Short Love Stories

The Bookstore of Forgotten Dream In the heart of a quaint yet fading bookstore, Harold Wren, a reclusive owner with a profound connection to the literary world, uncovers the mystical power of his rare books—each one a portal to the past, rich with emotions and untold stories. When Alistair MacGregor, a spirited young woman yearning for love and purpose, steps into his shop, her life takes an unexpected turn. Drawn by the allure of the unknown, she finds herself transported to the breathtaking landscape of 18th-century Scotland, where the air is thick with history and the whispers of the ...

Is two weeks in Paris long enough for these lifelong competitors to learn to play for the same team? Betsy Ever since I was a little girl, my dream was to go to the International Games. When I discovered an aptitude for volleyball, I pursued my dream with a laser focus that left no time for the frivolous things in life, like romance. Who cares if the snobby ice queen athlete who is my new roommate makes my heart race? It’s probably just the excitement of being on the world stage. Kelly I’ve fought incredible odds in my life to get to the Games. Growing up with conservative religious ...

Jane Austen wrote Love and Friendship (originally spelled Love and Freindship [ sic]) when she was just 14 years old. The three notebooks that contain her early works, including this story, are currently on display at the Bodleian Library and the British Museum. Taking the form as letters written by the heroine to the daughter of her friend, this story resembles a fairy tale that lampoons the conventions of romantic stories at the time.

Read the complete Exotic Desires series in this box set. No Cliffhanger. After having lost the only woman he’d ever loved, twenty-seven year-old Reed Stirling rejects his parents' plans for him to take over the family business and travels to Europe, searching for a revelation as to what he's supposed to do with his life. What he finds instead is something else entirely. Don't miss the Sinful Desires steamy spin-off series, Exotic Desires by best-selling author M.S. Parker.

New York Times best-selling author Sara Paretsky is the master of twisting suspense and propulsive plot. She has been hailed by the crime community as "a legend" (Harlan Coben) and "one of the all-time greats" (Karin Slaughter). Her acclaimed novels featuring detective V.I. Warshawski rank among the most celebrated crime series in modern fiction. Now in this spellbinding collection, Paretsky showcases her extraordinary talents with 14 short stories, eight of which feature the indomitable detective - and a new V.I. story.

Originally published under the title: Conceived & Deceived by Abbie Grace (author) For the Longest Time I Thought These Kinds of Things Only Happened to Other People But... Surprise! And the surprises just keep coming on a day that would be ordinarily just another day. I just got the promotion of a lifetime at my dream job... It should have been the happiest time in my life... only it wasn't. There is something I want more. But the odds are not in my favor. You might say I'm up against impossible odds, the kind of odds that can never be overcome the way I wish they could. There's only one ...

A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen. A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life. A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart. In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity.

What Would Her Husband Say…if he knew? Tania’s Best Friend Meghan Warns Her that These Things Can Get Out of Control and Blow Up Your Life! But Tania has reached her breaking point, being cooped up at home every day, wiping grime and clearing dusk and clutter. She decides being a Domestic Goddess just isn’t for her. So, Tania takes a job at the company where her husband works, and his boss immediately takes an interest in her. But he’s not the only one… And like most things of this nature… It's complicated. Hotwife romance, older man young woman, intimate situations. Complete ...

In a town where magic hums in the air and the moon holds ancient secrets, my new neighbor isn’t just a man—he’s an alpha werewolf shifter, bound to me by fate in ways neither of us can escape. I’m the disappointing daughter of the town’s high witch, expected to wield power like my ancestors, but my magic barely flickers. Brian, on the other hand, is everything I’ve been warned against: a Navy SEAL with a body carved from stone and eyes that burn with untamed fire. He’s also everything I secretly desire. Our families have been sworn enemies for generations—magic and beasts ...

Raymond Carver called Anton Chekhov "the greatest short story writer who has ever lived". This unequivocal verdict on Chekhov's genius has been echoed many times by writers as diverse as Katherine Mansfield, Somerset Maugham, John Cheever, and Tobias Wolf. While his popularity as a playwright has sometimes overshadowed his achievements in prose, the importance of Chekhov's stories is now recognized by readers as well as by fellow authors. Their themes - alienation, the absurdity and tragedy of human existence - have as much relevance today as when they were written.

George Orwell depicts a gray, totalitarian world dominated by Big Brother and its vast network of agents, including the Thought Police - a world in which news is manufactured according to the authorities' will and people live tepid lives by rote. Winston Smith, a hero with no heroic qualities, longs only for truth and decency. But living in a social system in which privacy does not exist and where those with unorthodox ideas are brainwashed or put to death, he knows there is no hope for him.

Yarima Lalo believes he has been murdered twice before. The cause? Love. To make sense of these vivid memories he cannot shake, he travels from Abuja to Kano with his new friend and love interest Aziza to meet an old woman who he might have known in a past life. She is skeptical at first - and hesitant to revisit painful memories of her own - but together, they dig deeper and deeper into the past, piecing together a shared history with ripple effects that could shape Lalo’s future.

Selected from the best of the world's short fiction, 50 Great Short Stories brings together writings by great masters of the genre. Carefully picked for their timeless quality, listeners are sure to be delighted by the inclusion of such favourites as 'The Gift of the Magi', 'The Lady with the Dog', 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', 'Rain' and 'Mrs Packletide's Tiger', to name but a few.

By all accounts, Lucy’s handled her divorce well. She’s finally in the cozy, plant-filled house of her dreams. And although she doesn’t fit in with the other divorcées—all busy looking for their next ex—she’s excited to get down to earth and savor the small joys of life. When Lucy meets Elle, a hip younger woman who shares her same passions, their connection is instant. Taking a chance on kismet, Lucy forges a friendship that fills her days with meaning. She and Elle are inseparable, from sunup to sundown, enjoying the immediate ease and familiarity of each other’s company.

He's a billionaire. I don't even know his name. When I show up uninvited to his party, my only goal is to have a good time and leave without causing a scene. But he sees something in me, and he offers me the world. It's a deal I can't refuse. But can a man who has everything truly want a boy like me? Billionaire Daddy’s Party Favor is a Cinderella story with a twist. If you like dirty-sweet Daddy romance with a dash of praise kink thrown in, you'll love this story. No cliffhangers, no cheating, HEA guaranteed.

“You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to digest.

My name is Ellie, but in my Amish community a lot of grown men call me Madame Eleanor or The Amish Temptress. In private, of course. You see, I was nineteen when I first snuck out to meet a guy, and realized how much fun it is to fulfill a repressed man’s desires. Ever since then, I've been taking care of the men’s needs in my community. Giving them the space to satisfy their unmentionable cravings is what I enjoy doing most. It certainly makes my life more interesting around here. Bishop John Fisher is stressed. It’s tough being the leader of the Amish church. The one that leads the ...

A Second Chance At Love… With the Last Person I Ever Wanted to Love! “It’s me,” he said, as if that would ring a bell. “From high school. I’m Carter Braswell.” “Carter,” I repeated, as it dawned on me. That Carter. The one who, along with his pals, had made my senior year of high school the year from hell. I drew myself up, folded my arms over my chest, as if to put some distance between us. “Wh-what do you want?” Hayley: In my senior year of high school, Carter Braswell and his buddies bullied me and taunted me unmercifully every chance they got, mostly in the ...

This Sky Brooks bundle includes books one through four.

She’s new to town, but not new to the lifestyle. So why can't she resist topping from the bottom? Now that Luisa has finally left the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, she’s ready to find a new club to play in. When her friend Tracie brings her to Club Surrender, she knows she’s finally found the perfect place. Seattle’s premier women only “light BDSM” club is clean, fun, and chock full of women to explore. Paula has always been a little dominant, but being a dominatrix seemed like a step too far. After growing up in an abusive home, she knows how easy it is to hurt someone, so ...