Showing results by narrator "Alastair Haynesbridge" in All Categories

Fate works in mysterious ways—and this Valentine’s Day, it’s feeling particularly mischievous. From accidental Zoom crashes to graveyard resurrections, six beloved romance authors bring you a collection of increasingly steamy second chances.

Dark raven hair and piercing green eyes, sweet and naive Eleanor Romero would make a beautiful bride. Ten million dollars and a forced signature later and she was mine. Like a thief I came in the dead of night and stole her away from her protected castle and placed her in a gilded cage made of gold. The deal had been made. She would become my wife. She would bear my children. She would bend to my will. But most importantly, she would help me destroy the man she loved most, the man who took everything from me: her father.

Hollywood screenwriter Sawyer Walsh knows a good love story when he sees it. But when it comes to real life romance, he’s a mess. That’s how he finds himself standing at the altar…as his ex-girlfriend ties the knot with his very famous best friend. The pressure, the resentment, the media coverage—it’s all too much—and before he knows exactly what he’s doing, he’s making a run for it, leaving a shocked congregation and flashing cameras in his wake.

Louisiana gravedigger Noah Evans’s Valentine’s night shift takes an unexpected turn when his high school crush starts screaming from her freshly dug grave. Whoever tried to bury Emma six feet under is in for a nasty surprise—they should have checked for a pulse because she’s got unfinished business, starting with the hot gravedigger who just saved her life. As they unearth a deadly family conspiracy, Noah and Emma discover that old flames burn even hotter the second time around—especially when someone’s trying to kill them.

Basil Masters has it all—a booming aviation software company, great friends, and a sweet, supportive girlfriend, Summer. He's ready to propose, convinced life is chef's kiss perfect. Summer, however, is not convinced. For two years, she's smiled through Basil's friends (especially his female best friend), tearing her down, brushed off their condescending jokes, and tried—really tried—to make him see the problem.

A devastating injury ended Theo Haven’s pro-football career, but he’s made a good life for himself in his hometown. The high school teacher and football coach might be single, but that’s by choice. And his work bestie, Penelope? She’s one of the best parts of his job, but they’re just friends. No, really. Not the sort of friends who are secretly pining for each other or destined to hook up. Just… friends.

The deal was sealed the moment she stepped onto that stage. It was like seeing a ghost: sunshine-blonde hair, pale skin, azure eyes that held a thousand secrets. I didn’t know what caused her to end up on that auction block, and I didn’t care. All I knew was that I had to have her - no matter the cost. A million dollars later, she became mine. Mine to break. Mine to use. Mine to keep.

The first time I met Miles Aldrich, he stole my cupcakes. The second time, I handed him a bill for what he owed me. He's a billionaire after all. He can afford it. The third time we met… well, that was the biggest surprise of all. I walked into his office looking for help with a business plan. But I somehow walked out with a fake boyfriend. Miles claims the plan is simple: he'll lend me his powerful family's reputation by posing as my boyfriend. I'll gain important contacts, and he'll have someone by his side so he doesn't have to make excuses for why he's not dating anyone.

When Faith Baker takes a job at Cain Ripley's restaurant in small-town Oregon, sparks fly—and so does the cash drawer. Accused of stealing, Faith is arrested, humiliated, and betrayed by the man she trusted most. Cain says he'll drop the charges if she returns the money. Only one problem: she doesn't have it, because she didn't take it. As Faith's name is dragged through the mud and her future crumbles, Cain clings to his version of the truth—until a deeper betrayal is uncovered.

My boss Elliot Levy is intolerable, and I tell him so every day...in the little notes I write and then hide in the back of my desk. I can't exactly say to his face that I'm convinced he's a cyborg, considering I'm about to become a single mother, and I really need to keep my job as his assistant. Elliot never looks at me, so he doesn't even notice I'm pregnant until I'm seven months along. The first thing he asks is if I'm planning to come back to work once I have the baby.

When a music audition at the world-renowned LaGuardia Arts High School brings together two thirteen-year-olds, unassuming Aurelia Ramirez Preston and confident Chadwick David, the serendipitous encounter becomes an unbreakable friendship. A friendship develops into an unyielding love—a love spanning decades and continents. With New York City as their playground, best friends Chad and Aurelia navigate the turbulence of adolescence. They blossom, and so does their love. An awkward first date turns into a night of intoxicating kisses and together, they lose their innocence.

For years, I’ve watched her - followed her, stalked her. At first, it was about protecting her, keeping her safe and out of harm's way. Then it became a full-blown obsession. I vowed to never touch her again, to protect her from everyone, including myself. But when enemies lurking in the shadows threaten to take all that away, I know I’ll do anything to keep my butterfly safe...even if it means betraying the only family I’ve ever known.

I’ve spent the better part of the last few years successfully avoiding my brother’s best friend, Weston Aldrich. As CEO of Andes Inc, the infuriatingly handsome and incessantly grumpy Weston also happens to be my new boss. It shouldn’t have been hard to continue avoiding him. After all, he’s on the executive floor, and I’m one of many copywriters. Weston has his own ideas about how things should go between us. He’s in my emails, leaving notes on my desk, and as if that’s not enough, he arranges for me to accompany him on a business trip.

After my ex-boyfriend makes me the target of a cruel online hate campaign, I know I have to get away. The last thing I expect on my trip to Sweden is a moose standing in the middle of the road—or the mysterious, bearded ranger who pulls me from my wrecked car. Now, a storm's brewing, and I'm being carried into a secluded mountain cabin by a Nordic God rippling with muscle. Inside, I'm greeted by three ridiculously hot Swedish mountain men.

Olive O’Brien is a plus-size influencer with half a million followers and big dreams. And she’s feeling the pressure to stand out while staying true to herself. To cope, Olive finds solace in an unexpected place: the DMs of Jasper Rafferty, the world’s hottest movie star, where she feels safe to share her hopes, fears, and secrets because it’s not like he’ll read them. Until he does. Kind of.

They say, don't mix business with pleasure. I bet they never had to work with Griffin Parker. He headhunts me to manage the spa in his iconic New York hotel, the Songbird. It's a dream opportunity, but he's a nightmare in a designer suit. We clash spectacularly when he refuses to give up control. He doesn't trust me. I don't like him. Until one day, we manage to work together, and an idea grows wings. And the things he says… Oh God. I've spent my life fighting back against the repercussions of pleasing other people. Yet, I find myself doing exactly that.

After the stunt my ex pulled, no one would blame me if I swore off men forever, especially one like Mr Jay Anderson, Hollywood’s sexiest heartthrob. Maybe undressing me with his striking blue eyes as I perform the safety demonstration on a flight to LA is normal behaviour for him. Maybe not. But I know one thing for sure, he should come with a warning label. Because once you meet a man like Jay Anderson, there is no going back.

My arrogant fake fiancé? I can't stand him. Cocky and charismatic Emmett Rhodes isn't a relationship kind of guy, but now that he's running for mayor of our small town, his bachelor past is hurting the campaign. Thankfully, I'm the last woman who would ever fall for him. We're total opposites-he's a golden retriever and I'm a black cat, but he'll co-sign on my restaurant loan if I play his devoted fiancée. Between romantic dates, a prom night re-do, and visits to a secret beach, things heat up, and the line between real and ruse is lit on fire.

It should have been a simple arrangement. Luca needs a wife to clean up his image as the new CEO of Rossi Motors, and I need my mother to stop trying to fix me up on terrible dates. In two years, we'll part amicably with no attachments or hard feelings.\ Anything that happens between us will be outside the confines of our arrangement. By anything, I mean falling into Luca's bed. Which I also do frequently and with abandon. But nothing is ever as simple as it seems. It isn't long before I fall for my motorcycle-riding, dirty-talking, sexy-as-sin husband.

Ben Cobalt is number six. Not sixth place. In fact, he’d be considered at least third draft pick for the NHL if he didn’t quit hockey during college. And he’s not sixth-in-line for any throne. Though, most consider his larger-than-life, billionaire family American royalty. He is the sixth-born Cobalt. Out of a normal family of seven, he might get lost in the shuffle. But being the black sheep of the Cobalt Empire comes with its own intense spotlight. After he hits a major low at college in Philly, his four older brothers convince him to move in with them in New York City.