The scale never lies… but husbands do.

Calista

My husband always said I was too curvy for his liking.

But long hours running your own business and raising two kids will do that to you. So when our tenth anniversary is coming up, I decided to get in the best shape of my life.

That means tracking everything like a hawk:

My calories, my water, my weight.

So imagine my face when I'm out of town at a work conference, and I get a strange notification from my smart scale at 1 A.M:

"Congrats on your goal weight—You lost 40 lbs!"

I begin to wonder who my husband had in our bedroom.

So I start digging. What I find is so much worse than just cheating. My husband is trying to steal my business, our house, and custody of my kids!

That's it. Plan decided. I'm going to gather the receipts and ruin Todd's life. And then I'm swearing off men forever.

Ronan

Men like Todd Bradshaw disgust me.

Lying, scheming, backstabbing cowards. He's hired my law firm to take everything from his unsuspecting wife. Right down to her kids.

But before I can tear him to pieces, she storms in and does it for me.

Just like that, I'm mesmerized. Todd called her "too curvy," but he couldn't have been more wrong. Every inch of Calista Bradshaw is exactly to my liking.

She's smart. Ferocious. Fights for what's hers. Unfortunately, she says she's done with men for good. But I know better.

She just hasn't met me.

Cruel Lies is book one of the Akov Bratva duet. The story concludes in book two, Cruel Kiss.

Tropes: cheating husband caught and gets what's coming; best friend betrayal; revenge era heroine; protective but not controlling hero; morally grey alpha hero; touch her and you-know-what-happens; strong female lead; curvy FMC / body worship; billionaire CEO boss.