Showing results by narrator "Jo Raylan" in All Categories

My father’s mafia outfit had saved my life. I owed them everything. An arranged marriage was hardly a sacrifice when I would have already been long-dead, had it not been for them. I would give up my independence for the Lucciano family. I would bind myself to the man whose family tore my life to pieces. Matteo De Luca was vicious claws sheathed in refinement and class. He saw my untamed independence as a challenge.

Vivian's a pretty mild-mannered person. Even with a busload of hyperactive fourth graders going to a baseball signing, she's patient and kind. Even when she meets Dash Wallace…major league legend and star of her hottest daydreams…she keeps her cool. Kind of. Mostly. It was fine. Then his glove is missing and he accuses one of those fourth graders of being a thief. You do not come after one of Vivian's kids. She will defend them to the death….

Jake Collins—former Navy SEAL turned FBI agent—lives to see justice served, even if it means bending the rules. When Jake goes undercover to catch a brutal kingpin, he must decide if he can use the man’s daughter against him, despite the fact that she might be the woman of his dreams.

Death. It's something that Ada Palomino has always known so well, having grown up in a house of horrors, surrounded by a family plagued by ghosts and demons and things that go bump in the night. But after the sudden and tragic death of her mother two years ago, death has never felt so personal. Or so close. Now 18, Ada is trying to move on with her life, and the last month of summer holds nothing but sunshine and promises, with her first year at a Portland design school just around the bend.

Nate Becker has always had a soft spot for Alice. Despite considering the Bennetts his family, he never could look at her as just his friend's little sister. She's a spitfire, and Nate just can't stay away. He loves making her laugh...and blush. Their attraction is irresistible, and between stolen kisses and wicked-hot nights, they form a deep bond that has them both yearning for more. But when the chance of a lifetime comes knocking at his door, will Nate chase success even if it means losing Alice, or will he choose her?

The first time I saw him, he entranced me and offered to help me forget my broken engagement. The second time was on a blind date with no last names and undeniable passion. The third time, I was eight months pregnant with his baby that he knew nothing about. This time, he's not letting me walk away so easily.

I never forgot her. Not for one minute. Not from the last time I saw her, at 17, to today. I measured all women against her, and all women came up short. But being with her was unfeasible in high school, and it's taboo now. I see her sometimes, but I've never spoken to her. She runs, or I run. We're in the same town, on the same block, in the same building, and the gulf between us has been just too wide to cross. Until tonight.

I lost the one person who gave my life meaning and purpose. My love. My soul. My only reason for breathing. Unwilling to bury her memory, my heart turned reckless and my soul darkened. Then she walked into my life. It was only supposed to be a moment. Just one. A moment where I could get lost in someone else and forget my pain. In that one moment, she saved me from the memories that found me in the dark. She tore my world apart. Wrecked me. And with one kiss, she changed everything. Her love became my dark paradise.

My name is Ada Palomino. By day, I'm studying my ass off at design school in Portland, Oregon. By night, I'm slaying demons and ghosts who have dared to slip through the Veil. Or at least, that's what I should be doing. The problem is Jay, who also happened to be my immortal guardian and now ex-boyfriend, was banished from being with me. And now my new trainer is a previously dead friend of mine that I helped bring back to life. With both of us nursing broken hearts, we embark on a road trip to New Orleans to help him win back his long-lost love.

Gwendolyn Roth has always been a good girl. As the heiress to her family's billion-dollar real estate fortune, she'd never questioned the expectations she must uphold . . . until she'd found herself in bed with Declan Murphy for her one and only one night stand.

She's dated her fair share of New York City firemen, but after having been burned one too many times, she swore she'd never date another one. Enter Jesse Hogan—tempting her to bend her rules for one night. He was just a volunteer fireman, that had to be a loophole, right? Wrong. He was also a lieutenant in the FDNY. A fireman twice over. So she told herself to forget about that feeling in her chest (and that mind-blowing orgasm) and move on before he bulldozed her heart. Easy, right? Wrong.

As the baby of the family—and being blessed with heart-stopping good looks—Ryan Hogan was used to getting what he wanted, especially women, and his career as a New York City fireman only made him more of a chick magnet. Until one day on the job changed everything. He found himself in a hospital bed, and his nurse captivated him, but she seemed to be the only woman to ever be impervious to his charm. One thing to know about Ryan Hogan, though: He doesn't give up.

Livia Chadwick is a photographer by day and a self-proclaimed rock-n-roll junkie by night. Her dating life is a lackluster parade of evasive jerks and her boss is an unrelenting nightmare of a human being. What else can a girl do but rent a beach house with her girlfriends and blow off a little steam every weekend? But hey, she's from Jersey. Barhopping down the shore all season is sort of mandatory. All is going according to plan...until she meets Jack. She's looking for a fling. He's looking for forever. It's gonna be one helluva summer.

One: We’re alive, for now. Two: Gavriel’s totally lost control. Three: Santobello is hunting us. Four: Someone will die.

After having been burned by a woman in his past, fireman Jace Palmer avoided heartbreak at all costs and played the field as though it was his profession. One night, he accidentally called a hookup by the wrong name in the middle of . . . hooking up. He didn't have the space in his life for that kind of drama, so he decided to move on, even though he'd actually liked her. When he shows up for his best friend's wedding weekend a few months later, he discovers that life was delivering him a cruel twist of fate.

Mack: Bryce "Mack" McNamara has been caught in a pity party for one ever since his wife cheated on him, causing their nine-year marriage to end in divorce. He wants to move on but can't seem to figure out how to. That is, until Victoria Masters waltzes into Ladder 171 as the company's newest member.

In Los Angeles, where lights burn brighter and stars don’t just glisten in the sky, the Sharks are a family who inspire awe and respect—especially with the announcement that they’re building the most ambitious skyscraper on the downtown scene. Even in the land of the glamorous and the jaded, excitement runs high as The Edge starts to rise in its glistening glory. But success carries a price, as everyone in this sweeping, suspenseful saga must learn.

She wasn't happy anymore, and that was my fault. Instead of fighting for us, I filed for divorce. Wasn't that what she wanted? I'm still in love with Vanessa. We might be middle-aged now, and maybe she refuses to speak to me, but I have a plan to win her back. It's insane, but I don’t care. I've secretly booked a vacation for her at an adults-only nudist resort on a South Pacific island—the same one where I'll be staying. If that doesn't shake up our relationship, nothing will. She thinks she won a tropical getaway. When she finds out I deceived her.... I'll worry about that later.

The Montgomery Ink saga continues with a bonus romance between two strangers on a path of healing that leads to something far more. Zia Clarkson thought she found her happily-ever-after, not once, but twice. Her first love is now engaged, and her second love broke more than her heart. Heart and soul bruised; she’s not looking for a relationship. Ever. Especially not with the uptight Meredith Legend who stars in her fantasies. They promised each other one night of passion. And when the sun rises, they’ll walk away - even if they’re both lying to themselves about why.

Elijah Banks thought he found his one true love—until she walked out their front door without even saying goodbye. For years he’s lived a hedonistic lifestyle and made sure he never got close to a woman again. Hannah Farsey wants the real deal with her new housemate and is willing to overlook the imperfect parts of his history to get it. When their pasts and presents collide in spectacular fashion, she’s not sure she can trust his declarations.