel Tower, the pulse of the city at night, and a mysterious stranger who challenges everything she thought she knew about love, Emma must decide if she’s ready to trust her heart again… or if some scars are too deep to heal. Some hearts must break before they can soar.

When I was five months pregnant, my mafia husband Dante Pierce had an affair with his childhood sweetheart. That was when I discovered that our marriage certificate was fake. He had secretly married someone else behind my back. Even worse, the child I was carrying would be excluded from the family inheritance. From beginning to end, I was nothing more than a public front for his precious childhood sweetheart. After learning the truth, I did not cry or throw a tantrum. I quietly erased my legal identity, changed my name and disappeared forever with my child. However, later, everyone claimed that Dante, head of the Pierce family, was a hopeless romantic who had given up everything to search for the wife and child who had vanished without a trace.

Most girls dream of marrying a billionaire.Me? I’d rather make fun of one. Especially if the billionaire in question is Alexander Grant, the mega-hot entrepreneur who seems to top every magazine’s “Rich Eligible Bachelors” list these days.To me, he’ll always be Alex, my childhood best friend. The guy who joined me on all sorts of wild teenage misadventures. The only person in our small town who understood me.It’s been four years since I’ve seen Alex. But suddenly he’s back in our town at the exact same time my life is imploding around me.I only hope my heart is prepared.Due to explicit scenes, this friends-to-lovers romantic comedy is rated 18+. The Billionaire Escape Plan is created by Ember Casey, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Vinca's life had turned into a nightmare. She was in utter pain, not remembering where she was or what had happened to her as her mind was blank and shrouded in darkness. Instincts told her that she needed to fight for her life. To survive and remember was her immediate goal. With time, she came to the realization that somebody wanted her dead and forgotten. Frost, also known as the Ice King, is as cold and aloof as his name suggests. An unrelenting man in his 30s, his life changes completely when he rescues a damsel in distress who slowly thaws his heart, turning him into a possessive lover on the road to seek revenge for his Sweet Pink. Love, mistrust and bittersweet revenge are intertwined in this romantic story of two broken hearts that are destined to stand the test of time as they wrap themselves in a healing process, but will they have their happily ever after?

Rosalie sister Rebecca is getting married and her fiancé Ben comes from a very wealthy family. His brother Julius is a billionaire bad boy and his best man. When he meets the maid of honor (Rosalie) sparks fly. Her quick wit, raw talent for the cello, and captivating beauty leaves him wanting to leave his rambling ways behind forever but she wants no part in being with a play boy. She isn’t impressed with fame and fortune and she’s nothing like the women he’s use to. Planning the wedding of the century and celebrating each moment leaves Rosalie and Julius falling into each others arms-but can he keep her there? This romantic comedy will leave your heart racing with wild passion and laughing along the way.

Cassandra, a successful billionaire, a smart woman in her mid thirties, fierce and feared by her rivals. She's got everything any human would seek for; money and fame, except happiness and the ability to move on from her past. Cassandra hated men to the core, due to past heartbreaks, and swore not to have anything to do with men, no matter the side talks. But unfortunately for her, she found herself being attached to her young PA, Dennis, who inturn had fallen so deeply in love with her. Will Cassandra be able to admit her love for Dennis, or will her past prevent her? But what happens when a ravishing secret is unveiled..? Would the secret still keep their bond together, or would their love story end up as just a romance entanglement? Find out more about this hot romantic story!

Alina discovers the heartbreaking news that her sister Camille is engaged to her ex-husband Barry upon her return to London after two years overseas. A sex tape of the two is sent in an anonymous message further betraying the trust. In an effort to recover her life and fortune Alina suggests a contract marriage to Dante Navarro, a vicious billionaire who has a personal grudge against Barry. A sincere connection develops between them as they work through their fake marriage, public personas and secrets. They reveal Barry and Camilles deceit as they work together to destroy their schemes. Amidst the turmoil, Alina and Dante face their past traumas which results in an unexpected romantic relationship. In the end Alina regains her inheritance and her authority while discovering true love can find you anywhere at unexpected places.

I should have never turned her away. So many years have passed, and she’s back in my life. But our parents dating for a while left me refusing her. And she left for the romantic city of Paris. My pretty girl becoming a ballerina. Forever gone. But life has a way of taking things full circle. Due to an injury, she’s back in our small town. My second chance to make things right stares me in the face. She’s all grown up, and still stealing my every thought. But I can’t compete with her dreams. Letting her go is what’s required of me, and I do it, but not without cost. Never in a million years did I expect her to take a gift with her. A secret. My baby.