Why are the good ones always taken? The last thing Amber wants to think about is engagement rings or anything related to engagement rings, but they're kind of hard to avoid when she makes her living in a jewelry store. Between her job and her last relationship, she's getting more than a little bit jaded about romance. In fact, as her cynicism grows, she's ready to change everything in her life - and a man is the last thing she wants. When gorgeous bartender Jeremy wanders into her store, she's willing to reconsider what she wants right now, but he's off the menu - he's here for an engagement ring. But as Jeremy comes back again and again to look at the ring, Amber suspects it's not just the price that's keeping him from taking it home. She'd never dream of sabotaging someone's relationship, but is Jeremy about to make a huge mistake?

Escape into beautiful settings and unexpected romance with the Discovered by Love series, now together in print for the first time! Jilted When a groom is left at the altar on a private island, he convinces the resort’s chef to act as his tour guide to the sun-drenched paradise of Belize. But it isn’t long before their purely platonic arrangement begins to stray into personal waters. Starstruck A fantasy novelist is reunited at London fan convention with her estranged actor boyfriend when he’s subbed in as the romantic hero for her TV adaptation. As he scrambles to get her approval for the role of his lifetime, she’s forced to consider there might be more to her ex than just his Hollywood persona. Snowbound Two rival architects get snowed in at the site of the dream renovation in Vail, Colorado and must work through their differences to make it to make it through the weekend. Because as the temperature drops and their competition heats up, the only way out is together ... with or without their hearts intact. Sunswept When a tech entrepreneur and a real estate agent end up double-booked in their Islamorada, Florida, vacation rental, they decide to turn the inconvenience into a solution to their plus-one problems. But neither anticipates the possibility that a fake relationship might just give way to real feelings …

Every action has a consequence. This is the aftermath My name is Kara Petersen. I am one of life’s survivors, but my life has not been easy. I am the product of a dysfunctional, broken home, and parents who do not care. Fallen from grace, abandoned and betrayed, I am now alone. Then there was hope. A boy, a saviour. He saved me, empowered me. His touch brought the calm after the storm. He gave me the strength and courage to leave. To live. His actions will not be in vain. I will do whatever it takes to survive. My name is Sloan Foster. I am one of life’s successful failures, but my life has not been fair. I am the product of a loving home, and parents who worshipped each other…until death paved the way for the devil. Trapped inside a world with a gilded façade, I have always felt alone. Then there was hope. A girl, an angel. A beacon of pure light in the dark. She subconsciously called to me, reaching deep into my soul, unknowingly claiming a part of myself I had let die years ago. I vowed to be her protector. My promises were both futile and unachievable. I will do whatever it takes to find her again. Aftermath is an accompanying novella to Elle Charles’s British contemporary romantic suspense series. Featuring unpredictable plot twists and endearing characters, this sensual, compelling saga of enduring love, ceaseless passion and sacrifice will keep you turning pages until the very end! AUTHOR’S NOTE: Please be advised this book is not a standalone novel. This is a 36,000 word novella, chronicling the lives of Kara and Sloan and the ‘missing’ eight years. It is not a continuation of the present-day story and should be read after Fractured and Tormented. Contains subject matter some may find upsetting.

A collection of three complete holiday novellas from RITA Award-winning author Nicole Burnham's Royal Scandals series. Romance, Christmas, and royalty...what's not to love? A Glimpse Behind Palace Gates The Barrali family has seen its share of scandals. But what of those who work for the famous royals? This collection of three romantic holiday tales takes you to the Barrali winery, an elegant royal yacht, and through the palace’s secret garden to experience the passions of those who serve. Christmas With a Prince – A Christmas wedding at the Famiglia Barrali winery forces Holly Elliott to choose between two princes: one who holds a crown, and one who could break her heart…but fulfill her every fantasy. Christmas on the Royal Yacht – When April Dietrich left New York to renovate Sarcaccia’s royal palace, she also left her lover. But when Rock Fournier is hired as head chef on the royal yacht, will it cook up trouble for both their careers? Christmas With a Palace Thief – Palace security chief Umberto Niro defends the royal family from all threats, internal and external. When he finds his ex-girlfriend, a confessed thief, in the queen’s closet, can he choose between duty and passion? "Great food, great sex, exotic locale, and royal scandals...Enjoy!" —New York Times Bestselling Author Christina Dodd Don't miss a single volume of the ROYAL SCANDALS series! - Christmas With a Prince (novella) - Scandal With a Prince - Honeymoon With a Prince - Christmas on the Royal Yacht (novella) - Slow Tango With a Prince - The Royal Bastard - Christmas With a Palace Thief (novella) - The Wicked Prince - One Man's Princess ALSO AVAILABLE: - A Royal Scandals Wedding, for newsletter subscribers READER INTERESTS: holiday romance collection, Christmas novella collection, behind the scenes royal family, workplace romance, office romance, second chance, reunion romance, law enforcement hero, chef hero, happily ever after, HEA, royal family saga, standalone story, international romance, Southern Europe, winery, palace, castle

A Royal Scandals Christmas Novella ** National Readers' Choice Award Finalist ** Security chief Umberto Niro has dedicated his life to a single mission: defending the Barrali royal family from all threats, both internal and external. When he detects an intruder deep inside the palace, capture is swift and certain. Then he discovers the thief is his former co-worker—and ex-girlfriend—Sara Angeletti, and he suspects there’s more to the Christmas break-in than meets the eye. Umberto turned his back on Sara years ago, but she hasn’t forgotten the depth of passion they once shared. When he hauls her into his office in handcuffs, she uses that attraction to her advantage. She’s playing with fire, but Sara’s on a mission of her own…. Can they survive the holiday…and each other? The ROYAL SCANDALS Series: - Christmas With a Prince (novella) - Scandal With a Prince - Honeymoon With a Prince - Christmas on the Royal Yacht (novella) - Slow Tango With a Prince - The Royal Bastard - Christmas With a Palace Thief (novella) - The Wicked Prince - One Man's Princess BONUS READ: - A Royal Scandals Wedding, for newsletter subscribers “An addictive series, full of heart and romance and endings that give a happy sigh.” - New York Times bestselling author Emily March “Modern fairy tales with perfect happily ever afters.” - New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd READER INTERESTS: holiday romance novella, Christmas romance, second chance, reunion romance, family saga, security guard hero, international romance, workplace romance, happy ever after, HEA, complete story novella, royal household, modern royalty, family saga, romance series, international romance, standalone novella

A bad boy romance novella by International Bestselling Author, Nikita Slater. Jared has a thing for damsels in distress, which is lucky since one lives next door to him. Amy needs something from Jared and she needs it fast; a cup of sugar for her apple pie. Amy tries to make life as normal as possible for her family while navigating her growing attraction to the hot biker living next door. When her family life becomes unbearably complicated, she’s helpless to deny the big gruff neighbour who insists on stepping in and helping. Jared is instantly drawn to his beautiful young neighbour. The more he learns about Amy the more he wants her. Until now, he’s lived his life stepping on both sides of the law, uncaring whether he lives or dies. But with an instant family in his future, Jared is looking to settle down. He just needs to convince his future wife. As danger stalks their new relationship, each meeting between Jared and Amy sparks a sizzling attraction that threatens to grow into a raging inferno. This 35,000 word standalone romance novella is the follow up to Loving Vincent. Sweet and sizzling with a dash of dark, it’s the perfect summer read! Keywords: novella, possessive alpha male, jealous possessive, gothic romance, seductive romance, alpha hero, suffering heroine, obsessive hero, passionate lovers, tortured heroine, single mom, children, struggling heroine, sexually romantic books, romantic suspense, standalone, happily ever after, love books, love stories, contemporary romance, friends to lovers, guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers, construction, possessive alpha romance, bestselling, bad boy, no cheating, revenge, stalker, protective hero, steamy, abused heroine

An innovative and timely examination of the concept of solitude in nineteenth-century American literature During the nineteenth century, the United States saw radical developments in media and communication that reshaped concepts of spatiality and temporality. As the telegraph, the postal system, and public transportation became commonplace, the country achieved a level of connectedness that was never possible before. At this level, physical isolation no longer equaled psychological separation from the exterior world, and as communication networks proliferated, being disconnected took on negative cultural connotations. Though solitude, and the lack thereof, is a pressing concern in today’s culture of omnipresent digital connectivity, Yoshiaki Furui shows that solitude has been a significant preoccupation since the nineteenth century. The obsession over solitude is evidenced by many writers of the period, with consequences for many basic notions of creativity, art, and personal and spiritual fulfillment. In Modernizing Solitude: The Networked Individual in Nineteenth-Century American Literature, Furui examines, among other works, Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” Emily Dickinson’s poetry and letters, and telegraphic literature in the 1870s to identify the virtues and values these writers bestowed upon solitude in a time and place where it was being consistently threatened or devalued. Although each writer has a unique way of addressing the theme, they all aim to reclaim solitude as a positive, productive state of being that is essential to the writing process and personal identity. Employing a cross-disciplinary approach to understand modern solitude and the resulting literature, Furui seeks to historicize solitude by anchoring literary works in this revolutionary yet interim period of American communication history, while also applying theoretical insights into the literary analysis.

A close analysis of Farah's novels is used to track the contradictions implicit in the notion of the modern, disengaged self and how transformations of the novel in literary history attempt to negotiate this founding contradiction.

Late Antiquity is often assumed to have witnessed the demise of literature as a social force and its retreat into the school and the private reading room: whereas the sophists of the Second Sophistic were influential social players, their late antique counterparts are thought to have been overshadowed by bishops. Literature and Society in the Fourth Century AD argues that this presumed difference should be attributed less to a fundamental change in the role of literature than to different scholarly methodologies with which Greek and Latin texts from the second and the fourth century are being studied. Focusing on performance, the literary construction of reality and self-presentation, this volume highlights how literature continued to play an important role in fourth-century elite society.

This book gives you the background of literature and the theatre. It defines, clearly and crisply, the terms used in the literary arts and in their criticism. It outlines the history of criticism in the various lands. It explains the various literary schools, varieties of play, methods of theatre production; types of poetry, fiction, history, biography the puppet show; the dance. Providing A Rich Compendium Of All You Need To Know When You Approach A Novel Or A Poem Or A Play. This is an amazingly thorough reference work which must prove of enormous value to the theatre worker, professional or scholar everywhere; for the librarian, teacher, and critic, an essential tool. George Freedley, President, Theatre Library Association. To the delight and relief of librarians and students a gap in the reference collection has been bridged successfully, at last William A. Fitzgerald, Past President, Catholic Library Association.