once there was an ugly barnacle

"I have Two Rules For You. One; Do Not Fall In Love With Me. Two; Never Forget Rule Number One!" *** Jonathan Black, a formidable mafia tycoon, finds himself ensnared in a personal hell. Scarred by a previous distraction that cost him the life of his own brother, he swore an oath to prevent history from repeating itself. But little did he know, fate had other plans in store. Desperate for redemption, Jonathan is confronted with an unthinkable proposition—a marriage to his late brother's widow, the alluring and mysterious Hazel. As they embark on this union, the lines between loyalty and love blur, igniting a tempestuous attraction that defies all reason. Bound by the levirate contract, Jonathan and Hazel try to resist the magnetic pull between them. Yet, like an unbreakable elastic band, their desires only grow stronger, threatening to shatter the delicate balance they have meticulously built. In this high-stakes game of passion, each touch, each stolen glance, becomes a dangerous step towards a perilous edge. But beware, for the consequences of letting go are dire. As Jonathan begs for absolution, he teeters on the precipice of a choice that could either lead to their ultimate salvation or plunge them into an abyss of irreversible destruction. Will they succumb to the intoxicating allure of their hate-love, risking everything they hold dear? Or will they find the strength to resist, knowing that the consequences could be devastating for both their souls? Can Jonathan Black find redemption and hold onto the woman he craves, or will his insatiable hunger for absolution condemn them both to an eternal torment?

In a werewolf country cursed to be forever cold, Evadne wished under the full moon for many years to find her mate and escape from her hell of a home where her father, Alpha Marcus of the Moonflame Pack, and Elodie, Evadne’s sister, constantly made sure her day won’t end without her being bullied or beaten by them. When she finally turned eighteen years old, Evadne find her mate, Alpha Gregor of the Fireheart Pack. She promised him that she would be the best mate and Luna for him. However, Elodie reveals he’s her fiance and boyfriend and begs the Alpha to ruthlessly reject her in front of the whole Moonflame Pack at Evadne’s very own birthday party. Evadne’s heart became even more shattered when her father banished her and ordered her to never return to their lives when she humiliated his favorite daughter, Elodie, on that same night. Alone, she was imprisoned in the dungeons of a pack that thought she was a Rogue—when it was attacked by the Alpha King’s forces since the said pack was the only remaining one who refused to bow down to him. As she tried to escape the ensuing chaos, she met him, and never had she thought that the Moon Goddess would let her second-chance mate be Alpha King Kallias himself—the cause of the eternal winter and now the most feared Alpha.

Denise is an omega, sold to an Alpha to become his slave. When she finally turns into her twenties, Alpha Saerrus saves her from the torture that Alpha Jack and his mate gave her. Alpha Saerrus gave her what she deserved and started to fall in love with her however, Beta Elina who is supposed to be his contracted wife showed up to take him from Denise causing a conflict to their relationship. How could Alpha Saerrus pursue his love for Denise when he is contracted to another wolf? Will he fight his love for her? Another thing, what will happen if Denise knows the truth about him? and if Alpha Saerrus knows the truth in the past?

Amelia had been beaten severely for the last five years by the man who claimed to be her father. Her mother died when she was 13 and she has had to suffer the wrath of this man. She was now 18 and has been planning to escape to get out of this hell hole of a pack.

After a massacre of her entire pack, an endangered and rare wolf finds herself saved from her foes by her new mate and his pack. Broken treaties, immortal blood, sacrifice, star-crossed romance, enemy-to-lover-to-enemy and the rise of a goddess wolf. All these things await Roman Yaga, a sun wolf as the new luna of the Traga pack.

I'm finally bored after pursuing Hugh Freeman for ten years. I give up on him and get together with Christopher Sanders, who's always had feelings for me. Christopher lights the city's sky with fireworks throughout the night. He even buys a small island to propose to me. However, he goes missing right before the wedding. When I find him, I hear him talking and laughing with someone. "I only pursued Jessica to get on Hugh's nerves—I lost interest in her once I got together with her. "Still, I don't want to let her off so easily because of everything she put me through. That's why I'm going to leave her at the altar—to humiliate her. Fun, isn't it?" So, I decide to run away before he does. I turn him into the laughingstock of the city. Later, I hear that Christopher scours the capital in search of his missing bride. He never finds her, though.

A cabin by a lake for the summer with barely a soul in sight sounds like the perfect place to disappear to for eight weeks. Just me and my laptop, writing my next bestseller. Away from the city and the drama. My plans soon change on my first day here, all because of a handsome stranger who turns out not to be as much as a stranger as I thought. Sound's complicated, right? I didn't come here to get involved with anyone, the opposite really, but Kyson has a way to get to me easily, one which isn't so easy to fight especially when he is next door for the entire summer. I could resist, I should resist, but it is hard to fight chemistry, lust and connection, all things we seemed to share. I didn't think when I came here my summer would change everything and not all for the best.

The novel is mainly about the forgotten British poet/writer named C. J Richards who lived in Burma/Myanmar in colonial times and he believed himself as a Burmophile. He served as I.C.S (Indian Civil Servant) and when he retired from I.C.S service, he was a D.C (District Commissioner) and he left for England a year before Burma gained its independence in 1948. He came to Burma in 1920 to work in civil service after passing the hardest I.C.S examination. He wrote several books on Burma and contributed many monthly articles to Guardian Magazine published in Burma from 1953 to 1974 or 1975. Though he wrote several books which had much literary merit to both communities, Britain and Burma (Myanmar), people failed to recognize him. The story has two parts: one part is set in the contemporary Yangon (then called Rangoon) in 2016 context and a young literary enthusiast named “Lin” found out unexpectedly the forgotten writer’s poetry book and there is surely a good deal of time gap that led him into a quest to know more about the author’s life. The setting is quite different comparing to colonial Burma and independence Myanmar (Burma), early twentieth century and 2016 which is a transitional period in Myanmar. The writer’s life is fictionalized in the novel and most of the facts are taken from his personal stories and other reference books. It is a kind of historical novel with a twist and it has comparatively constructed the two different periods in Myanmar history to convince readers, locally and abroad more about history, authorship, humanity, colonialism, and transitional development in Myanmar today.

“I'm the lycan of the American wolves. All packs on both continents are under my protection, and yet you wish for me to let you have your way with one of my most productive. Even provide assistance when necessary. Don't you think you ask for too much?” “I do. That's why I'm pleading for your mercy and kindness.” “I possess none of both qualities, but I do enjoy a good deal. I'll let you do as you want... if you become my sex slave. Your body will be mine, and I'll have you whenever, wherever, and however I please.” “Until my family is dethroned.” Belinda is what people call unfortunate. She is the result of an extramarital affair of the Luna of the Chicago Pack with a human, dooming her to be born an omega. At the age of 15, she loses her twin brother to a mysterious illness, and at 25, she has yet to awaken her wolf. On the morning of her wedding, her mate, the Beta of the pack, rejects her to be with her step-sister. Hours later, she is thrown into a river by her family and left to drown. It should have been the end of Belinda Knight, and it would have been, had her powers not awakened in her last moments of life. Belinda is transported back in time to exactly a year before her death. She has a chance to exact revenge on those who have wronged her, and she plans on taking that chance, but the Chicago Pack is powerful. Only one can rival them, the king of werewolves himself, the Lycan. But his support comes with a price.. she must give herself to him.

"Do you, Aurelia Marissa Gianni, take, Judah Alessio Bianco, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" " I do," I said then zoned out and moved as a robot being controlled by its owner for the rest of the ceremony until it was time to kiss the groom. The cold hard stare and the tight line of my husband's lips were evident enough to tell that this man didn't want to kiss me as much as I didn't want to kiss him. ¶¶¶¶ Aurelia didn't choose this marriage, she didn't want to be married to someone as cold and annoying as Judah, he was supposed to be her sister's fiance. But after being found in bed with him, she is forced to marry him to escape her father's wrath. She doesn't love him, she barely even likes him but she has to be with him for the rest of her life.