Tom Lake Discussion Questions

“You’re marrying Mike Rowling. There’s no choice.” That’s what my mother said, her words as cold as ever. I never imagined my life would come to this—trapped in a marriage to a man I’ve never wanted. Mike is a bitter, broken billionaire, his heart sealed off after an accident that changed everything. He’s a stranger in his own home, and now, I’m his reluctant wife. But there’s something no one knows, not even Mike: my daughter Mia isn’t just my little girl—she’s his, too. A secret I’ve kept buried for years. As the days pass, I can’t help but feel the pull between us. He’s changing, softening, and my heart begins to betray me. But every smile, every touch, feels like a lie because of the truth I can never tell. Then one night, Mike looks at me with eyes full of questions, and I realize—he knows. Everything is about to unravel. Will the truth destroy us, or will it be the key to our future?

In a world of privilege and secrets, Chloe Sutton finds herself caught in a web of deception and heartbreak. Raised as a servant in the home of the wealthy Willis family, she forms a deep bond with the twin sons, Nathaniel and Sebastian. However, when a tragic accident occurs, Chloe's life takes a drastic turn.  Years later having been discarded and humiliated by Nathaniel while pregnant, she finds herself reunited with Sebastian, the black sheep of the family who holds an impossible proposal for her; marriage. As she goes through the rollercoaster of love, betrayal, and unexpected twists, new truths and secrets unravel and she finds questions about those she thought she knew best.  Will she find love in her fake marriage with Sebastian? Will she weather the storms that threaten to engulf her?

As the wife of the Colombian cartel heir, Krystal Serrano is a symbol of diplomacy and control. Dressed in silk, wrapped in silence, and displayed like a crown jewel at the center of power. But behind the flawless smile lies a woman raised not just to survive, but to rule. When her husband's betrayal ignites a war with the Italian mafia, Krystal is taken. Kidnapped and hidden away by Zachary Romano, the young, ruthless Don who solves problems with bullets and buries questions with bodies. He thought he had captured a soft, obedient mafia wife. What he brought home was a storm in heels. Krystal doesn't beg. She doesn't break. Her silence provokes, her lips taunt, and her gaze slices deeper than any blade. Inside the stone walls of his private villa, control begins to slip. Hatred turns into tension. Tension burns into obsession. And in their world, love always comes with blood on its hands. The ring on her finger still binds her to a man who believes she belongs to him. But what happens when a woman like Krystal meets someone dark enough to understand her, broken enough to match her, and reckless enough to want her? Because there's a difference between loving a woman like Krystal… And trying to own her. And Zach Romano is about to learn—only one man can stand beside her. The rest will be buried.

“He walked in like he owns the school. But the truth was that he wasn't a boy at all, She was wearing his blazer.” When Sonia Vale's twin brother, Silas, dies in a suspicious accident, her world falls apart. Questions that won’t stay buried. Secrets no one else wants to ask. And a billion-dollar family legacy now left exposed. So she does what no grieving girl should ever have to do. She becomes him. At Daxton Academy, Sonia wears his name, his uniform, and his past. But every step in Silas’s shoes pushes her closer to the truth and the danger he tried to outrun. Girls fall for her. Enemies close in. And Eric Blackbourne, the coldest boy in school, keeps looking at her like he sees something more. "Who are you, really?” he asks one night, voice low, eyes searching. “Would you hate me if I told you?” she whispers. She came to find a killer. She never expected to feel alive while pretending to be someone else. But when her twin shows up alive… All lies burn. And the real game begins.

On the day of the company's annual gala, my CEO husband suddenly assigned me an unexpected business trip. The plane had barely touched down when I received a call from his young assistant. Before I could utter a word, her voice came through, "Matty, did you send Daphne on that business trip just so we could spend more time together?" And then, as if to hammer the nail deeper into my heart, I heard his unmistakable tone—light, indulgent, full of affection, "What do you think, silly girl?" Her laughter rang out before she teased, "Then tonight, let's try something new. I promise you'll be satisfied..." The call ended amidst a swirl of suggestive murmurs. Staring at my phone, I waged a silent war with the pain gripping my chest. Again and again, I dialed his number, each attempt met with either silence or the cruel finality of his phone being switched off. Finally, I let out a bitter laugh, tucking the phone away as if to bury the wound it carried. From that moment on, I resolved—no more questions, no more efforts to understand this man who had once been my whole world. But fate has its own irony. Later, it was he who came back, pleading, begging me to love him again.

Detective Jane Michaels arrives in Ridgeview to start fresh after a catastrophic case nearly ended her career. On her first day, she’s assigned a gruesome case involving a serial killer who dresses his victims as brides and leaves a single rose. As Jane dives deeper, she uncovers unsettling details about the victims and their lives. Amidst the investigation, she crosses paths with Nathaniel Carter, a kind and mysterious local writer who slowly chips away at her walls. But Ridgeview is a town of secrets, and the truth is never as it seems. When a victim escapes the killer’s clutches and gives a description, the case takes an unexpected turn. The town is rocked as the killer is unmasked—someone who was hiding in plain sight. In the final confrontation, Jane must use her wit and emotional resilience to bring the killer to justice. But even as the case is solved, a sinister shadow lingers, and Jane faces her own demons, left with an unsettling gift that raises more questions than answers.

Evelyn "Evie" Moretti never wanted to be part of the mafia world. The daughter of a disgraced underboss, she’s spent her life dreaming of freedom—a life far away from the violence and betrayal that destroyed her family. But when her father’s debts to the powerful Romano crime family spiral out of control, Evie is forced to pay the price: an arranged marriage to Don Alessandro "Alessio" Romano, the ruthless and enigmatic head of the Romano family. Alessio is as cold as he is handsome, a man shrouded in darkness and driven by a thirst for revenge. From the moment Evie meets him, it’s clear that their marriage is no love story. It’s a transaction, a way to settle a debt and secure power. But as Evie is thrust into Alessio’s world of luxury, danger, and deceit, she begins to realize that there’s more to their union than meets the eye. Alessio harbours a deep hatred for her family, and his cruelty toward her is both calculated and personal. As Evie struggles to survive in her new life, she uncovers shocking secrets about her family’s past—and Alessio’s true motives for marrying her. Betrayed at every turn, she must navigate a treacherous web of lies, power struggles, and forbidden desires. But the more she learns, the more she questions who she can trust—and whether she can resist the dangerous pull of the man who holds her captive in every way. Bound by Blood and Betrayal is a dark, emotional mafia romance filled with twists, tension, and a love that burns as fiercely as it destroys. Can Evie find a way to escape Alessio’s grip, or will she lose herself in the shadows of his world?

He didn’t believe in love. She didn’t believe in fate. But the contract demanded everything. *** Alpha Carlos rules with power, fear, and desire. When a sacred ritual threatens to strip him of everything unless he claims a human mate before the next full moon, he makes a deal with the devil, one desperate woman. Sarah, drowning in debt, signs a contract: one year of marriage, no questions, no feelings just obedience and pleasure. She never expected her new husband to be a dominant, possessive werewolf and he never expected his heart to betray him. But Sarah isn’t just human. She’s the missing link to a lost bloodline. And when enemies come for her, Carlos will break every rule to protect the woman he was never meant to love.

The Shadow Knight is a dark fantasy novel that follows the transformation of Kaelen Dawnblade, a once honourable knight whose world is shattered when the corrupt religious Council falsely accuses his family of heresy. The story begins with Kaelen serving faithfully as a Knight-Captain in the Holy Citadel of Light. His perfect life crumbles when he's summoned to the capital, where the High Council, led by Grand Inquisitor Matthias, fabricates charges of shadow cult involvement against House Dawnblade. Despite Kaelen's protests, his family is systematically destroyed. His father executed, his sister Lyanna tortured, and his young nephew Marcus killed during "questioning." After escaping imprisonment, Kaelen discovers the true nature of the Council's corruption: they've been eliminating eastern lords who questioned their increasing taxes and power. Consumed by rage and betrayal, Kaelen encounters a mysterious merchant who guides him to the Soulstone, an ancient artifact of darkness. Through brutal trials that strip away his humanity piece by piece, he transforms into the Shadow Knight, a being of darkness with extraordinary powers. As the Shadow Knight, Kaelen begins a calculated campaign of vengeance against the Council, gathering allies among the oppressed. He discovers his new abilities allow him to destroy and heal, creating an unexpected inner conflict. Throughout his journey, he struggles with what remains of his humanity, ultimately choosing to retain his sense of justice rather than becoming a mindless force of destruction. The novel explores themes of corruption, vengeance, transformation, and the thin line between justice and revenge. As Kaelen evolves from righteous knight to shadow wielding avenger, the story questions whether one can fight monsters without becoming a monster oneself.

What if death wasn't the end? What if your soul could live on, even after your body had stopped breathing? What if there was a way to come back to life, even after you had died? These are the questions that haunted Alessia, a young lady who died a few days to her wedding. Finding herself in the afterlife, Alessia was given a chance at a second life - but only if she could find the soul that her own had been intertwined with from birth. What if the 31 days given to her to complete her task is only about her own survival but also to unravel secrets? And what if she isn't fated to live again?