recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Insatiable

## Summary

I didn’t mean to see him naked--it was an accident.

It had to be, right?

Because Noah McCormick and I have never been anything more than friends. In all the years I’ve known him, he’s never once laid a finger on me. And even though he was a cute lifeguard at 16 and a hotter-than-hell sheriff’s deputy at 34, he's always been that protective guy I could trust to keep his hands to himself. I never wanted to mess with that.

Until I walked in on him getting out of the shower and saw his hard, muscular body totally bare and dripping wet. At that moment I never wanted to mess with anything so badly in my entire life.

I should have covered my eyes. Said I was sorry. At the very least, I could have handed him a towel.

After all, I was only in town for a few days, and he was just doing me a favor by escorting me to my sister’s wedding. It wasn’t a real date.

But I didn’t apologize. And he didn’t cover up.

(Talk about a hot mess.)

After all those years of being just friends, suddenly we’re insatiable.

He’s made it clear he’s not interested in romance. Which is fine with me because

I’ve got a plane ticket back to my real life at the end of the week.

It’s all in fun...or is it?
Nikki Sloane

Official site: https://www.nikkisloane.com/

## Official Bio

*USA Today* bestselling author Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. Now she writes full-time and lives in Kentucky with her husband, two sons, and a pair of super destructive cats.

She is a four-time Romance Writers of America RITA® & Vivian® Finalist, a Passionate Plume & HOLT Medallion winner, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist, and couldn't be any happier that people enjoy reading her sexy words.

## Contemporary Series

### Filthy Rich Americans

* The Initiation
* The Obsession
* The Deception
* The Redemption
* The Temptation

### The Blindfold Club

* It Takes Two
* Three Simple Rules
* Three Hard Lessons
* One More Rule
* Three Little Mistakes
* Three Dirty Secrets
* Three Sweet Nothings
* Three Guilty Pleasures

### The Nashville Neighborhood

* The Doctor
* The Pool Boy
* The Architect
* The Frat Boy

### Sordid

* Sordid
* Destroy
* Torrid
Kali Anthony

Official site: https://www.kalianthony.com/

## Official Bio

Kali read her first romance novel at fourteen, when an enlightened teacher set Georgette Heyer’s Regency Buck as the eighth-grade text. She’s always thanked Miss Kennedy for introducing her to the genre which led Kali to realise a few truths; that there can never be too many happy endings, and that one day she would write them herself.

After marrying her own tall, dark and handsome hero in a swoonworthy friends-to-lovers romance, Kali took the plunge and penned her first story. Writing’s been a love affair ever since. Now she’s an author for Harlequin Presents/Mills and Boon Modern, which has been a lifelong dream. Armed with coffee (or wine and chocolate depending on the time of day and what she’s writing!) you can find Kali battling her cat for access to the keyboard, whilst she pens the stories she loves the most. Those where happy endings are the rule rather than the exception.

In her spare time, Kali loves growing roses and vegetables (if the possums don’t get to them first), meandering in the park with her rescue greyhound, playing dress-ups in vintage clothes or bushwalking with her husband and three children through the rainforests of South-East Queensland.

## Contemporary Standalones

* The Marriage That Made Her Queen
* Snowbound in His Billion-Dollar Bed
* Off-Limits to the Crown Prince
* Bound as His Business-Deal Bride
* Revelations of His Runaway Bride
How to Catch a Wild Viscount

## Summary

Luke Trenton, Viscount Merritt, returned from war a changed man. Battle stripped away his civility and brought out his inner beast. There is no charm or tenderness in him now; only dark passions and a hardened soul. He has nothing to offer the starry-eyed, innocent girl who pledged her heart to him four years ago.

But Cecily Hale isn't a girl any longer. She's grown into a woman--one who won't be pushed away. She and Luke are guests at a house party when a local legend captures their friends' imaginations. While the others plunge into the forest on a wild goose...er, stag chase, Cecily's on the hunt for a man. She has only a few moonlit nights to reach the real Luke...the wounded heart she knows still beats inside the war-ravaged body...or she could lose him to the darkness forever.

This is a novella of approximately 20,000 words, or 80 pages. It was originally published under the title The Legend of the Werestag.

### Romantic Leads

Cecily Hale, Luke Trenton, Viscount Merritt
Jana Aston

Official site: https://www.janaaston.com/

## Official Bio

Jana Aston likes cats, big coffee cups and books about billionaires who deflower virgins. She wrote her debut novel while fielding customer service calls about electrical bills, and she's ever grateful for the fictional gynecologist in Wrong that readers embraced so much she was able to make working in her pajamas a reality. Jana’s novels have appeared on the NYT, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists, some multiple times. She likes multiples.

## Contemporary Series

### Cafe

* Wrong
* Right
* Fling
* Trust

### Vegas Billionaires

* Good Girl
* Good Time

### Best Laid Plans

* Sure Thing
* Plan B

### Reindeer Falls

* The Boss Who Stole Christmas
* If You Give a Jerk a Gingerbread
* The One Night Stand Before Christmas
* Elves With Benefits
* One Night With a Nutcracker
* The Bachelor on the Shelf
Love on Lexington Avenue

## Summary

There are no good men left in New York City. At least that’s Claire Hayes’s conviction after finding out her late husband was not the man she thought he was. Determined to rid her home of anything that reminds her of her cheating husband, Claire sets out to redesign her boring, beige Upper East Side brownstone and make it something all her own. But what starts out as a simple renovation becomes a lot more complicated when she meets her bad-tempered contractor Scott Turner.

Scott bluntly makes it known to Claire that he only took on her house for a change of pace from the corporate offices and swanky hotels he’s been building lately, and he doesn’t hesitate to add that he has no patience for a pampered, damaged princess with a penchant for pink. But when long workdays turn into even longer nights, their mutual wariness morphs into something more complicated—a grudging respect, and maybe even attraction...
Louisa Edwards

Official website: https://www.louisaedwards.com/the\_author.html

## Official Bio

Louisa Edwards grew up in Virginia, surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. By age 11, she was sneaking Harlequins out of her visiting grandmother’s suitcase, making her parents nervous about what, precisely, their little girl was learning from those books. Naturally, they were relieved when Louisa decided to attend Bryn Mawr College, hoping the Seven Sisters vibe might instill the intellectual rigor she thus far seemed to lack.

To their dismay, however, even the ivy-covered halls of Bryn Mawr couldn’t distract Louisa from her addiction to romances. Instead, she traded in her Harlequins for longer, juicier single titles, reading everything from Laura Kinsale to Jennifer Cruisie. She also managed to graduate cum laude with a degree in Romance Languages (which is not as sexy as it sounds—mostly she studied Spanish, French, and Italian literature, although some of that French stuff did get fairly racy.)

After graduation, Louisa moved to Manhattan, landing a job as an editorial assistant at Penguin Group (USA), where she worked directly for the smart, savvy president of Mass Market Paperbacks, Leslie Gelbman, who guided Louisa as she built her own list.

Vindication! It was possible to make a living from reading romance novels. Louisa’s parents were equal parts surprised and thrilled. While at Berkley, Louisa was lucky enough to work with some great authors, assistant editing Leslie’s heavy hitters, Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz. Louisa’s own list included, among others, Lucy Monroe, Jennifer St. Giles, and Shelley Bradley. All of which led to Louisa being promoted to assistant editor.

Then real life romance ensued: Louisa married a journalist and was promptly exiled to Ohio so her husband could work for his family’s newspaper. There Louisa started reviewing romances for FreshFiction.com and took a part-time job at the Culinary Vegetable Institute. Personal interaction with chefs, plus the limited repertoire of local restaurants stoked Louisa’s interest in food. She began critiquing restaurants for the local newspaper, got sucked into Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, trailed a chef friend at his restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, started cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and decided to bring it all together by writing CAN’T STAND THE HEAT.

Now she awaits the response of the masses to her foodie-inspired romance. Meanwhile, Louisa will continue to eat in as many wonderful restaurants as possible—purely for research, of course.

## Contemporary Series

### Recipe for Love

* Can't Stand the Heat
* On the Steamy Side
* Just One Taste

### Rising Star Chef

* Too Hot to Touch
* Some Like It Hot
* Hot Under Pressure
Honeytrap

## Summary

At the height of the Cold War, a Soviet and an American agent fall in love.

Soviet agent Gennady Matskevich is thrilled when he's assigned to work with American FBI agent Daniel Hawthorne. There’s just one catch: Gennady’s abusive boss wants him to honeytrap his American partner. Gennady doesn't want to seduce his new American friend for blackmail purposes… but nonetheless, he can’t stop thinking about kissing Daniel.

FBI agent Daniel Hawthorne is delighted to get to know an agent from the mysterious Soviet Union… and determined not to repeat his past mistake of becoming romantically involved with a coworker. But soon, Daniel finds himself falling for Gennady. Can their love survive their countries’ enmity?
Kate Bateman

Official site: https://www.kcbateman.com/

## Official Bio

Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is the #1 bestselling author of Regency, Victorian, and Renaissance historical romance. Her Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, is a Romance Writer’s of America 2019 RITA® Finalist and her Regency-set A Counterfeit Heart (Secrtes & Spies series) won the 2018 Book Buyer’s Best contest for Best Historical Romance.

Kate wrote her first historical romance in response to a $1 bet with her husband who rashly claimed she’d ‘never finish the thing.’ She gleefully proved him wrong. Her books feature her favorite intelligent heroines, (badasses in bodices!) wickedly inappropriate banter, and heroes you want to both strangle and kiss.

When not traveling to exotic locations ‘for research’, Kate leads a not-so-secret double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK, each of which has up to 2.5 million viewers. Before writing romance, Kate was director and valuer at her own UK Auction House, Batemans in Stamford, Lincolnshire. She currently splits her time between Illinois and her native England and writes despite three inexhaustible children and that husband… who still owes her that dollar.

## Historical Series

### Ruthless Rivals

* A Reckless Match
* A Daring Pursuit
* A Wicked Game

### Bow Street Bachelors

* This Earl of Mine
* To Catch an Earl
* The Princess and the Rogue

### Secrets & Spies

* To Steal a Heart
* A Raven's Heart
* A Counterfeit Heart

## Historical Standalones

* The Devil to Pay
* The Promise of a Kiss
* A Midnight Clear
Just One Night

## Summary

Riley McKenna knows sex—good sex, bad sex, kinky sex…Her articles in *Stiletto* magazine are consistently the publication’s most scandalous—and the most read. But Riley has a secret…all that sexy talk? Not an ounce of it comes from personal experience. Her own bedroom escapades are more limited than even her best friends know. When her editor requests that all columnists write something more personal for *Stiletto*’s anniversary issue, Riley turns to the one man she’s always been able to count on and calls in the favor of a lifetime.

Sam Compton would do anything for Riley McKenna. Anything except be her experimental sex toy. He refuses her request. At least until she tells him that it’ll either be him or she’ll go to someone else. And that, Sam can’t accept. Reluctantly he agrees to her terms—one night of completely meaningless sex in the name of research. Riley thinks she’s prepared for what awaits her in Sam’s bed. After ten years of writing about sex, actually doing it shouldn’t be that different, right? So wrong. What starts as “one time only” becomes “just one more time.” And then one more. And before they know it, Riley and Sam learn first-hand that when it comes to love, there’s no such thing as just one night.
Love in the Afternoon

## Summary

*She harbors a secret yearning.*

As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted . . . and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man—just to avoid spinsterhood?

*He's a world-weary cynic.*

Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix's friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul—and it's becoming clear that Christopher won't come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru's disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru's letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep . . . and when Christopher comes home, he's determined to claim the woman he loves.

What began as Beatrix's innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love—and a passion that can't be denied.
One Hot December

## Summary

Never mess with a woman who carries a blowtorch in her backpack. Welder and artist Veronica "Flash" Redding's playful sense of evil sometimes gets the better of her. Like when her insanely handsome, wealthy, suited-up boss gave her the most sensuously wicked night of her life…then dumped her. Yep, revenge is a dish best served hot.

Only Ian Asher isn't quite letting Flash get away quite so easily. He's not ready to forget the intensity between them. The searing heat when they touch. And the deliciously demanding control Ian wields in the bedroom. Now he has only the holidays to convince Flash that they belong together…and that even the most exquisite, broken things can be welded back together.
Lifting strength

VIEW SOURCE

Statistics Explanations Pages

## Introduction

**Lifting Strength** is defined as the mass that an individual can lift on Earth. In other words it measures the amount of upwards force a character can produce. As such pushing and pulling feats are also considered a part of this statistic, granted they are properly calculated to account for the difference to lifting. A common case is that the weight of something pulled across a horizontal surface needs to be multiplied by the appropriate friction coefficient after finding the mass of the object. Telekinesis or other similar abilities must be specifically referred to as separate from physical strength, when used in a lifting feat. Tearing is also included in this category, but it is an unreliable method of calculating overall lifting ability a vast majority of the time. This is because the force used in a tearing motion is much lower than a lift, as a tearing motion uses much fewer muscle groups and is an awkward application of force compared to other movements. Likewise throwing an object a certain height upwards can be used as lifting feats, as these would require greater strength than just lifting the object.

While Striking Strength measures the energy of a character's physical attacks, Lifting Strength measures the amount of mass they can lift, which is determined by the amount of force a character can produce. This means that they measure two different physical quantities. Furthermore it can't be assumed that a character that can physically produce the amount of energy used in lifting an object by a certain height can also lift it, if it didn't demonstrate the ability to produce that level of Lifting Strength. It is a common feature within fiction to feature characters capable of vastly greater physical striking strength energy outputs than what would be required to lift weights that they are repeatedly shown to struggle with.

Hence Lifting Strength and Striking Strength are in general not comparable and should be evaluated separately.
Sanguine

## Summary

Bastien is a vampire on vacation, and like any other vampire on vacation, all he wants to do is sleep all day and drink lots of wine. (And maybe some blood too. You know. If the opportunity arises.)

Which makes it very irritating when a vampire-hunting priest wakes him up at a super bright and sunny hour to kill him. But this vampire hunter happens to be very handsome . . .

And Bastien happens to be so very thirsty . . .

This edition includes a sneak peek of the upcoming novel Saint, coming everywhere this fall!

*Sanguine* was originally published in the ''Australia'' anthology in 2020.
One Night for Love

## Summary

*It was a perfect morning in May...*

Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, awaited his bride at the altar—when a ragged beggar woman raced down the aisle instead. The cream of the *ton* saw him stare, shocked, then declare that *this* was his *wife!* One night of passion was all he remembered as he beheld Lily, the woman he'd wed, loved, and lost on the battlefield in Portugal. Now he said he'd honor his commitment to her—regardless of the gulf that lay between them.

*Then Lily spoke her mind...*

She said she wanted only to start a new life—wanted only a husband who truly loved her. She had to leave him to learn how to meet his world on her terms. So Lily agreed to earn her keep as his aunt's companion and study the genteel arts. Soon she was the toast of the *ton,* every inch a countess fit for the earl, who vowed to prove to his remarkable wife that what he felt for her was far more than desire, that what he wanted from her was much more than... *One Night for Love* .

### Romantic Leads

Lily Doyle; Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

## Summary

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love.

### Followed By

Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord

### Romantic Leads

Lady Calpurnia "Callie" Hartwell, Gabriel St. John, Marquess of Ralston
Ilsa Madden-Mills

Official site: https://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/

## Official Bio

Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Fourteen of her Eighteen novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Not My Romeo #1; The Revenge Pact #1; Dear Ava, Fake Fiancée, I Dare You, and I Promise You #2; I Hate You #5; Not My Match, I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females.

## Contemporary Series

### Briarwood Academy

* Very Bad Things
* Very Wicked Beginnings
* Very Wicked Things
* Very Twisted Things

### British Bad Boys

* Dirty English
* Filthy English
* Spider

### Waylon University

* I Dare You
* I Bet You
* I Hate You
* I Promise You

### Hawthorne University

* Boyfriend Bargain
* Boyfriend Material

### The Game Changers

* Not My Romeo
* Not My Match

### Strangers in Love

* Beauty and the Baller
* Princess and the Player

## Contemporary Standalones

* Fake Fiancée
* Dear Ava
* The Revenge Pact
* The Last Guy (co-written with Tia Louise)
* The Right Stud (co-written with Tia Louise)
Preservation

## Summary

Riley Walsh doesn’t want a fake girlfriend but he needs one.

It’s the only thing he can do to deal with an ex who doesn’t believe it’s over and years of pining for the most off-limits woman in his world—his sister-in-law.

Alexandra Emmerling can’t catch a break.

She’s left picking up the pieces of her ex’s humiliating lies and manipulations, rendering her reputation in her ultra-competitive surgical residency program seems beyond repair.

A simple arrangement.

Two months. Four dates. Five at the most. But possibly six. Definitely no more than six. Only the appearance of a romantic relationship is required. No other benefits involved in this agreement.

One weekend to unravel the entire plan.

After waking up in bed together—very naked, very hungover—the terms and conditions of their arrangement no longer apply. But that doesn’t mean they’re finished with each other.
Midnight Mass

## Summary

We are told that God will punish the wicked. That sinful men will reap what they sow. We are told to scourge our souls with prayer and pain to become clean once again.

Well, here I am. Wicked and sinful. Desperate to become clean…even though it feels so good to be dirty.

But even I never expected what came next.

Even I never expected my punishment to come so soon.
Luck of the Draw

## Summary

Sure, winning the lottery allows Zoe Ferris to quit her job as a cutthroat corporate attorney, but no amount of cash will clear her conscience about the way her firm treated the O’Leary family in a wrongful death case. So she sets out to make things right, only to find gruff, grieving Aiden O’Leary doesn’t need—or want—her apology. He does, however, need something else from her. Something Zoe is more than willing to give, if only to ease the pain in her heart, a sorrow she sees mirrored in his eyes . . .

Aiden doesn’t know what possesses him to ask his family’s enemy to be his fake fiancée. But he needs a bride if he hopes to be the winning bid on the campground he wants to purchase as part of his beloved brother’s legacy. Skilled in the art of deception, the cool beauty certainly fits the bill. Only Aiden didn’t expect all the humor and heart Zoe brings to their partnership—or the desire that runs deep between them. Now he’s struggling with his own dark truth—that he’s falling for the very woman he vowed never to forgive.
Penny Reid

Official site: https://pennyreid.ninja/

## Official Bio

Penny Reid is the *New York Times*, *Wall Street Journal*, and *USA Today* bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.

## Contemporary Series

### Knitting in the City

* Neanderthal Seeks Human
* Neanderthal Marries Human
* Friends Without Benefits
* Love Hacked
* Beauty and the Mustache
* Ninja at First Sight
* Happily Ever Ninja
* Dating-ish
* Marriage of Inconvenience

### Winston Brothers

* Truth or Beard
* Grin and Beard It
* Beard Science
* Beard in Mind
* Beard in Hiding
* Dr. Strange Beard
* Beard With Me
* Beard Necessities

### Good Folk: Modern Folk Tales

* Just Folking Around
* Totally Folked
* Folk Around and Find Out

### Hypothesis series

* Elements of Chemistry
* Laws of Physics

### Rugby series

* The Hooker and the Hermit
* The Player and the Pixie
* The Lad and the Co-Ed
* The Varlet and the Voyeur

### Dear Professor

* Kissing Tolstoy
* Kissing Galileo

### Ideal Man

* Pride and Dad Jokes
* Man Buns and Sensibility
* Sense and Manscaping
* Persuasion and Man Hands

### Three Kings

* Homecoming King
* Drama King

## Romantic Mystery Series

### Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries

* Engagement and Espionage
* Marriage and Murder

## Contemporary Standalones

* Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend
* Live and Let Grow
One Night With a Nutcracker

## Summary

My name is Jake Sheppard and I’m ambivalent about Christmas and the Christmas-themed town I grew up in. But when I find out my late uncle left me an old barn and acres of land, the decision to return home to build my dream golf course is an easy one.

Imagine my surprise when I arrive and find out I have a squatter.

An incredibly sexy squatter, with wavy blonde hair, green eyes, a free spirit… and a herd of goats.

Sutton hates my guts. Apparently evicting a non-paying non-tenant and her goats weeks before Christmas is grounds for war.

Except Sutton's version of war includes flinging her clothing at me and, as it turns out, I might be in way over my head with this girl…
In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint

## Summary

For seven years, Matilda Halifax and her twin have been the most scandalous ladies in London. But when Matilda accidentally sells erotic drawings of the brooding, reclusive Marquess of Ashford, she has—perhaps—gone a bit too far.

Christian de Bord, Lord Ashford, knows what it’s like to be notorious. Ever since he was accused of murdering his wife, prurient gossip has kept him isolated from society, alone and determined to protect his adolescent sister Bea. But when Matilda Halifax’s salacious pamphlet appears—featuring his own damned face!—he’s thrust back into the storm of public attention.

Bea’s painting teacher quits. Christian’s life is in an uproar. And the only person he can find to replace Bea’s tutor at his terrifying Gothic castle is Matilda herself. The last thing Christian needs is another scandal—especially not one with the most sinfully tempting face he’s ever seen.

But Matilda is determined to right what she’s set wrong. One fake elopement later, Matilda finds herself in a carriage on the way to Northumberland with Christian, whose scowls do little to hide the wounds he carries or the scorching passion beneath his reserve. Only Matilda Halifax could turn Christian’s disciplined life so decidedly inside out—and only Matilda can persuade him that love just might be worth the risk.

### Preceded By

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation

### Romantic Leads

Matilda Halifax, Christian de Bord, Lord Ashford
Once Upon a Winter's Eve

## Summary

Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren't beating down her door.

Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet's feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He's wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue.

Only Violet understands him. And she knows he's not what he seems.

She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable... Love.

Warning: The heroine packs a pistol, the hero curses in multiple languages, and together they steam up a cold winter’s night.

### Romantic Leads

Violet Winterbottom, Lord Christian Pierce
My Present This Year

## Summary

This story was originally written for the Twelve Naughty Days anthology in 2021.

Nick is coming home for Christmas, and he only wants two things:

1) a cup of coffee, hot enough to reglaze the inside of his cermaic mug.

2) not to see his far-too-gorgeous, far-too-forbidden stepsister.

But it's none other than his stepsister opening the door to welcome him home, and there's not enough hot coffee in the world to distract Nick from how much he's tempted to make Nora his own...

## From the Author

In the world of obscure fandoms, there lies an unlikely candidate: the 2009 Folgers commercial titled, innocuously, "Coming Home." Having been a fan of this commercial and its V.C. Andrews-ian subtext for many years, I decided to at last enter the halls of the vaunted "Coming Home" fandom this year and submit my own take on the story...
Lady Sophia's Lover

## Summary

Lady Sophia Sydney would do anything to ensnare the unattainable Sir Ross Cannon. Her goal: to ruin his reputation and cause a scandal that would be the talk of all London. So she insinuates herself into his life by gaining his trust and living in his house.

Every morning, her lush presence tempts him beyond all reason . . . the way she bends over the table to serve him the meals she has prepared . . . the way her hands oh, so gently—yet sensuously—brush against him. Every night, she promises with her eyes—and her body—that the hours before dawn could be spent in unbridled passion instead of restless sleep—if only he'd let her share his bed.

She knows he is falling more in love with her each day. But she never counted on falling in love with *him*. And she never dreamed he might very respectably ask for her hand in marriage.
Jen Comfort

Official site: https://www.jencomfort.com/

## Official Bio

Jen discovered romance novels as a Very Cool (TM) teenager, when she volunteered at the local library after school (as Very Cool teens often do). At the time, the specific appeal was that they had way more sex in them than the Nancy Drew books she'd been reading... but she also loved the feminism, optimism, and unrelenting pursuit of happy ever after—even in the darkest times.

Determined to become a romance writer, Jen made the obvious decision to major in astrophysics. When that didn't work out (did you know they require you to do homework?), she got a degree in hospitality instead, then spent a decade managing restaurants in NYC and Portland before finally settling down to write.

She now lives in Portland, Oregon with her cat, a sassy husky-malamute, and a rotating collection of short-lived plants.

## Contemporary Standalones

* The Astronaut and the Star
* Midnight Duet
Overture

## Summary

The world knows Samantha Brooks as the violin prodigy. She guards her secret truth—the desire she harbors for her guardian.

Liam North got custody of her six years ago. She’s all grown up now, but he still treats her like a child. No matter how much he wants her.

No matter how bad he aches for one taste.

Her sweet overtures break down the ex-soldier’s defenses, but there’s more at stake than her body. Every touch, every kiss, every night. The closer she gets, the more exposed his darkest secret.

She’s one step away from finding out what happened the night she lost her family. One step away from leaving him forever.
Kate Canterbary

Official site: https://katecanterbary.com/

## Official Bio

Kate Canterbary doesn’t have it all figured out, but this is what she knows for sure: spicy-ass salsa and tequila solve most problems, living on the ocean–Pacific or Atlantic–is the closest place to perfection, and writing smart, smutty stories is a better than any amount of chocolate.

She started out reporting for an indie arts and entertainment newspaper back when people still read newspapers, and she has been writing and surreptitiously interviewing people—be careful sitting down next to her on an airplane—ever since.

Kate lives on the water in New England with Mr. Canterbary and the Little Baby Canterbary, and when she isn’t writing sexy architects, she’s scheduling her days around  the region’s best food trucks.

## Contemporary Series

### Vital Signs

* Before Girl
* The Worst Guy

### The Santillian Triplets

* The Magnolia Chronicles
* Boss in the Bedsheets
* The Belle and the Beard

### Talbott's Cove

* Fresh Catch
* Hard Pressed
* Far Cry
* Rough Sketch

### The Walsh Family

* Underneath It All
* The Space Between
* Necessary Restorations
* The Cornerstone
* Restored
* The Spire
* Preservation
* Thresholds
* Foundations

### Benchmarks

* Professional Development
* Orientation

## Contemporary Standalones

* In a Jam
* Coastal Elite
* Missing in Action
Marriage on Madison Avenue

## Summary

Can guys and girls ever be just friends? According to Audrey Tate and Clarke West, absolutely. After all, they’ve been best friends since childhood without a single romantic entanglement. Clarke is the charming playboy Audrey can always count on, and he knows that the ever-loyal Audrey will never *not* play along with his strategy for dodging his matchmaking mother—announcing he’s already engaged…to Audrey.

But what starts out as a playful game between two best friends turns into something infinitely more complicated, as just-for-show kisses begin to stir up forbidden feelings. As the faux wedding date looms closer, Audrey and Clarke realize that they can never go back to the way things were, but deep down, do they really want to?
Love on the Brain

Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project - a literal dream come true - Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school - archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas... devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.

But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there's only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
Naughty Brits

The Naughty Brits anthology featured five interconnected short stories:

* A Duke Worth Falling For by Sarah Maclean
* Better with You by Sophie Jordan
* Not a Bad Boy by Louisa Edwards
* Songbird by Tessa Gratton
* Supplicant by Sierra Simone

### Author

Sarah Maclean, Sophie Jordan, Louisa Edwards, Tessa Gratton, Sierra Simone
Ruckus

## Summary

They say that life is a beautiful lie and death a painful truth. They're right. No one has ever made me feel more alive than the guy who serves as a constant reminder that my clock is ticking. He is my forbidden, shiny apple. The striking fallacy to my blunt, raw, truth. He is also my sister's ex-boyfriend. One thing you should know before you judge me; I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first. Eleven years later, he waltzes into my life, demanding a second chance. Dean Cole wants to be my bronze horseman. But my clock is ticking. See, I'm not like the rest. I have an illness. Sometimes I conquer it. Sometimes it conquers me. My white knight has finally arrived. Hopefully, he isn't too late.
Mangos and Mistletoe

## Summary

Kiskeya Burgos left the tropical beaches of the Dominican Republic with a lot to prove. As a pastry chef on the come up, when she arrives in Scotland, she has one goal in mind: win the Holiday Baking Challenge. Winning is her opportunity to prove to her family, her former boss, and most importantly herself, she can make it in the culinary world. Kiskeya will stop at nothing to win , that is, if she can keep her eyes on the prize and off her infuriating teammate's perfect lips.

Sully Morales, home cooking hustler, and self-proclaimed baking brujita lands in Scotland on a quest to find her purpose after spending years as her family’s caregiver. But now, with her home life back on track, it's time for Sully to get reacquainted with her greatest love, baking. Winning the Holiday Baking Challenge is a no brainer if she can convince her grumpy AF baking partner that they make a great team both in and out of the kitchen before an unexpected betrayal ends their chance to attain culinary competition glory.
My American Duchess

## Summary

The arrogant Duke of Trent intends to marry a well-bred Englishwoman. The last woman he would ever consider marrying is the adventuresome Merry Pelford - an American heiress who has infamously jilted two fiancés.

But after one provocative encounter with the captivating Merry, Trent desires her more than any woman he has ever met. He is determined to have her as his wife, no matter what it takes. And Trent is a man who always gets what he wants.

The problem is, Merry is already betrothed, and the former runaway bride has vowed to make it all the way to the altar. As honor clashes with irresistible passion, Trent realizes the stakes are higher than anyone could have imagined. In his battle to save Merry and win her heart, one thing becomes clear: All is fair in love and war.

### Romantic Leads

Merry Pelford; "Jack" Allardyce, Duke of Trent
Picture Perfect Cowboy

## Summary

Jason "Still" Waters' life looks perfect from the outside—money, fame, and the words "World Champion Bull-Rider" after his name. But Jason has a secret, one he never planned on telling anybody...until he meets Simone. She's the kinky girl of his dreams...and his conservative family's worst nightmare.

Note: an abridged version was previously published in Exposed: A Romance Anthology as the novella The Watermark.
Hotel of Secrets

## Summary

It’s ball season in Vienna, and Maria Wallner only wants one thing: to restore her family’s hotel, the Hotel Wallner, to its former glory. She’s not going to let anything get in her way - not her parents’ three-decade-long affair; not seemingly-random attacks by masked assassins; and especially not the broad-shouldered American foreign agent who’s saved her life two times already. No matter how luscious his mouth is.

Eli Whittaker also only wants one thing: to find out who is selling American secret codes across Europe, arrest them, and go home to his sensible life in Washington, DC. He has one lead - a letter the culprit sent from a Viennese hotel. But when he arrives in Vienna, he is immediately swept up into a chaotic whirlwind of balls, spies, waltzes, and beautiful hotelkeepers who seem to constantly find themselves in danger. He disapproves of all of it! But his disapproval is tested as he slowly falls deeper into the chaos - and as his attraction to said hotelkeeper grows.
Porn Star (Simone/Paige)

## Summary

ou know me.

Come on, you know you do.

Maybe you pretend you don’t. Maybe you clear your browser history religiously. Maybe you pretend to be aghast whenever someone even mentions the word porn in your presence.

But the truth is that you do know me.

Everybody knows Logan O’Toole, world famous porn star.

Except then Devi Dare pops into my world, and pretty soon I’m doing things that aren’t like me—like texting her with flirty banter and creating an entire web porn series just so I can get to star in her bed. Again. And again.

With Devi, my entire universe shifts, and the more time I spend with her, the more I realize that Logan O’Toole isn’t the guy I thought he was.

So maybe I'm not the guy you thought I was either.
Savor the Moment

## Summary

Wedding baker Laurel McBane is surrounded by romance working at Vows wedding planning company with her best friends Parker, Emma, and Mac. But she's too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that their clients seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker's older brother Delaney, on whom she's had a mega-crush since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her-or so she thinks. When Laurel's quicksilver moods get the better of her-leading to an angry, hot, all-together mind-blowing kiss with Del—she'll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever...
Never Sweeter

## Summary

Letty Carmichael can’t believe her eyes when she catches a glimpse of her high school tormenter, wrestling champ Tate Sullivan, on campus. College was supposed to be her escape from Tate’s constant ridicule. Now he’s in her classes again, just waiting for his chance to make her life hell. But when Letty and Tate are partnered up for an assignment—on sex in cinema, of all things—she starts to see a kinder, gentler side of him. And when she realizes Tate knows more about sex than she could ever guess at, he soon starts making her blush in a whole new way.

Tate Sullivan is haunted by regret over his cruelty toward Letty. So when she agrees to work with him, he seizes his chance to make amends. He can’t blame her for not believing he’s for real, but soon Tate starts to break down her wall. She wants to know about passion, desire, lust—topics he is well versed in. And in return she offers the one thing he always wanted: the chance to be more than just a jock.

Letty is shocked by how sensitive Tate can be. Still, desiring him feels ludicrous. Loving him is impossible. Craving him is beyond all reason. So why can’t she stop?
Mr. Mayfair

## Summary

It should be the most shocking news I’d ever gotten—My boyfriend is getting married.

Okay, technically he’s my ex-boyfriend. Two months ago he decided he wanted a break. I still thought he was my happily ever after.

On any other day, knowing he was gone for good would be the worst thing that could possibly happen. But not today. Because not only is my boyfriend getting married—his bride is my best friend. And they’ve sent me an invitation.

There’s no way I’m going to attend. I don’t care if it’s in beautiful Scotland.

Nothing and no one could convince me.

### Romantic Leads

Stella, Beck

Not even when a deliciously handsome stranger tells me he needs to go as my plus one.

Not even when he shoots me a wickedly, sexy smile.

But then he offers me the opportunity of a lifetime—a dream come true. How can I say no?

But I have one condition. He has to be my new boyfriend. I mean, my pretend new boyfriend.

I'm about to find out that faking it can be a whole lot of fun.
Kiss Me, Annabel

## Summary

The rules of marriage . . . according to Miss Annabel Essex

A husband must be:

Rich.

Make that very rich. She's had enough of leaky roofs and thread-worn clothing.

English.

London is the center of the civilized world, and Annabel has a passion for silk and hot water.

Amiable.

Good-looking would be nice, but not necessary. Same for intelligent.

Isn't she lucky? She's found just the man! And her chosen spouse is nothing like the impoverished Scottish Earl of Ardmore, who has nothing but his gorgeous eyes, his brain—and his kisses—to recommend him.

So what cruel twist of fate put her in a carriage on her way to Scotland with just that impoverished earl and all the world thinking they're man and wife? Sleeping in the same bed? Not to mention the game of words started by the earl—in which the prize is a kiss. And the forfeit . . .

Well. They *are* almost married, after all!

### Romantic Leads

Annabel Essex; Ewan Poley, Earl of Ardmore
Once Upon a Tower

## Summary

*To win her love...*

As an extremely wealthy laird, Gowan Stoughton, Duke of Kinross, can have any of the maidens at the ball he attends. The only problem is they are all English and Gowan is not so certain they are suitable. He is accustomed to the hard-working lasses from his Highlands, not these dainty noblewomen who spend their days drinking tea or some other such nonsense. But then he makes the acquaintance of Lady Edith Gilchrist. Utterly bewitched by the emerald-eyed beauty with lush golden locks, he knows he must have her.

*He must free her from her tower...*

"Edie" had the misfortune of being dreadfully ill at her debut ball and barely remembers what Gowan looks like. Even worse, she accepted his proposal the following day. Edie's only true passion is playing music—until Gowan writes a scandalous letter and stirs the most irresistible desire. Yet when they marry, Edie realizes her husband needs a lesson and locks herself in a tower. Somehow Gowan must find a way to enter the tower and convince his new bride that she belongs in his arms.

### Romantic Leads

Lady Edith Gilchrist; Gowan Stoughton, Duke of Kinross
Love the One You're With (Layne)

## Summary

As a leading columnist for *Stiletto,* Grace Brighton has built a career warning women about rotten, cheating liars. She just never suspected her fiancé would be one of them. After Grace takes a heart-mending hiatus, her first assignment is to go on a couple of dates with a counterpart from the men’s magazine *Oxford* and report her impressions. Grace 1.0 may have been instantly smitten with the gorgeous correspondent, but Grace 2.0 has sworn off relationships for six months, and she’s not falling for his outstanding bod and trophy-winning kisses . . . or is she?

Jake Malone wants to get back to the fly-by-night, who-knows-what’s-next guy he used to be, and he knows exactly how to do it. *Oxford* is adding a travel section, and Jake—with no wife and no kids and a willingness to live anywhere, eat anything, do everything—is perfect for the job . . . except that his playboy reputation makes his new editor nervous. To get the gig, he must agree to a fluffy joint article with *Stiletto.* But after just one date with snooty, sumptuous, sensational Grace Brighton, Jake starts taking this assignment a whole lot more seriously.
Only Love (Harlow)

## Summary

A gorgeous former Marine with a tortured soul.

The beautiful, compassionate therapist living next door.

A meddlesome grandma determined to get them together.

I was expecting a proposal on my birthday, and I got dumped instead.

How could I have been so clueless?

Grams knew exactly how to distract me.

The “cute boy next door” who’s been helping her with yard work clearly needs a little therapy. Who better to call than her newly single therapist granddaughter?

She even fakes dementia to get me to visit, and now that I’m here she’s doing everything in her power to throw us together.

Not that I’m complaining. Ryan is the sexiest man I’ve ever met--I mean the full package, from the chiseled jaw to the massive shoulders to the rippling abs. (And yes, his package is full, and he knows exactly how to deliver it.) He makes me want to get out of my head and follow my heart. He makes me want to take chances I never thought I’d take.

He also makes me want to take my clothes off. A lot.

But he’s moody and challenging--one minute he’s an open book, and the next he’s completely closed off. He holds me like he’ll never let go, but insists he wants to be alone.

Some wounds are so deep, only love can heal them.

How can I convince him to let me try?
Her Halloween Treat

## Summary

t was a devastating dirty trick—Joey Silvia just found out her boyfriend of two years is married. What. A. Dick. Joey knows her best chance to get over one guy is to get under another. Of course, heading home to her family's remote cabin in Oregon poses some challenges in the "available men" department…until she discovers this cabin comes with its own hot handyman!

Holy crap, Chris Steffensen. When did her brother's best friend turn into a hard-bodied pile of blond-bearded hotness? He's the perfect Halloween treat—and a surprisingly dirty rebound guy. For a couple of weeks, anyway. Except that Chris has other ideas…like proving to Joey that this blast from the past is a whole lot more than a naughty Halloween hookup.