Winona State Library Novels & Stories

Alina Hart, a sharp-tongued high school senior, hides behind sarcasm and wit to mask the pain of fractured family life. Shipped off to a prestigious boarding school by a father who no longer sees her, Alina struggles to find her place in a world of strict rules and academic expectations. Enter Professor Cristiano Wright, a 27-year-old literature teacher whose calm demeanor and sharp intellect make him both an enigma and a fascination. Tasked by Alina’s older brother Ethan to keep an eye on her, Wright finds himself drawn to the complexity beneath her rebellious exterior. In the backdrop of Shakespearean sonnets and Romantic poetry, Alina and Wright navigate an increasingly fraught connection. What begins as reluctant mentorship soon transforms into a tangled web of forbidden emotions, unspoken words, and an undeniable pull that neither can ignore. Set against the bustling corridors of an urban high school and the quiet corners of a library filled with unspoken confessions, Silent Flames, Forbidden Paths explores the fine line between admiration and desire, duty and vulnerability. As Alina and Wright grapple with their feelings, they must confront their moral boundaries and the cost of their choices. Can they maintain the lines they’ve drawn, or will their emotions blur them beyond recognition?

Thanks to my dad's work, I have to transfer schools. Soon, I go to my new school to register for my enrolment. After submitting my personal information, the teacher in charge shoots me an odd look. "Is your father Mr. Chapman, the new shareholder? His child should have enrolled with us a long time ago. In fact, his daughter is half a year older than you. You're not that person at all…" Stunned, I dig out my phone and show my photo with my dad to the teacher. She glances at the photo before showing me the system window. "Mr. Chapman's daughter has been studying in this school since the first term. He even donated a library to the school recently. This is a photo the school board has taken. You can take a look yourself." In the photo, my dad and an unfamiliar student can be seen standing at the school's bulletin board. That young lady looks as old as I do. Her features are similar to my dad's. In fact, she resembles him more than I do! If they are an actual father and daughter pair, then who am I?

“At least my books can distract me from remembering what you did to me last night.” “A distraction?” His lips ghosted over my ear. “Then I'll have to be more memorable. I'll take you on every surface of this library until the only story you know…is ours.” When Mirabelle witnesses mafia don,Theo Gaspard commit a murder, her life is his to command. To save her family, she must play the part of the ruthless billionaire's beloved girlfriend, living in his luxury mansion and warming his bed. Theo is a man of ice and control, but the defiant, soft-hearted server ignites a fire in him he can't extinguish. Their forced proximity is a battlefield of whispered threats and stolen, scorching touches which he tells himself it's all to protect his empire. As a deadly betrayal closes in from the heart of his own organization, their dangerous lie becomes the only truth holding them together. But when a secret from the past surfaces, Mirabelle discovers the man who holds her captive is hiding the one truth that could shatter them both.

Warning!! This book drips with heat, desire, and forbidden pleasure. Explicit content. Strictly for 18+ readers only. One reckless night. One irresistible stranger. One taste of sin that changes everything. They thought it was just lust, raw, intoxicating, and unforgettable. They thought they could walk away when morning came. But desire wouldn't fade that easily…not when the man they gave their body to turns out to be the very one they couldn't have. Her mother’s soon-to-be husband. Her Husband's Therapist. Her Soon-to-be Father-in-law. Her own student, young and untamed. Her Husband's nephew Her dangerously powerful new boss. The forbidden fruit was never meant to be touched, yet once tasted, it leaves them aching for more. Passion deepens, secrets twist tighter, and temptation refuses to let go. A collection of dangerously addictive series: Book 1: One-Night Stand With My Stepfather. Book 2: One-Night Stand With My Husband's Therapist Book 3: One-Night Stand With My Father-in-law Book 4: One-Night Stand with My Student. Book 5: One-Night Stand With My New Boss. Book 6: One-Night Stand With My Husband's Nephew. If you crave stories that are sultry, scandalous, and impossible to put down, slip this into your library and surrender to the heat.

“Look it over,” he said. “Take a few days. Or don’t. But if you do say yes…” He paused, eyes gleaming like he already knows my answer. “Then what?” I asked. “Then welcome to hell, Mrs. Montgomery.” Kaelia Bennett, a quick-witted guest service representative at the Montgomery Grand, agrees to pose as her influencer best friend Lilyanna Russo on a blind date with the State’s most eligible bachelor to sabotage it, only to face her billionaire hotel magnate boss, Freddy Montgomery. He proposes a fake engagement to disrupt a merger. As Kaelia struggles to balance her double life, forbidden sparks, and a cascade of secrets - her hidden Montgomery lineage, a vengeful ex, corporate fraud, and a mob-linked arson, will she save the hotel empire and her heart or will she be swallowed by it all?

[This is an English language version/translation] When Atlas, the driver of CEO Connor meets the broke woman, Heather, who wants to flip her poor world into the other way around, she rejects him and chooses her rich childhood best friend, Theory, in exchange of her virginity and also part of their deal in the past. Little did Heather knows that after she turned down Atlas for being a poor, his CEO boss, Connor, made him the heir of the company. Heather finds herself blind for months in her love for Theory that abuses her and cheats on her. She goes back to Atlas, one rainy night of December, asks for a second chance but soon as Atlas steps back after their hug, she saw another woman from behind in her late pregnant state, she's Margaery— Atlas' wife.

May's story is one of resilience and determination. After her mother's passing, she navigated a challenging home life, persevering to earn a degree from California State University. As she entered the workforce, May faced rejection and hardship, but found solace in her work as a barista. A traumatic encounter with her boss led her to redefine herself and land a job as personal assistant to the enigmatic James Lilion. As May navigates her new role, she's drawn into a world of mystery and intrigue. James's piercing gaze and sharp tongue make her heart skip a beat, but she's determined not to let her guard down. With each passing day, May feels herself being pulled into a web of secrets and lies, and she must confront her own demons to uncover the truth.

VENGEANCE (Killing and brutality is their punishment!) AMERICAN STORY SETTING The painful exist of Jasper parent left him in a state of dilemma, because he never for once ever thought of himself being so poor and catering for his sister. His parents properties was taken over by his greedy uncle, who sent Jasper, including his sister out of their mansion and left them with nothing on the streets. It was so dramatic but a bit tensed for Jasper, his wonderful best friends help him strive through, which he really appreciate. But when fate plays it game on Jasper, making his amazing friends become a villain and cause the death of his sister Michelle... Jasper life was turned upside down, his whole wall scrambled! He became cruel, wicked, sadistic and hungry for a revenge!

Adrian Castillo promised hell to Sophia Cox from the first day he met her. He was forced to marry her for his grandfather to help her father's company and so he disliked her. Adrian is who you'd describe as a sexy, arrogant, and intelligent man. He was one of the most wanted bachelors in the States and girls would kill to have him. Sophia is a timid, calm, and innocent twenty years old girl who had to marry Adrian to save her father's company. When these two get married, it's fire and ice combining to be one. Will Adrian be able to love Sophia or will Sophia be burned by Adrian's fire and no ship is formed? Read to find out how it was for Sophia to be married to one of the top billionaires in the State; Adrian Castillo.

While the criminal was brutally killing me, my dad, the head of the criminal investigation division, and my mom, the chief forensic pathologist, were attending my sister Lily Lambert’s match. In a bid for revenge, the criminal, who had once been captured by my dad, cut out my tongue and used my phone to call him. My dad only said one thing before hanging up. "No matter what’s going on, Lily’s match is the top priority today!" The criminal sneered, "Seems I’ve kidnapped the wrong person. I thought they would love their biological daughter more!" At the crime scene, my parents were shocked by the brutal state of the body and condemned the cruelty of the killer. However, they did not realize that the horrifically mutilated corpse was their own daughter.