This Seems Familiar Genshin

I swore I’d never let anyone distract me from avenging my father’s death—not love, not friendship, and definitely not Rylan McKnight, the infuriating boy who seems hell-bent on making my life miserable. But digging into my father's murder uncovered a strange, supernatural world I never knew existed; and Rylan might be the key to my survival... Or my downfall.

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

I was married to Chad Caldwell for ten years. I met all his girlfriends during our marriage. Whenever he got bored and wanted to move on, I was his best excuse. "If you marry me, you'll end up like her. Too familiar and no spark left." On our anniversary, I wiped tears for his latest ex, a college girl, while he was at the movies with his new fling. She used up a pack of tissues, and I seemed to see my old self in her. Afterward, I asked Chad for a divorce. He was confused. "Why not wait a bit? Maybe I'll turn over a new leaf." I gave a faint smile but said nothing. Instead, I booked a plane ticket and flew across the ocean. If he wouldn't turn around, I'd take the first step.

Ignoring the ridicule of others, Dahlia Green pursued and stayed with arrogant Mr.CEO Gideon Evans for nine years, from the time she entered second year of college until the present. The people around Gideon always looked down on her and mocked her for being just a lucky gold digger. Until one day, Dahlia decided to regain her self-respect and leave Gideon. They started betting to see how many days she could stay away from him. She calmly sipped a glass of wine: "I bet my whole life." From behind, Gideon hugged her tightly: "Haven't you caused enough trouble yet?" She slowly left the familiar warmth, her eyes no longer filled with love like before: "Mr. CEO Evans, please pay attention to your actions, we have broken up."

I woke up inside a novel, and not even as an important character. I became a pretty background extra in a smut novel. My brother, however, was the only normal person in the entire story. His character setting was the one man the soft, delicate heroine could never win over. He was the cold, unattainable Prince Charming she could never conquer. When the heroine cried and confessed her love, he was studying. When she offered him her whole heart and body, he was busy starting a company. When she spiraled into scandals and nightlife, he was already a billionaire, calm and untouchable. I thought he would live a quiet, ascetic life forever. Until one night, I walked in on him at midnight… holding a piece of clothing I recognized all too well, murmuring a name over and over, a name so familiar that my scalp tingled.

Scarlett Thatcher is the wife of one of the richest men in New York and a mother of two wonderful children, she is someone who can be classified as without blemish but behind all of this lavish lifestyle there comes pain. Not everything is as it seems. The new driver her husband hired seems to be on a mission of his, to tear down the façade of a marriage Scarlett has built. The question is if she would succumb to temptation

Lily never imagined she’d end up married to Ethan, her sister's boyfriend. But now, she finds herself under the same roof with Ethan and his family, her life taking an unexpected turn. Caught in the web of her confusion, anxiety, and the judgment of her family, Lily is left feeling more isolated than ever before. Once a close-knit and loving family, the atmosphere now crackles with resentment. Lily’s every move is scrutinized, and the disapproval from her own family is overwhelming. Her desire for acceptance seems impossible as the weight of her actions presses down on her. However, there’s one person who still offers her warmth, Mommy Maita, her mother-in-law. Unlike the others, she tries to make Lily feel welcome, offering her kindness and comfort. But Lily can’t help but question whether this kindness is genuine or just a way to keep up appearances in a family already torn apart by scandal. Ethan’s attitude towards Lily only complicates things further. His anger is palpable, and he seems resistant to accept her as his wife. Lily is left in the dark, wondering why he’s so hostile, when all she wants is a connection. But with every passing day, the emotional gap between them widens, and Lily is left questioning her place in this fractured life. Torn between her desire for love and the turmoil surrounding her, Lily struggles with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. As expectations and societal pressures weigh heavily on her, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever find a way out of this mess. Lily finds solace in her friends Miya and Rafael. They offer her the understanding and support she desperately needs, reminding her that maybe there’s still hope in a world that seems determined to tear her apart.

A young woman is forced to marry the rich and powerful Prince Axel Crivelli after her cousin fights for her life in the hospital, following a accident. But it wasn’t just an accident. It was a plan. Prince Axel Crivelli vows to break Cheska Jane, because to him , she’s just an opportunist. A gold digger. But little does he know, what seems to be the truth, is not so.

Only days after her eighteenth birthday, Iris finally joins her pack in attending the Winter Solstice, a gathering of the four Western packs in the United States. Even though she is a Beta’s daughter, Iris plans on keeping her head down at the party, a task that proves more difficult when she runs into the notorious Alpha of the Black River Pack. Alpha Sergio has still not recovered from the tragic, mysterious loss of his first mate. So when he bumps into a young girl from a rival pack and feels the familiar fire reignite in his core, he thinks Fate is playing a cruel joke on him. Intent on keeping Iris out of harm’s way, Alpha Sergio decides to push his young mate away. But Iris, and her dormant wolf, are determined to teach the broken Alpha how to love again.

Hazel loses so much in such little time. Betrayed, abandoned and lost, she accidentally summons a demon. Although the idea of selling her soul seems absurd at the beginning, several attempts to end her life make her realize just how much she needs his protection. All in good time, a signature is all it takes for him to aid her in her new found quest for revenge.