Novel & Cerita Sci-fi Must Reads

During an elective class, the campus belle, Jemima Ford, who is our senior, describes her ideal type with everyone egging her on. She says, "My future husband has to be at least six feet two inches tall. His parents must be college professors, and his grades should be top three in his major…" The room buzzes with teasing chatter and gossip. At the same time, I snap up my head in surprise. Why does Jemima's description of her ideal type sound like my boyfriend, Elijah Sanders? The next second, the professor standing by the podium smiles obsequiously and says, "Very well said. If Eli hears this, he'll definitely be very happy! Later, the two of you can meet. That way, he won't get tricked by some naive girl into going abroad." Amid the burst of laughter from the class, I lower my eyes and look at the message my parents sent me. It reads, "Sweetheart, are you really going abroad with your boyfriend? There'll be no one left to inherit our company with you gone."

On the eve of our wedding, I find out that the wedding invitations have Travis Somerson's and his assistant, Victoria Cademere's names printed on them instead of mine. I demand an answer from Victoria, who bursts into tears and tells me that she has accidentally mistyped the bride's name as hers. Travis calls me right away. "It's just a naming mistake, Harper! Must you make such a huge deal out of such a small mistake?" He even calls me a petty and jealous woman who can't even tolerate the presence of a female employee in his vicinity. Five minutes later, Victoria uploads another social media post. Apparently, not only has she uploaded a photo of the wedding invitation, but she also adds a couple photo of her and Travis being lovey-dovey. The caption reads, "Mr. Somerson told me that even if I screw up, he'll be there to help me settle everything." If a female employee were to provoke me in the past, I'd have forced Travis to fire the former. But this time, I no longer care about him anymore.

When a child mysteriously disappears from a small town and even his mother seems indifferent, it’s time for the new sheriff to step in. Meet Chris Baker, the new sheriff of the quiet Adirondack town of Clifton Heights. As one inexplicable case after another forces him to confront the townsfolk in The Skylark Diner, it’s the furtive Gavin Patchett that hands Chris a collection of not-so-fictional short stories that tumbles him into a world of monsters, ageless demons, and vengeful citizens. As Chris reads through the stories the veil starts to lift, and he soon questions what is real and what’s not, and whether he really wants to know. Nothing will ever be the same again. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

The rumors say that Yardley Hughes’ fiancée is a hillbilly from the countryside, ugly and uneducated, a dowdy woman. But when she shows up at a gala, the sight of Celia Stanton stuns the whole crowd! “How’s that ugly?”“I heard she’s pals with an award-winning actor!”“Her dad’s the wealthiest man on earth!”“I heard she’s the famous fashion designer, Leo!” As each of her secret identities are exposed, everyone is dumbfounded. But none of that matters, because Yardley still doesn’t like her. Yet, the official social media account of Hughes Incorporated makes a post that reads, “The pair are in love and will marry soon,” shocking the world.

Elena Rossi’s life shatters when her father’s gambling debt attracts the attention of the mafia. ‎With no money to repay them, Elena is taken to a secret auction where desperate women are sold to powerful men. ‎Just when she thinks her fate couldn’t get worse, the most feared mafia boss in the city makes the highest bid. ‎Dante Moretti. ‎Cold. Ruthless. Untouchable. ‎Now Elena belongs to him. ‎But the deeper she falls into his dangerous world, the more secrets she uncovers. ‎Because Dante didn’t buy her out of desire. ‎He bought her because she reminds him of the one woman who betrayed him. ‎As enemies close in and a mafia war begins, Elena realizes something terrifying. ‎The ruthless man who owns her body might soon own her heart. ‎And in Dante Moretti’s world… ‎Love can be just as deadly as betrayal.

Th‍e⁠ir marriage was a transaction.⁠ Th‍eir war was p‍e‌rsonal. T⁠hei‌r pas‌sion was unforeseen. Elara Vega is an⁠ artist whose life i‌s p‌ainted in bold⁠, rebellio‌us colors. When a devastating betrayal by he‌r‍ own family threa‍tens to de⁠stroy everything‍ her⁠ father built, she is‌ given a brut⁠al ch‍oice: sell her‌ freedom to save his le⁠gacy. ⁠Kaelan Sterling is a billionaire fortress of ice and ambit‍ion. To secu⁠re a cruc‌ial merger and shield his empire from a l‌urking threat, he needs‍ one thing: the per⁠fect, unto⁠uchable wife. He doesn't want lo‌ve; he wants a business‍ pa‍rtner. Bound by a cold, clinical contract, they a⁠re‌ enemies from‍ the start. He sees her as a chaotic liability. She sees him as a heartless tycoon. Their for‌ced proximity is a battle of‌ will‍s, fi⁠lled⁠ with sha‌rp word‌s and eve‌n sharper attra‍ction. Bu‍t in t‍he gilded cag⁠es of penthouses⁠ a‌nd high‌-society ga‍la⁠s, a dangerou‍s fire ignites. As a c‍ommon en‍emy closes in, their fa⁠ke r⁠elationship begins to feel terrifyingly real. The lines between strategy and surrender b‍lur. But when hi‍dden truths surface and old‍ wounds are ripped open, their fragile trus⁠t shatt⁠ers. Now, El⁠ara must‌ decide if the man behind th‍e fortune‌ i‍s worth the ultimate risk, and Kaelan must learn that some bonds are too powerful to be broken-even by a billion-dollar contract.

Olivia has spent her entire life in Bremia avoiding the war and dreaming of a life away from conflict. She reads of times when fighting is not commonplace and wars not a constant. The country of Bremia has been plagued with war for decades with no peace in sight. One day, she finds herself in the midst of an attack with bullets flying and explosions crumbling the walls of the city. In a desperate attempt to save her sister from an oncoming attack, she throws herself at the mercy of the warrior. She finds herself staring at a man whose very existence will change her fate forever. Will the forces of evil keep them apart, or will the forbidden love find a way?

I'm an heiress who's been bound to a gossip system. Everyone reads my mind on my first day back home after being reunited with my family. "Mom sure has done a good job of maintaining her beauty. It's no wonder she became an OnlyFans streamer after divorcing Dad." My mother is about to berate me for something, but she pales and stops when she hears my thoughts. I glance at the fake heiress, who's weeping pitifully. "My, she's pregnant. Is it John's or Zach's?" My two brothers exchange odd looks. Then, my father arrives. I cluck my tongue. "Oh, it's Dad's."

Emily Harlow never agreed to be sold on national television, until her mother signed her up for The Marriage Lottery, a ruthless show pairing society’s “undesirable” women with husbands willing to take them. Alone, in a torn gown, under blinding lights and a nation laughing, Emily opens her only offer and reads the name aloud. Damien William Hardy. The audience erupts in disbelief. A joke, they say. A mistake. Because what would a man like him ever want with a leftover woman? Damien Hardy did not choose Emily Harlow. Her presence is an intrusion into his plans, his reputation, his bloodline. He will break her, piece by piece, until he uncovers the secret she’s hiding. And yet… against all odds, she has claimed the most eligible man in the country. But can she keep him?

On New Year's Eve, I prepare a feast. The clock strikes twelve, but my husband, Vincent Porter, still isn't home. My daughter, Lorelei Porter, tugs at my sleeve and holds up my phone. "Look Mommy, Daddy is at this lady's house!" Vincent has posted an update on Twitter. He is with Christine Snow, his childhood sweetheart. They are smiling at the camera, with a boy who looks about ten standing between them. In front of them sits a swan-shaped cake. The caption reads, "The most special day for the most special you." My heart sinks into my stomach. A marriage that came later in life can never compete with a pair of childhood sweethearts. I accept defeat.