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		<title>Mayhem and the Mortal Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/mayhem-and-the-mortal-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:52:33 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Alpha Male]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fantasy/Sci-fi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paranormal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
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			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/alpha-male" rel="category tag">Alpha Male</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/dark" rel="category tag">Dark</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/fantasy" rel="category tag">Fantasy/Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/fantasy/paranormal" rel="category tag">Paranormal</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> 	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>161<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>153795 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=161'>161</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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One mission. One curse. No escape.<br />
<br />
Zaira doesn’t want a hero. She needs a weapon.<br />
<br />
To save her sister from a soul-devouring curse, she has to cross The Shallows—a nightmare landscape of ruined magic, shifting paths, and vicious creatures that eat people alive.<br />
<br />
Her guide? Thane Valkor: sorcerer, assassin, walking red flag. His name clears rooms. His magic kills quietly. And whatever he’s really after, it’s not salvation.<br />
<br />
He promises to help. He might even mean it.<br />
<br />
But Zaira knows better than to trust a liar with a blade and ice in his veins.<br />
<br />
She just doesn’t have a choice<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>Chapter 1<br><br>While I’m kneading dough, I feel an intense surge of heat bloom on my chest.<br />
<br />
			Gasping, I reach up instantly to unclasp my necklace, then drop it like it’s alive on the flour-coated counter. I stare at the pearl pendant attached to the gold chain—the pearl that’s now burning hot.<br />
<br />
			Something is wrong with Analla.<br />
<br />
			Infused with magic and bonded to my sister, the pendant tells me what words cannot. When it’s warm, that means she’s dealing with nuisances, survivable troubles.<br />
<br />
			When it’s hot—<br />
<br />
			My throat tightens and my pulse roars in my ears as realization sinks in. If it’s hot, that means she’s in actual danger.<br />
<br />
			I was already worried because she hadn’t come home last night—or the previous two nights, for that matter. She never stays at work for that long, not without letting me know first.<br />
<br />
			So, yes, it is possible that she’s in danger. And if she is, there’s only one place she could be: Seferin’s keep.<br />
<br />
			Living just along the outskirts of Meriva Empire, Seferin is the most corrupt sorcerer in the entire kingdom.<br />
<br />
			I immediately wipe the sticky dough from my fingers, shove the necklace into one of my trouser pockets, and grab my satchel. I don’t tell the other baker where I’m going, despite her calling after me as I storm out of the bakery.<br />
<br />
			I don’t even stop to think.<br />
<br />
			I just leave.<br />
<br />
			…<br />
<br />
			By the time I reach the edge of the forest, the sun is starting to sink behind the tree line, and a cold sense of dread crawls up my spine with every step. Words Analla has said before repeat in my head.<br />
<br />
			Never come to his keep.<br />
<br />
			Warnings be damned. I need to know if she’s okay. What if this is a false alarm? What if the pendant’s magic is fading, like I was warned it might?<br />
<br />
			A possibility, yes, but I need to be sure.<br />
<br />
			The hike takes nearly an hour. My feet ache and my lungs burn, but I don’t slow down until I see the familiar shape of Seferin’s keep, three stories of black brick crowned by a dome roof rising between the treetops.<br />
<br />
			The Shadow Nest.<br />
<br />
			He uses this place as a private, exclusive club, one that’s by invite only. It’s the sorcerer’s coverup for corruption, his last shred of mortality. His way of leading people to believe he’s merely one of us…just with a darker side.<br />
<br />
			I’ve only been here once when I assisted Analla with carrying supplies. It was her first week of work as a nightmaiden. I saw things that day that made my skin crawl, things I still can’t put into words. She made me swear to never return…yet here I am.<br />
<br />
			I crouch behind a tree and scan the area ahead. With sunlight still lingering in the sky, the sorcerer guards that usually patrol the grounds have lowered their defenses. After all, it’s night that belongs to the monsters.<br />
<br />
			After checking that my surroundings are clear, I dash across the open field and slip around the side of the building. A partially open door reveals a kitchen beyond. I give the door a nudge with the tip of my boot and step inside.<br />
<br />
			Around a corner, a cook bends over the hearth with his back to me. I take that as my opportunity to sneak through the kitchen and slip into a hallway, but I wind up crashing into someone else.<br />
<br />
			Shit.<br />
<br />
			She’s tall and abnormally slender, wearing a one-piece leather garment that clings to every sharp angle of her body.<br />
<br />
			She grabs hold of my arm before I can escape and yanks me toward her. “Who are you?” she demands. “I’ve never seen you before.”<br />
<br />
			“I’m sorry. I’m just looking for my sister,” I say, voice trembling. “She works here. I just want to check on her.”<br />
<br />
			The woman’s eyes narrow, and the tension in her features softens as she studies my face.<br />
<br />
			“Your sister?” she repeats.<br />
<br />
			I nod, swallowing past the thick lump in my throat. Is she going to drag me to Seferin? Kill me herself?<br />
<br />
			“Analla…” I start.<br />
<br />
			“Analla?” Recognition sweeps over her face, and her grip slackens.<br />
<br />
			My eyes expand. “Yes!” I whisper, nodding eagerly. “Do you know her?”<br />
<br />
			She releases me at once, her gaze darting down the hall. “You need to leave.”<br />
<br />
			I freeze, even though everything in me tells me to do as she says. “Where is she?”<br />
<br />
			“Look, I am telling you now that you need to leave. If someone else finds out you’re her sister, they’ll lock you up like they’ve done to her.”<br />
<br />
			Lock me up?<br />
<br />
			My stomach tightens into knots as she starts to turn away. “Hey—wait!” I plead. “If she’s here somewhere, can you just take me to her? I don’t care what happens. I need to see her. Please.”<br />
<br />
			The woman halts and lowers her head, letting out a long exhale. She then looks down both ways of the lengthy hallway before approaching me again.<br />
<br />
			“Fine,” she grumbles. “I’ll show you to it, but you need to keep quiet.”<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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<div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=161'>161</a></div>

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		<item>
		<title>Sweet Little Hearts Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/sweet-little-hearts-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:41:15 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Alpha Male]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contemporary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wownovels.com/sweet-little-hearts-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/alpha-male" rel="category tag">Alpha Male</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/contemporary" rel="category tag">Contemporary</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/sports" rel="category tag">Sports</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> 	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>105<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>98524 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=105'>105</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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From New York Times bestselling author Shanora Williams comes a deeply heartfelt romance about the tragedies that put our lives on hold—and the love that makes us want to start again.<br />
<br />
Javier Valdez hasn’t had much luck with nannies, and he can’t imagine this one will be any different. Octavia Klein is all sass to his stoicism, free spirit to his hard work. But he’s a widower, and with a career in the NBA, he can’t keep doing this alone.<br />
<br />
Despite Javier’s reservations, Octavia turns out to be the best thing for his four-year-old daughter…and for him. But he’s reluctant to admit it. Javier swore off love after his wife died, and Octavia has her own reasons for avoiding relationships.<br />
<br />
As their bond deepens far past professionalism or even friendship, it’s hard to deny the crackling tension of something more. They’re both toeing lines they said they wouldn’t cross—and when their pasts come rushing back, there’s no telling which way they’ll fall.<br />
<br />
With old wounds reopened, can Javier and Octavia overcome the pain once again? Or will their future together become just another scar?<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>One<br><br>Octavia<br />
<br />
When I was little, I was a firm believer that love expressed in any form was amazing . . . until I was introduced to the toxic side of it.<br />
<br />
At first, you don’t even realize the harm. You ignore the red flags and the subtle twists in the pit of your stomach warning you that something isn’t quite right. Then the person claiming to love you does something unforgivable, and you’re left with no choice but to walk away from it.<br />
<br />
It’s heartbreaking when all you’ve ever wanted is to love and be loved.<br />
<br />
To feel safe and cared for.<br />
<br />
I couldn’t help thinking, after all I’d endured, is it even worth it to be in a committed relationship? Is it worth putting trust into more people, just to either lose them or be hurt by them?<br />
<br />
In the end, I came to my own conclusion: Falling in love had to be a joke. Because if love was serious, it wouldn’t have done me so dirty.<br><br>Two<br><br>Octavia<br />
<br />
“Are you nervous?” Davina’s voice poured out of my car’s speakers as I gave my steering wheel a right turn.<br />
<br />
“Nervous? Why would I be nervous?” I asked, driving along a single-lane road. I’d gotten off the highway about twenty minutes ago. Atlanta traffic was a pain in the ass, so it was a relief to be on a quieter, emptier street.<br />
<br />
“Because, as much as I like Javier as a person,” my sister said, “he doesn’t mess around when it comes to Aleesa.”<br />
<br />
“Um, yeah. I gathered that when he freaked out about me tickling her chin in Miami. But no, I’m not nervous. I’m seeing this opportunity like all the others. He’s just a parent who needs assistance.”<br />
<br />
“Okay. Well, just do me a favor, Tavia, and don’t piss him off, please.”<br />
<br />
“What?” I shrieked, feigning innocence. “How could I ever piss anyone off?”<br />
<br />
“You’d piss him off because you love to make fun of people.” She laughed. “To us, it’s all harmless jokes. We’re used to teasing each other, but Javier didn’t grow up the way we did. If you embarrass him in his own home, he’ll probably fire you for it.”<br />
<br />
“Fine. I promise to be on my best behavior.” I sighed. “Especially with Mama needing more money for Abe’s therapy.”<br />
<br />
Our baby brother, Abraham, was autistic, and after years of trial and error, we’d found the perfect clinic for him. His new therapist was patient, kind, and thorough but insanely expensive. Ever since starting there, though, Abe had built more confidence in himself, was a bit more eager to try new things, and was becoming better at communicating with us. The communication part was important. In my opinion, the therapy was worth every penny. Unfortunately, to keep this good thing going for him, I needed to keep raking in more pennies.<br />
<br />
“Don’t worry about money, sis,” Davina said. “I told you I’m helping them. His therapy payments will be taken care of.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah, but if I’m going to be away from home for who knows how long, I need to contribute something. I feel guilty every single time for just packing up and leaving when I get a new job. And with Mama’s fragrance shop going downhill . . .” I blew out an exasperated breath. “I just want to support them where I can. If Abe loses his spot at the clinic, they won’t take it well.”<br />
<br />
“Everything will be fine,” my sister cooed. “I would never let them sink. They’ll be okay, Octavia. Besides, Mama has dealt with much worse. You are trying to get back on your feet, so just focus on this new job. Everything will work out.”<br />
<br />
I released a frustrated breath. I had driven four hours to Atlanta so I could be interviewed by Javier Valdez, an NBA player and the starting center for the Atlanta Ravens. He wasn’t as famous as my sister’s fiancé, Deke Bishop, but people loved him nearly just as much. He was thirty-four years old (four years my senior), and I’d have found him extremely irresistible . . . if he wasn’t such a grumpy asshole 70 percent of the time.<br />
<br />
The 30 percent when he wasn’t a Scrooge was when he interacted with his daughter. She was the only person I saw him being genuinely nice to. Well, her and his best friend, Deke.<br />
<br />
To many, getting the chance to work with a man who played professional basketball (and who was sexy as hell, might I add) would’ve been a dream.<br />
<br />
Javier Valdez was a six-foot-five Argentinean giant with insane attitude. It could’ve been a dream for me for sure . . . if he didn’t loathe me. I was surprised he’d given me a call a week ago and asked if I could meet him at his house, or that he wanted me anywhere near his precious baby girl.<br />
<br />
I believe during my brief trip to Miami with Davina a few months ago, he realized I was a good fit for Aleesa. Davina flew out to meet one of her investors, Chester, for lunch, and afterward he invited us to a penthouse party he was hosting. I joined her because I had never been to Miami and it had felt like the perfect opportunity. That’s when I met Javier and Aleesa.<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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		<item>
		<title>Whispers of the Lake Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/whispers-of-the-lake-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 19:15:12 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Alpha Male]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suspense]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thriller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wownovels.com/whispers-of-the-lake-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/alpha-male" rel="category tag">Alpha Male</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/suspense" rel="category tag">Suspense</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/thriller" rel="category tag">Thriller</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> 	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>80<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>75015 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=80'>80</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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A marriage on the rocks, a missing friend, an investigative journalist, a tangle of shocking lies, and a peaceful North Carolina lakefront cottage converge in this irresistibly twisty new psychological thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author—perfect for readers of Liv Constantine, Tarryn Fisher, Kellye Garrett, and Caroline Kepnes.<br />
<br />
At the peak of her career, investigative reporter Rose Howard is exhausted from trying to manage her seemingly perfect life. With her marriage to her one true love collapsing, she desperately needs to rest, regroup, and decide which way to go next. The direction becomes clear when she discovers that her former best friend, Eve Castillo, isn't responding to attempts to contact her at the North Carolina cottage where she's vacationing. Rose knows Eve can be flaky and irresponsible—that’s why they fell out. Still, Rose heads to the tranquil small town of Sage Hill . . .<br />
<br />
Rose soon discovers that Eve has vanished without her purse and passport—even after booking a trip abroad. The personable cabin owners’ accounts of Eve's stay just don’t to add up . . . and most of the town's initially hospitable inhabitants becoming increasingly less helpful . . .<br />
<br />
Rose's instincts tell her the solution lies somewhere in Eve's—and Sage Hill's—past. To get answers, she’ll have to ask inconvenient questions, rattle long-buried skeletons . . . and face vicious attempts on her life. But some truths are best left alone. And secrets Rose never saw coming could easily sink her and her future without a trace .<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>GORGEOUS TWO BEDROOM COTTAGE ON LAKE AQUILLA<br />
<br />
Take a breather in this cozy cottage on Lake Aquilla! Located in the heart of Sage Hill and surrounded by so much nature, you’ll be left with no choice but to unwind, enjoy the views, and relax.<br />
<br />
With just a short walk to the shore, you’ll love putting your feet in the cool waters and spotting the fish.<br />
<br />
Wake up to wide-open windows that reveal rippling waters that go farther than the eye can see. Make a cup of coffee in our newly renovated kitchen and sit on the patio to watch the sun rise over splendid mountains.<br />
<br />
Take a hike on our trails to open up your mind or use our speedboat for a quick ride across the lake.<br />
<br />
Whatever the decision is, you can do no wrong in Twilight Oaks, where everyone is welcome.<br><br>CHAPTER ONE<br />
<br />
Fuck Happiness.<br />
<br />
The fleeting thought crossed my mind as I stood in the bedroom closet I shared with Cole and stared at the racks of clothes. What would happen to me now? Where do I go next? How do I find that dreaded happiness again? When it arrives, will it come temporarily, like a visitor? Or will it stay this time? Will it hold me forever?<br />
<br />
Only yesterday I was smiling. Hopeful even, ready to put one foot forward and focus on my future. But today, tears fill my eyes and the various colors of clothes become one irritating blur.<br />
<br />
People speak of happiness like it’s some tangible, obtainable object—like you can simply grab hold of it, kiss it, and cling to it. Make it promise to never leave you.<br />
<br />
Perhaps it is like an object in the metaphorical sense. You can hold on to it all you want, but the thing I’ve learned about Happiness is that it hates clingy bitches. Happiness is disloyal. Unfaithful. Unyielding. It doesn’t care what happens to you when it walks out of the door. It’s like a bad guest, one who shows up when they feel like it. Lingers around. Takes up space. Eats all your favorite snacks. It’s the kind of friend who is so charming and loving that you forget all about their flaws and the way they walked away from you the first time.<br />
<br />
Like I said, Fuck happiness. It can go to hell for all I care. I sniffled as I stepped deeper into the closet, wiping my face with the back of my arm. The brakes of a car let off a light squeal.<br />
<br />
Cole was home.<br />
<br />
A sudden flash of anger wrapped around me, so white-hot that I swear my skin was sizzling. I snatched as many of his pieces of clothing as I could off the hangers. My arms were full of trousers, button-down shirts, silk ties, jeans, T-shirts—whatever I could manage. All of it had to be worth thousands of dollars. I even bent down to grab a pair of his favorite Jordans—a custom-made eggplant pair that I always hated the color of. I snatched down belts, a case of watches, a pair of Versace sunglasses.<br />
<br />
The front door closed just as I left the bedroom and rounded the corner, hugging the items. I could smell burning wood from here. Cole’s eyes expanded when he caught sight of me. “Rose,” he said, but I was already walking in the opposite direction, toward the back door. “Rose. Hey, what are you doing?”<br />
<br />
I ignored him and walked straight through the door I’d left wide-open. I hoped a million mosquitoes had flown inside just to bite his ass up all night long. The sun was setting, and the air was cool. The firepit was ablaze and the flames enticed me the closer I got. The heat swelled, strong enough to make a person sweat. I swear the crackling of the flames sounded like someone was laughing while chanting, Do it, do it, do it!<br />
<br />
Cole shouted my name, chasing after me as I approached the roaring fire. I hurled all of his clothes into the firepit, pulled off my wedding ring, tossed it in too, and watched it all burn.<br><br>Eve Castillo journal entry<br />
<br />
I found myself staring at my reflection again. I stared for so long it seemed I wasn’t even real anymore. My features became invisible, and my eyes did that weird thing where they glaze over. It’s like an out-of-body-experience—like I’m not myself at all.<br />
<br />
Then I blink, snap out of it, and feel the breath coursing through my lungs, the prickle of my skin, the beating of my heart. I wish I could stay that way—living outside my body, watching this ridiculous girl stand for so long she rots.<br />
<br />
I wish I was happier, or that I had a simpler life.<br />
<br />
I wish I didn’t have to fake smiles.<br />
<br />
I wish I didn’t hate myself so much.<br><br>CHAPTER TWO<br />
<br />
Three Months Later<br><br>Corporate parties should be illegal. I didn’t understand how people really looked forward to these things. Socializing outside of working hours with coworkers? Being in the same room as your boss and enjoying an alcoholic beverage with them?<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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		<title>Beautiful Broken Love Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/beautiful-broken-love-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:24:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Alpha Male]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contemporary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wownovels.com/beautiful-broken-love-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

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			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/alpha-male" rel="category tag">Alpha Male</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/contemporary" rel="category tag">Contemporary</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/sports" rel="category tag">Sports</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> 	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>123<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>115833 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=123'>123</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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From New York Times bestselling author Shanora Williams comes an emotional page-turner about two people still reeling from tragedy who look to each other for the strength to move forward.<br />
<br />
It’s been months since her dreams of forever were brutally shattered. Seven long months since her husband and soulmate, Lew, died in her arms, leaving her to carry on. Alone. And Davina Klein-Roberts still isn’t sure how to move forward.<br />
<br />
To escape her anguish, Davina throws everything into work, pushing Golden Oil Co., her self-built skincare line, to become a viral success. Now she’s poised to clinch a major endorsement deal too. But it’s bittersweet without Lew by her side.<br />
<br />
A meeting with Deke Bishop, the hot NBA star she’s courting for her brand, leaves Davina flustered. With his dimpled smile and warm handshake, Deke’s a natural pitchman. And he’s clearly interested—not only in her lotions.<br />
<br />
Davina soon discovers that Deke’s more than just another player and carries his own pain. But as her feelings for him grow, so does her guilt. Will the pain of a future already lost keep her from embracing hope for a new one?<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>PRAISE FOR SHANORA WILLIAMS<br />
<br />
Wanting Mr. Cane<br />
<br />
“A smoldering love story that will melt the screen right off your phone! Five forbidden stars!”<br />
<br />
—Sierra Simone, USA Today bestselling author<br />
<br />
“A scrumptious morsel of forbidden love dusted in sugary, sexy urgency. This story had me hungry for more, long after I turned the last page.”<br />
<br />
—Dylan Allen, USA Today bestselling author<br />
<br />
The Perfect Ruin<br />
<br />
“A shocking, sensual thriller.”<br />
<br />
—Tarryn Fisher, New York Times bestselling author<br />
<br />
“Twisty and impossible to put down! 10/10, would recommend.”<br />
<br />
—Claire Contreras, New York Times bestselling author<br />
<br />
“I was hooked from the very first twist.”<br />
<br />
—Alessandra Torre, New York Times bestselling author of Every Last Secret<br />
<br />
“With diabolical turns and surprises at every corner, it’s an ideal summer read.”<br />
<br />
—Booklist (starred review)<br />
<br />
“Williams is an award-winning author of romance and suspense novels; her tale of revenge will find an easy spot in fiction collections. Tailored for book clubs and for those who like to read about the sleazy side of rich elites.”<br />
<br />
—Library Journal<br />
<br />
The Other Mistress<br />
<br />
“Fans of The Wife Between Us, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, won’t be able to put this one down.”<br />
<br />
—Booklist<br />
<br />
“A fast-paced psychological trip with a climax that will shock the most voracious readers. Recommended for fans of Alyssa Cole, Liv Constantine, and Megan Goldin.”<br />
<br />
—Library Journal<br><br>OTHER TITLES BY SHANORA WILLIAMS<br><br>Ward Duet<br />
<br />
The Man I Can’t Have<br />
<br />
The Man I Need<br><br>Cane Series<br />
<br />
Wanting Mr. Cane<br />
<br />
Breaking Mr. Cane<br />
<br />
Loving Mr. Cane<br />
<br />
Being Mrs. Cane<br><br>Nora Heat Collection<br />
<br />
Dirty Little Secret<br />
<br />
Caress<br />
<br />
Crave<br />
<br />
My Professor<br><br>Stand-Alones<br />
<br />
Bad for Me<br />
<br />
Coach Me<br />
<br />
Temporary Boyfriend<br />
<br />
My Fiancé’s Brother<br />
<br />
Doomsday Love<br />
<br />
Until the Last Breath<br><br>Series<br />
<br />
Mr. Black Duet<br />
<br />
FireNine Series<br />
<br />
Ace Crow Duet<br />
<br />
Venom Trilogy<br><br>Thrillers<br />
<br />
The Perfect Ruin<br />
<br />
The Wife Before<br />
<br />
The Other Mistress<br />
<br />
The Bitter Truth<br><br>This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Otherwise, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.<br />
<br />
Text copyright © 2024 by Shanora Williams<br />
<br />
All rights reserved.<br />
<br />
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.<br />
<br />
Published by Montlake, Seattle<br />
<br />
www.apub.com<br />
<br />
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.<br />
<br />
ISBN-13: 9781662518881 (paperback)<br />
<br />
ISBN-13: 9781662518874 (digital)<br />
<br />
Cover design by Hang Le<br />
<br />
Cover image: © Federica Giacomazzi / Stocksy; © s8, © Kirill I, © Michael Kraus / Shutterstock<br><br>To my beautiful niece Dez<br><br>CONTENTS<br />
<br />
AUTHOR’S NOTE<br />
<br />
ONE<br />
<br />
TWO<br />
<br />
THREE<br />
<br />
FOUR<br />
<br />
FIVE<br />
<br />
SIX<br />
<br />
SEVEN<br />
<br />
EIGHT<br />
<br />
NINE<br />
<br />
TEN<br />
<br />
ELEVEN<br />
<br />
TWELVE<br />
<br />
THIRTEEN<br />
<br />
FOURTEEN<br />
<br />
FIFTEEN<br />
<br />
SIXTEEN<br />
<br />
SEVENTEEN<br />
<br />
EIGHTEEN<br />
<br />
NINETEEN<br />
<br />
TWENTY<br />
<br />
TWENTY-ONE<br />
<br />
TWENTY-TWO<br />
<br />
TWENTY-THREE<br />
<br />
TWENTY-FOUR<br />
<br />
TWENTY-FIVE<br />
<br />
TWENTY-SIX<br />
<br />
TWENTY-SEVEN<br />
<br />
TWENTY-EIGHT<br />
<br />
TWENTY-NINE<br />
<br />
THIRTY<br />
<br />
THIRTY-ONE<br />
<br />
THIRTY-TWO<br />
<br />
THIRTY-THREE<br />
<br />
THIRTY-FOUR<br />
<br />
THIRTY-FIVE<br />
<br />
THIRTY-SIX<br />
<br />
THIRTY-SEVEN<br />
<br />
THIRTY-EIGHT<br />
<br />
THIRTY-NINE<br />
<br />
FORTY<br />
<br />
FORTY-ONE<br />
<br />
FORTY-TWO<br />
<br />
FORTY-THREE<br />
<br />
FORTY-FOUR<br />
<br />
FORTY-FIVE<br />
<br />
FORTY-SIX<br />
<br />
FORTY-SEVEN<br />
<br />
FORTY-EIGHT<br />
<br />
FORTY-NINE<br />
<br />
FIFTY<br />
<br />
FIFTY-ONE<br />
<br />
FIFTY-TWO<br />
<br />
FIFTY-THREE<br />
<br />
FIFTY-FOUR<br />
<br />
FIFTY-FIVE<br />
<br />
FIFTY-SIX<br />
<br />
FIFTY-SEVEN<br />
<br />
FIFTY-EIGHT<br />
<br />
FIFTY-NINE<br />
<br />
SIXTY<br />
ONE<br />
<br />
DAVINA<br />
<br />
“You can’t say he isn’t fine, Vina.” Tish turned the screen of her phone my way to show me a picture of Declan Bishop.<br />
<br />
Leaning forward, I studied the photo and cracked a smile to indulge her. “He is really cute, but I feel like you say that about every man.”<br />
<br />
She shrugged, setting her phone down on my desk to pick up her nail file. “Well, I mean it about this one. I’d have all his babies.”<br />
<br />
I laughed right along with her.<br />
<br />
Tish and I arrived at work early so she could fill me in about our eleven o’clock meeting with the famous Declan Bishop, an NBA player many people obsessed over and one of the most popular athletes on the East Coast. The ladies loved him, and based on all the pictures Tish presented, I understood why.<br />
<br />
He was one of the biggest faces in sports at the moment, and that’s what made it so shocking that he agreed to meet with us. A fuzzy feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach from the reminder that I’d be speaking one on one with him soon.<br />
<br />
“Think I have time to stretch my legs and take a walk before he gets here?” I rose from my chair, pressing my palms into my back and pushing my hips forward. It felt good but did absolutely nothing to calm my nerves.<br />
<br />
“You can stretch all you want, but I don’t suggest leaving the building.” Tish glanced at me as she blew dust from her filed nails. “I know how you get when you start walking outside and reach Confetti’s. We can’t afford you being late because you can’t decide on which donut flavor you wanna try.”<br />
<br />
“Hey.” I threw both hands in the air in a guiltless gesture. “It’s not my fault their donuts are good.”<br />
<br />
“The meeting is”—she flipped her wrist—“forty-five-ish minutes from now. Promise you won’t drift too far.”<br />
<br />
“I won’t,” I assured her, already making my way to the door. “I’ll be right back, I promise. Want anything from the break room?”<br />
<br />
She looked at me from beneath her brows. “Only if there’s wine.”<br />
<br />
I huffed a laugh, waving a hand at her.<br />
<br />
Most of our days started like this, but on this particular morning we were trying our hardest not to be frazzled. Though Tisha Cole was my secretary and best friend of thirteen years and we’d conquered a lot of achievements together, we had no idea what to expect from this meeting with the NBA star.<br />
<br />
Still, we’d prepped as much as possible, and if Tish hadn’t been by my side, I wouldn’t have felt confident enough to go through with it. In fact, I wouldn’t have had half the success that I did if it weren’t for her.<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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		<title>Lethal Souls (The Tether #3) Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/lethal-souls-the-tether-3-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Aug 2024 08:13:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Alpha Male]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fantasy/Sci-fi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paranormal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suspense]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksnovels.com/lethal-souls-the-tether-3-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/alpha-male" rel="category tag">Alpha Male</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/dark" rel="category tag">Dark</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/fantasy" rel="category tag">Fantasy/Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/funny" rel="category tag">Funny</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/fantasy/paranormal" rel="category tag">Paranormal</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/suspense" rel="category tag">Suspense</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> <span class="cat-links">Series: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/series/the-tether-series-by-shanora-williams">The Tether Series by Shanora Williams</a></span><br />	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>135<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>129912 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=135'>135</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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WILLOW<br />
Now that I’ve found my soulmate, life has never been better…<br />
But of course as a Cold Tethered couple, happiness doesn’t always last.<br />
Soon, my nightmares are being haunted, my future threatened, and my bond with Caz could slip right through my fingers.<br />
I hate that it’s come to this, but we’re now facing the biggest fight of our lives.<br />
Limits are tested.<br />
Blood is shed.<br />
Hearts are shattered.<br />
My only hope is that, through it all, everyone I love makes it out alive.<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>ONE<br><br>CAZ<br><br>The dream I have is no different than the last.<br />
<br />
Like always, it haunts me like a bad omen.<br />
<br />
I stand alone on a desolate dirt field, the sky a fiery red with no clouds in sight. The ground trembles beneath my feet. There is no sign of life around me. All I can hear is my own beating heart—my pulse swimming in my ears.<br />
<br />
The ground splits open to reveal bubbling molten lava. A burning sensation builds in my hands, and when I look at them, they’re glowing bright red.<br />
<br />
Veins of the same color spread up my arms, and I feel an intense energy coursing through me, making my blood rush and my heart pump faster. It’s as if one wrong move could set me off like a bomb, potentially destroying the entire world.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, a piercing screech tears through the air. I look up, heart still drumming in my chest, but there is nothing to be seen.<br />
<br />
At least, not at first.<br />
<br />
A creature with massive wings flaps slowly, creating its own wind that has now become an eerie, echoing melody. As the screeching intensifies, I finally find my feet and run, my footsteps crushing the splintering ground beneath me. My body moves on its own accord, propelled by some unknown force or instinct.<br />
<br />
I sprint ahead with a sense of urgency, being chased by something I can’t escape. Though I have no idea where I’m going, I know deep down that I must reach my destination at all costs.<br />
<br />
But just as I’m about to arrive at this unknown location, the winged creature appears before me. Its massive form lands with a powerful thud, quaking the ground with oversized taloned feet.<br />
<br />
I freeze as I stare up at this beast made of metallic red scales, sharp horns, and pointed ears as it fixes its fierce amber eyes on me.<br />
<br />
Its mane of fire seems to dance in anticipation as its serrated teeth gleam. I take a step back, unable to tear my gaze from it.<br />
<br />
Then the dragon speaks in a voice that rumbles like thunder. “Your blood will be mine!”<br />
<br />
A gust of flames erupts from its gaping mouth, and without hesitation, I throw up my hands and summon a burst of scarlet to deflect the fire.<br />
<br />
As the flames fade away and the creature disappears into thin air, that’s when I finally wake up from the nightmare with my heart beating a frantic rhythm in my chest.<br><br>TWO<br><br>CAZ<br><br>I sit up in bed, gasping as I press a shaking hand to my chest.<br />
<br />
I’m home. Still in Blackwater. It was only a nightmare.<br />
<br />
A hiss escapes me when I feel the heat in my palm searing my skin. Once again, my hands have come alive with red light, veins visibly pulsing beneath my skin.<br />
<br />
“It happened again.”<br />
<br />
I whip my head left, spotting Willow standing on the other side of the room. She tugs a shirt over her head then eyes me.<br />
<br />
“Fuck,” I mutter. “Where this time?”<br />
<br />
She points across the room, and I turn my head the opposite way. In the corner, my chaise has been split apart. One half has been disintegrated while the other half remains intact; however, the ends of the remaining threads are lit with fresh embers.<br />
<br />
“Fuck,” I curse again. I swallow and study my hands. The red glow wanes, and I let the relief settle in the pit of my stomach.<br />
<br />
“You’ve gotta get that fire of yours under control, babe.” Willow climbs onto the bed and sidles up to my side. She wraps an arm around me, and I hold her in return.<br />
<br />
I’ve been worried that this newfound power of mine will hurt her, but it hasn’t. While it only happens when I sleep, it seems that it purposely avoids her, as if it senses she’s a part of me and shouldn’t be harmed.<br />
<br />
“Was it the same dream?” she asks in a soft voice.<br />
<br />
“Yes.” I blink, trying to rid myself of the large, amber eyes. The thundering voice. “I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.”<br />
<br />
She’s quiet a moment.<br />
<br />
When she finally speaks again, I feel a tightening in my chest. “It’s been a month, Caz. How have we not heard back from Hassha about Warren yet?” Sitting up, she looks directly at me, and it’s now I notice the worry in her eyes. I feel her heartbeat quicken and her mind drift to worst-case scenarios.<br />
<br />
“Willow, no.” I grab her hand and squeeze it. “Don’t let your mind wander to the worst. I’m sure your brother is fine.”<br />
<br />
She nods, but I can tell she doesn’t accept my words. “I know this is going to sound awful, but I think something’s wrong. I just…I have this feeling, you know? Almost like how it felt when I was on Earth and had that hunch he was still alive. Something’s going on, and we have no way of finding out.”<br />
<br />
“I know.” I drag a palm down my face. “I’ve tried reaching out to Milandra—not only about these damn nightmares, but also Warren. There hasn’t been an answer, so I understand your worries. But this is Hassha we’re talking about. She’s probably telling her warriors to avoid our calls while she works her magic.”<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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		<title>The Bitter Truth Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/the-bitter-truth-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jul 2024 20:39:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suspense]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thriller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksnovels.com/the-bitter-truth-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/contemporary" rel="category tag">Contemporary</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/suspense" rel="category tag">Suspense</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/thriller" rel="category tag">Thriller</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> 	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>97<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>89840 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=97'>97</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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An upstanding political candidate. A determined stalker. A shattering lost weekend. Now, when his worst secret comes calling, how far will one man’s elegant, all-too-devoted wife go to uncover the truth . . . or bury it?<br />
<br />
For Jolene “Jo” Baker, the least she can do for her adoring husband, Dominic, is give unwavering support for his North Carolina gubernatorial run. He is not only the love of her life, he's also helping her prove that she's far more than just a pampered trophy wife. With huge crowds showing up at Dominic’s speeches and the polls consistently in his favor, she's never been happier to stand proudly by his side . . .<br />
<br />
Until she and Dominic start seeing the same, strangely ominous woman turning up all along the campaign trail. Until their tour starts becoming a nightmare of botched events, crucial missed information, and increasingly dangerous “accidents.” Suddenly Jo can't get any answers from Dominic—or understand why he is acting so paranoid and terrified . . .<br />
<br />
What Jo can do is start digging into his past—one she's never really questioned beyond his perfect image and dazzling accomplishments. What results is an alarming series of events that leave her Good friends turn into enemies, truths are revealed to be lies, and all clues lead back to one secret, shattering weekend that changes Jo’s entire life. With her world splintering into pieces, can Jo risk trying to set things right? Or will hiding the bitter truth by any means necessary destroy her as well?<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>PROLOGUE<br />
<br />
He stood in front of the cabin, drawing in a breath as he dug his nails into his palm. His backpack was heavy on his back, loaded with several textbooks and twelve dollars he’d gotten for helping Chris Moran with an essay. He licked his lips, then swallowed. All he wanted was to go into the cabin, fill a cup up with ice water, and guzzle it all down, but something was making him wary.<br />
<br />
Pointing his gaze down, he focused on the black and white Chucks on his feet. They were dirty, and there was a hole on the side of them. Fortunately, everyone at school thought it was cool and were making it a trend. The truth is, there was a hole because they were the only pair of shoes he had left. His mom hadn’t bought him any in months, though he’d been begging her to.<br />
<br />
His mom wasn’t the same person anymore. She’d changed, even more so when she was released from the detention center. His uncle kept telling him to stick it out, to be there for her, that she would get better, but he was absolutely positive she was getting worse.<br />
<br />
The branch of a tree above the cabin croaked and he shifted on his feet. He spotted the faded burgundy Buick parked to the left. She was home. It was now or never. He moved ahead and didn’t stop until he was at the front door. When he twisted the doorknob, it was locked, as expected, so he pulled out the key from his pocket, unlocked it, and walked right in.<br />
<br />
As he shut the door behind him, he noticed how eerily quietly the cabin was. He was used to quiet, but this was a different type of quiet. It was too still. The faucet in the kitchen, which usually dripped at a steady pace no matter how hard you twisted the knobs to shut it off, wasn’t dripping. The house didn’t creak either, not until he slid the straps of his backpack off and it thudded on the ground. He was tempted to call for his mother, but instead went to the kitchen and filled a cup with water. When it was at the brim, he gulped it down in four swallows then set the cup on the counter.<br />
<br />
A creaking noise came from the back of the house, and he made his way toward the hallway. The hallway light was on, but the two bedroom doors were closed. He checked his room first, because sometimes she liked to curl up in his closet with a bat. She didn’t like being in her closet because that’s where all the personal items were, the important documents and information, and his mom didn’t want the “people” looking for her to find them and steal her identity. When he saw the closet was empty, he ventured across the hallway.<br />
<br />
A slow breath slipped between his parted lips as he gripped the doorknob. “Momma?” he called. He swallowed, waiting for a response. The only response was the heavy creaking coming from her room. He peered down the hallway, where he could see the plaid furniture. Maybe I should just go study, or take a nap, he thought to himself. His mom would come out sooner or later. Sometimes she acted like nothing was wrong, and she’d cook dinner and ask him to set the table. But during the other times . . . oh. The other times were bad. He didn’t want this to lead to the bad times. But studying and napping wouldn’t lead to the good.<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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		<title>Wicked Ties (The Tether #2) Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/wicked-ties-the-tether-2-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2023 22:13:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Alpha Male]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fantasy/Sci-fi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paranormal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suspense]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-ties-the-tether-2-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/alpha-male" rel="category tag">Alpha Male</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/fantasy" rel="category tag">Fantasy/Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/fantasy/paranormal" rel="category tag">Paranormal</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/suspense" rel="category tag">Suspense</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> <span class="cat-links">Series: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/series/the-tether-series-by-shanora-williams">The Tether Series by Shanora Williams</a></span><br />	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>155<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>147891 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=155'>155</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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In Vakeeli, trust will get you killed…<br />
<br />
After being betrayed by one of the few people he trusts, Caz has become a prisoner in his own mind. For once, he can’t work his way out of a deadly situation…but with a mate like Willow, there’s always a way.<br />
<br />
With an ancient, powerful being like Decius, Willow has her work cut out for her, and after working with an old friend to cast a powerful portal spell, she winds up on Earth…with Caz at her side. But just because they’re on Earth doesn’t mean they’re safe. Though weaker, Decius still has the power to haunt them, and he will not stop until he has Caz in his clutches again…even if that means killing every single member of Caz’s Blackwater clan.<br />
<br />
With lives on the line and the clock ticking, the tethered couple must use earthly resources to find a way back to Vakeeli—without encountering Decius—so they can wake the Regal Selah and have her kill him for good. As they take this new journey, they’ll soon discover that not all Vakeeli history is true. Just as there are evil beings out to tarnish their Cold Tether, there are noble forces willing to aid them, and they go by the names Korah and Hassha, two Regal goddesses with more power in their pinkies than Decius will ever have.<br />
<br />
Caz and Willow only have one shot at a peaceful life. With Decius out of their way, they’ll be able to live freely as soulmates and without their Cold Tether in jeopardy. But as with any bold decision to work with powerful people, there are buried secrets and grueling consequences to face…and they’ll soon find out that Decius was only the start of their problems.<br><br>Wicked Ties is the heart-pounding, romantic, and gut-wrenching second installment of The Tether Trilogy.<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>Chapter 1<br><br>CAZ<br><br>When I was a boy, my mother would tell me a tale about a woman living a free and liberating life. She’s happy in her own world, getting by as best as she can…then one day, there’s a knock at her door.<br />
<br />
At the door is a king—a sizable man with eyes as dark as coals and hair as black as raven wings. And it’s when that king appears that the story takes a darker turn.<br />
<br />
Because in her story, the king doesn’t just knock. He eventually kicks her door down, and the beautiful woman panics, having no idea who he is or what he wants.<br />
<br />
According to my mother, this free woman had built a cottage between two territories of Vakeeli, an illegal act she wasn’t aware of prior to his arrival. Someone had stumbled across her cabin in the forest and reported it to the king of Blackwater for a few rubies, and the king took it upon himself to seek the person who’d disobeyed the law.<br />
<br />
The king expected to find someone he wouldn’t care about—a person he could shove aside and take the home from just to make a reasonable profit. But when he laid eyes on the free, beautiful woman, he instantly fell for her.<br />
<br />
However, the woman did not fall for him. In fact, she was afraid of him and wanted nothing more than for him to leave. The king saw her resistance as a challenge and made it his mission to get the woman to love him, so he left that night, but returned many times after, leaving gifts, food, and riches in an attempt to win her over.<br />
<br />
The woman wanted none of it. She loved her simple life in the forest and loved growing her own food. And as far as riches, she didn’t need them. She either had or could make everything she desired. Plus, the king was not her type. For starters, he was married, and she informed him of this in hopes that he’d stop showing up.<br />
<br />
None of the woman’s rejects sat well with the arrogant king, and he drowned himself in drinks. When he was full of liquor and frustration, he stumbled to her cabin in the middle of the night.<br />
<br />
It is there that the king called to the woman while standing at her door, begging her to come out, begging her to love him. The woman stepped out and told the king to go home—that he was drunk and wasting his time.<br />
<br />
Infuriated, the king barged into the woman’s cabin, dragged her to her bed, and had his way with her. No matter how much she fought, he overpowered her, and eventually she stopped fighting and lay there, waiting for the nightmare to be over.<br />
<br />
Realizing his error after he’d sobered up, the king ran back to his kingdom, leaving the woman to cry alone in the night. Two full moons later, she discovered she was pregnant. Panicked, she sought the Mythics of Whisper Grove, wanting to rid herself of the foreign being inside her.<br />
<br />
She begged and pleaded, not caring that getting rid of the baby would send her to The Trench. She didn’t want the king’s baby and refused to carry it. After the nightmare of that night, she no longer wanted to live. This baby was forced upon her, you see, and she wanted nothing to do with it. But all the Mythics denied her—all but one.<br />
<br />
This Mythic was a smart man, kind and cheerful. He told the woman he’d help her get rid of the baby without anyone finding out. But it was as he began creating an elixir to rid her of the baby that he told her he could feel the baby’s power in her womb. The baby she was carrying was going to be special and would grow up a protector, with a special gift no one else would carry.<br />
<br />
The woman didn’t care. She didn’t believe him. She was set on getting rid of the child and never speaking of it again, so she took the elixir and ran home.<br />
<br />
Later that night, as the woman stared at the bottle, ready to abolish the king’s mistake, she felt a fluttering in her womb. She felt this beautiful, innocent life inside her moving, and tears crept to her eyes. And when she closed her eyes, she saw a baby boy in her arms, with cerulean eyes and inky hair. The baby looked at her with so much love—more love than she had ever encountered in her life—and she thought, “It is not the baby’s fault he is in my womb.”<br />
<br />
Because of what she saw, the woman tossed the elixir into the fireplace, and for the next six months, she carried the baby, giving birth to him in her cabin with the aid of the kind Mythic who promised to help her.<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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		<title>Tempting Clay &#8211; Cane Series Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/tempting-clay-cane-series-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Sep 2023 21:21:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Forbidden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Adult]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Novella]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taboo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksnovels.com/tempting-clay-cane-series-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

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			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/forbidden" rel="category tag">Forbidden</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/new-adult" rel="category tag">New Adult</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/novella" rel="category tag">Novella</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/taboo" rel="category tag">Taboo</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> 	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>14<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>12932 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=14'>14</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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For years there has been a missing piece to the puzzle of my heart, and I have no doubt Clay carries it. But because he’s my brother by law, I’ve kept my feelings for him at bay, which has resulted in us avoiding each other as much as possible.<br />
<br />
When a family concern arrives that forces us to face each other again in our childhood home, all I can wonder is how far we’ll take things now that we’re adults.<br />
I want Clay more than my next breath, and despite feeling like a traitor toward his mom—my adoptive mom—I’m tempted to make this encounter worth it.<br />
<br />
Because deep down I know that if we don’t act on our true feelings in the heat of this moment…we never will.<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>one<br><br>There was something my best friend Kandy always used to say about society. We’re born into a world where what we really want doesn’t matter. Especially if it goes against the standards or the norm. If the idea of it makes anyone uncomfortable, it’s automatically lumped in a negative category.<br />
<br />
For Kandy, she’d fallen in love with her dad’s best friend. Not quite normal standards and often frowned upon, but she couldn’t help it. She just fell and sometimes when you fall, it’s hard as hell to get up.<br />
<br />
I will be the first to admit that my relationship with my so-called brother Clay was not normal. Before I’d ever become his adopted sister, we were friends—and okay, I admit that I’d always had a bit of a crush on him. To put it simply, Clay’s mom was my mom’s best friend. But my mom died in a car accident, and Clay’s mom, Aria, took me in. Aria eventually adopted me and I’d been living with her and Clay for the majority of my life. The status of being “just friends” with Clay had morphed into something else entirely. No longer was he the kid I had a small crush on. By law, he was my brother and I hated everything about it. But what could I do? Walk away from the only family I had because of a measly crush? Not likely.<br />
<br />
For years, I tried avoiding my feelings. I swallowed them down out of respect for Aria. My adopted mother saw us as one big happy family and I wasn’t going to be the person to ruin that, and Clay loved his mom so much that he’d never jeopardize her happiness for anything…even if it made him undeniably happy. But things like that are hard to stick to when you love someone in a way you never thought you could.<br />
<br />
When that person is your safe space, and you feel like you can’t breathe without them, that’s how you know it’s real. They can walk into a room and they’re all you see. The spotlight is on them and your heart doubles in speed, your knees go weak, and all you want is to be in their arms. That’s how I felt about Clay as we got older, but it wasn’t until we were twenty-four when I realized there was no turning back.<br><br>two<br><br>It was supposed to be a pretty chill day when Clay popped back up. But the day went south when Aria went to the hospital. She’d recently come out of remission from pancreatic cancer and since I’d finally graduated college, I came right back home so I could take care of her.<br />
<br />
I dropped Aria off for an appointment and somehow that appointment spiraled to a doctor informing us that he needed her to stay overnight. Things had been hectic since Aria’s diagnosis, and I thought it would get better, but apparently it was getting worse again.<br />
<br />
“Everything will be fine,” Aria insisted in the hospital room while holding my hands. A yellow and teal flower scarf was on her head, the ends hanging limp on her shoulders. Beneath the scarf was a pixie cut—one she was proud of because her hair had grown back long enough for the style. “There was probably something with the bloodwork,” she went on. “Don’t worry. I’ll call you when I’m ready to be picked up.”<br />
<br />
Only Aria didn’t call so I could pick her up. She called instead to let me know she’d be staying another night.<br />
<br />
I was waiting for her to be home so she could relax and I could cook for us, but since she wasn’t coming, I got dinner started for myself. Whenever I was stressed, my go-to was chicken tortilla soup and after leaving Aria at the hospital, I went to the grocery store and snagged all the ingredients for that specific dish. It was one of our favorites when I was in high school. Aria would let me and Clay cook our own meals once a week. I often went with chicken tortilla soup or tacos. Clay went with quesadillas or hot dogs with fries.<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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		<title>Vicious Bonds (The Tether #1) Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/vicious-bonds-the-tether-1-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:42:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Dark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fantasy/Sci-fi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mafia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paranormal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksnovels.com/vicious-bonds-the-tether-1-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/dark" rel="category tag">Dark</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/fantasy" rel="category tag">Fantasy/Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/mafia" rel="category tag">Mafia</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/fantasy/paranormal" rel="category tag">Paranormal</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/romance" rel="category tag">Romance</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> <span class="cat-links">Series: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/series/the-tether-series-by-shanora-williams">The Tether Series by Shanora Williams</a></span><br />	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>138<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>132582 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>663(@200wpm)___ 530(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=138'>138</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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From New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Shanora Williams comes a dark romantic fantasy series of violence, chaos, angst, and a powerful love that can't be denied...<br />
<br />
WILLOW<br />
<br />
I was never meant to live an ordinary life, and when I’m dropped from the sky into a haunting forest, facing the barrel of an unknown man’s gun, I believe it to be true.<br />
<br />
Ruler of Blackwater, Caz Harlow, is the man behind the gun. He’s broody, calculating, commanding and, surprisingly, I can hear every thought that runs through his mind. Because I can, he wants me out of his world and sent back to where I came from, so he makes it his mission to find a way.<br />
<br />
It seems like a simple task, until I realize his world is unlike mine—that his is filled with violence, chaos, destruction, and gifted people who can kill you with one look. In his universe, it’s hard for a regular human like me to survive, but with Caz at my side, the possibility is higher. And the more time we spend together, the harder it is for me to ignore the connection that makes me feel alive.<br />
<br />
He says we’re not meant to be, so why does everything about him set my soul on fire?<br />
<br />
CAZ<br />
<br />
I have too many enemies to count, and when this Willow woman drops into my forest, that’s exactly what I think she is: an enemy.<br />
<br />
But then she makes a remark without even opening her mouth, and I realize I can hear her thoughts, and she can hear mine.<br />
<br />
As Monarch of Blackwater, I can’t allow her to stay. By doing so, I risk losing everything I’ve worked so hard to build, so I make it my mission to find her a way back home.<br />
<br />
But as this mission rolls on, I realize my bond with Willow goes much deeper than I ever could have imagined. And the more I reject her, the more pain I feel entering my body. However, when I lower my guard, the pain disappears and I crave her touch.<br />
<br />
This relentless, undeniable bond is becoming impossible to ignore, but I can’t give into it. For if she stays, death will come for us, and it’s up to me to choose our fate.<br />
<br />
Do I risk staying with her and putting her life at constant risk, or do I sacrifice the one thing that brings me happiness and let her go?<br />
<br />
Vicious Bonds is book one of the Tether Series. It’s a romantic fantasy with violent acts and possibly triggering events. Please read at your own risk.<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>One<br><br>CAZ<br><br>The gun is not my enemy, it’s my friend.<br />
<br />
The coolness of the barrel pressing against my temple provides a satisfaction I can’t explain, especially when I remember all the horrors, the pain, and the violence.<br />
<br />
With this gun, I could wash away everything I no longer wish to feel—agony, loneliness, the nightmares that continuously haunt me.<br />
<br />
I’ve grown to love my gun, to care for it. To feed it. It craves the blood of my enemies and the pain of those who’ve caused me harm. It’s not evil, nor is it good, but it is a part of me, like an extra limb.<br />
<br />
I lie flat on my bed, bracing myself to give the trigger a pull with my finger. I stare up at the ceiling fan, the pointed silver blades spinning round and round, and for a fleeting moment it seems as if all the weight has been lifted. The world would be so much brighter without me in it. The sun will continue to shine, the grass will grow, flowers will bloom, and everyone will move on.<br />
<br />
More pressure to the trigger, and I squeeze my eyes shut and think this is it. I’ll leave this fucked up place and my body will turn to bone, then shrivel to dust. There’s relief in knowing my grief will be washed away—that the burdens and worries will be no more.<br />
<br />
More pressure to the trigger.<br />
<br />
I squeeze my eyes shut tighter.<br />
<br />
Why do I have to deal with all this alone? My eyes pop open and I stare at the ceiling fan again when I hear a voice so soft, so angelic, that my breath catches.<br />
<br />
“What?” I whisper aloud. My breaths become ragged as I slowly pull the gun away from my head, and I wait…wait…wait for the voice to respond. To say something—anything. Just a whisper, at least, to let me know it’s there. That I’m not alone.<br />
<br />
But I don’t hear it again. Just like a feather, it floats away, right out of my grasp, drifting into the dark depths of my mind. It’s nothing but a hollow echo now, slowly fading away, despite how much I need it to stay.<br />
<br />
I sit up on the edge of the bed, place my gun down beside me, and drag my fingers down the length of my face.<br />
<br />
That voice in my head...it’s not my mother. Not a friend. No one from my clan. It belongs to someone I’m sure I’ve never met before, yet I feel as if I know everything about her.<br><br>Two<br><br>WILLOW<br><br>Never and I mean never go to a psychic when you’re already down on luck. Especially a psychic who lives on the outskirts of the city, in a little home that reminds you of a tiny witch cottage. Even if you pass by the place several times a day to get to and from work, and constantly read the big white sign pitched in her yard with the words I Can Tell Your Future in bold font.<br />
<br />
No matter how much the curiosity simmers in your throat, a quiet beckoning for you to see what that place is all about, it’s best to swallow that shit down and keep it rolling. If you don’t, you’ll end up like me, Willow Austin, a woman who was told she’d never find love.<br />
<br />
As I stand on a boat deck, my phone glued to my ear, all I can think about is what that tiny woman said. She sat at a two-top table, a sheer white cloth on top of it, and tarot cards stacked neatly. Crystals of all shapes and colors were lined up in a cardboard box, random bird feathers and patches of fur in a small, flat box beside it.<br />
<br />
I expected her to use some of the items on her table, but instead she looked at me over the frame of her thin, rectangular glasses, reached across the table, and asked for one of my hands. She studied my hand as if she’d never seen another person’s before and even sniffed it, which I found odd, but I didn’t react.<br />
<br />
“Oh, Willow,” she finally said after some time, lifting her gaze from my hand to my eyes. “I’m afraid you’ll never find love in this world.”<br />
<br />
It was strange of her to mention love because I wasn’t searching for it, nor was I rejecting it. Love was a complicated factor in my life, one I preferred not to offer after so many disappointments.<br />
<br />
I pulled my hand out of the little psychic’s small, dry grasp, dug into my purse for cash, placed it on the table, and walked to my car while biting back tears. It didn’t help that she’d told me this only two weeks after I found out my brother was missing. And maybe that’s what I deserved to hear because seriously, who the hell goes to see a psychic only two weeks after their twin brother goes missing? Only a fool, that’s who. And, several months later, I feel like even more of a fool while I have the phone pressed to my ear.<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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<div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=138'>138</a></div>

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		<title>Doomsday Love Read Online Shanora Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.wownovels.com/doomsday-love-read-online-shanora-williams</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[testblog]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jan 2023 22:47:15 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Alpha Male]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Billionaire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Adult]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanora Williams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksnovels.com/doomsday-love-read-online-shanora-williams</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<span class="cat-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Categories </span>Genre: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/alpha-male" rel="category tag">Alpha Male</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/billionaire" rel="category tag">Billionaire</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/new-adult" rel="category tag">New Adult</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/romance" rel="category tag">Romance</a>, <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/genre/sports" rel="category tag">Sports</a></span> <span class="tags-links"><span class="screen-reader-text">Tags </span>Authors: <a href="http://www.wownovels.com/authors/shanora-williams" rel="tag">Shanora Williams</a></span> 	
	
	
	
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<div class='book-details-pages-words'><strong>Total pages in book: </strong>171<br /><strong>Estimated words: </strong>164459 (not accurate)<br /><strong>Estimated Reading Time in minutes: </strong>822(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm) <br /></div><div class='pagination-custom-post-pages'><a href='#'><<<</a><a href='#'><</a><a href='#' class='active'>1</a><a href='?mypage=2'>2</a><a href='?mypage=3'>3</a><a href='?mypage=11'>11</a><a href='?mypage=21'>21</a><a href='?mypage=2'>></a><a href='?mypage=171'>171</a></div>	
	
	
	
	

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If you're thinking this is the typical MMA romance...you're wrong.<br />
<br />
When we were ten, he treated me like a friend.<br />
When we were eighteen, he wanted nothing to do with me.<br />
And now that we are twenty-two, he longs to claim every single inch of me.<br />
He was wild--untamed.<br />
And I, a reckless girl, who loved too hard.<br />
But, what we had was special.<br />
I was his serenity and he my protector.<br />
Drake was consumed by my love...<br />
but he also took advantage of it...<br />
He'd broken my heart--left me hanging for years.<br />
He ruined us.<br />
And, now, he's back.<br />
He wants me.<br />
And I want to hate him, I really do.<br />
But, who am I kidding?<br />
No one can deny Drake Davenport.<br />
You can't hide from the almighty DOOMSDAY.<br />
Because he is a fighter.<br />
And, just like me, he loves hard.<br />
He never loses and he will fight as hard as he can if it means winning me back.<br />
<br />
**Doomsday Love is a 149K word novel and it is a STANDALONE. It also features the first three chapters of Shanora Williams' #1 bestselling taboo standalone novel, Tainted Black.**<br><br>*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************<br><br>“Most of all, I learned that it’s possible for two people to fall in love all over again, even when there’s been a lifetime of disappointment between them.”<br />
<br />
- Nicholas Sparks<br><br>Part 1<br><br>Past<br><br>Chapter 1<br><br>Jenny<br />
<br />
People always questioned his appearance.<br />
<br />
He, being Drake, the curly, inky-haired kid that never went unnoticed. I’d known about him since I was in the fourth grade. I didn’t meet him until the fifth.<br />
<br />
Every Tuesday that he showed up to school, he sported at least one gash on his face and knuckles that were bloody red. I say Tuesdays, because on Mondays he was always absent.<br />
<br />
He was taller than the average fifth grader. He had long, black eyelashes that hid bold, emerald eyes, and wild, long black hair that concealed his boyish features. He needed a haircut badly.<br />
<br />
All of the kids in our school were afraid to talk to him or look him in the eye, not just because of his rough, rugged looks, but also because of the rumors that circulated through school like water out of the fountains.<br />
<br />
They loved to talk about him. I think some boys actually envied him—mostly because of his height and how, even though most of the girls were terrified of him, they also had a small crush on him. What girl can resist a bad boy?<br />
<br />
For a while, I wondered what the bruises and cuts meant. All the other kids in Mrs. Pots’ fifth grade class were afraid to ask Drake Davenport why he always had marks on his body, but not me.<br />
<br />
His broodiness didn’t bother me. It further intrigued my naïve mind, and when he was assigned to sit at my table in art class after the new semester, I asked him about it on the very first day.<br />
<br />
“Why do you always look like you’ve been beat up?”<br />
<br />
He turned to look at me, his thick eyebrows furrowing beneath his corkscrew bangs.<br />
<br />
“What?” he muttered.<br />
<br />
“You heard me.” I sat back in my chair, dropping my pencil. “Why do you look like that everyday?”<br />
<br />
He grimaced, jerking his head to look away. “Leave me alone.”<br />
<br />
“Why won’t you tell people? Is it bad?” I whispered my last question.<br />
<br />
He frowned at the chalkboard, avoiding my eyes at all costs. “Fuck off,” he grumbled.<br />
<br />
I gasped like a true girly-girl. “Why did you say that? You can’t say words like that!”<br />
<br />
“Well, leave me alone, stupid girl.”<br />
<br />
I folded my arms tightly across my chest. “For your information, I’m not stupid. I have the best grades in our class. I got accepted into Lake Lane Middle School, thank you very much.” Lake Lane was a private school in our lakeside city of Fox River, Minnesota. It was very hard to get into, even if the family had money to spend on it. The student basically had to have straight A’s all year long if they wanted in. I was proud to be accepted.<br />
<br />
Drake rolled his eyes. “Does it look like I care about your dumb grades?”<br />
<br />
“Do you care about anything?” I inquired. I was a nosy, prying kid. I can admit that.<br />
<br />
“Do you ever freaking stop talking?”<br />
<br />
“No. The only way to get answers is if you ask questions. Imagine if Einstein didn’t ask himself questions. He wouldn’t have been such a genius.”<br />
<br />
“Whatever,” he grumbled. He dropped his markers and then pushed out of his chair, marching towards Mrs. Pots’ desk.<br />
<br />
He asked her something and she reluctantly handed him the yellow bathroom pass, telling him to hurry back. He was out of the door in seconds, and I blew a breath. Sheesh. Was he rude or what?<br />
<br />
“You better leave him alone, Jenny,” Jake whispered across the able. “I heard he beat up a girl on the playground once.”<br />
<br />
I frowned. “I don’t believe that.” I glanced at the door. “I don’t think he’s so bad. He just doesn’t like to talk.”<br />
<br />
“I heard he lives in a moving house with no bedrooms in a bad part of the city.” Silvia laughed as she covered her mouth, pointing her gaze at the door Drake recently walked out. “He’s so poor. Look at what he wears! That’s probably why he’s so mad all the time.”<br />
<br />	
	

			
			

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