Bidding in a bachelor auction for charity, Cally wins a sexy tycoon named Blake in exchange for her generous donation. Yet despite his jaw-droppingly good looks, Cally, who grew up in an imperfect family, shows no interest in love or marriage, and she plans to cut ties with him as soon as they fulfill the conditions of the auction. Blake, driven by curiosity about Cally’s inner self, proposes a further condition. Cornered by Blake’s approach, Cally accepts his bet, even though the stakes are high… If she loses, she’ll become his slave for a day and have to do whatever he wants!
Layla Fitzpatrick lives a simple life, for a werewolf. And that's just how she likes it. Her childhood was less than ideal. She'd like to spend her adult years flying under the radar of more powerful preternatural creatures. Because she knows from experience what happens when they notice you. Everything changes one early summer night when she attends a ritual bonding ceremony meant to join two werewolves together for life. Midway through, the spell becomes corrupted and she finds herself unexpectedly mated to the most stuffy shifter she's ever laid eyes on. Michael Kolbeck is more man than wolf. He spends his days in a skyscraper, building his family's empire. At night, he prowls the streets of Boston, a city where shifters, witches, and vampires walk a delicate tightrope of ceasefire masquerading as peace. Little do they know that Layla's arrival will act as the spark that ignites the fire, and that thin veneer of peace is about to vanish.
Physiology of Marriage in 3 volumes is a treatise by Honoré de Balzac, published under the title Physiology of Marriage or Meditations on eclectic philosophy, on marital happiness and unhappiness, published by a young bachelor. An essay, a meditation and a narrative at the same time, the text oscillates between the study of manners and the analytical treatise and it is part of a genre in developing, that of physiology. The text is divided into several "sections" or meditations. The first several meditations expose the state of marriage in France in the wealthy and idle upper classes, then propose a series of reforms to improve the marital status of women and thus prevent them from cheating on their husbands.
In the magnificent empire of Ortega, Cárcel Escalante’s fate was sealed at the tender age of six when Inés Valeztena, an equally young girl, chose him as her future husband. With the clock ticking on his bachelorhood, Cárcel, a man of striking looks adorned in the finery of a navy uniform, indulges in the pleasures of his fleeting single status. Unbeknownst to him, Inés eagerly anticipates the day she can dissolve their impending union. She delights in Cárcel’s licentious exploits, seeking nothing more than a partner willing to part ways when the time comes. When Cárcel discovers Inés’s nonchalance toward his promiscuity, confusion gives way to intrigue, prompting him to see Inés in a new light and reevaluate his priorities. Now, determined to prove his worthiness as her husband, Cárcel embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Meanwhile, Inés is resolute in executing her plans for divorce. In this enchanting romance set against the tapestry of a bygone era, they must navigate the complexities of love and redemption, confronting unexpected truths that lie beneath the surface. Will Cárcel succeed in changing Inés’s mind, or is their destiny already written in the stars? Volume 1 contains Parts 1 – 5 of the original serialization. You can find subsequent chapters on the Tappytoon app. Enjoy the official webcomic of The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway on Tappytoon app.
"Your secret now belongs to me." Welcome to Murakumo Inn, a curious establishment that opens its doors to the troubled masses, human or otherwise. But to pay for the stay, the equally curious innkeeper takes payment only in the form of one's deepest secrets...Who will come calling today?
It is 1973, and the Los Angeles Presse-Syndicat’s thirtyish music-arts “stringer” Axel Haberley believes in the arts’ cross-fertilization. With a passion for Vincent Van Gogh, an editor willing to let him “file pieces” from abroad, and passable college French, Axel plans a cultural wanderjahr. The Van Gogh Quartet is a true story which reads like a novel. Travelling with his young love interest Daphne, and stumbling onto an unknown Van Gogh work, what “Axie” really finds is the subject on his own canvas: Himself. THE VAN GOGH QUARTET reveals a picaresque best—the treasure which is one’s own life’s meaning.
Renowned today for his contribution to the rise of the modern European fairy tale, Giovan Francesco Straparola (c. 1480–c. 1557) is particularly known for his dazzling anthology The Pleasant Nights. Originally published in Venice in 1550 and 1553, this collection features seventy-three folk stories, fables, jests, and pseudo-histories, including nine tales we might now designate for ‘mature readers’ and seventeen proto-fairy tales. Nearly all of these stories, including classics such as ‘Puss in Boots,’ made their first ever appearance in this collection; together, the tales comprise one of the most varied and engaging Renaissance miscellanies ever produced. Its appeal sustained it through twenty-six editions in the first sixty years. This full critical edition of The Pleasant Nights presents these stories in English for the first time in over a century. The text takes its inspiration from the celebrated Waters translation, which is entirely revised here to render it both more faithful to the original and more sparkishly idiomatic than ever before. The stories are accompanied by a rich sampling of illustrations, including originals from nineteenth-century English and French versions of the text. As a comprehensive critical and historical edition, these volumes contain far more information on the stories than can be found in any existing studies, literary histories, or Italian editions of the work. Donald Beecher provides a lengthy introduction discussing Straparola as an author, the nature of fairy tales and their passage through oral culture, and how this phenomenon provides a new reservoir of stories for literary adaptation. Moreover, the stories all feature extensive commentaries analysing not only their themes but also their fascinating provenances, drawing on thousands of analogue tales going back to ancient Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic stories. Immensely entertaining and readable, The Pleasant Nights will appeal to anyone interested in fairy tales, ancient stories, and folk creations. Such readers will also enjoy Beecher’s academically solid and erudite commentaries, which unfold in a manner as light and amusing as the stories themselves.
“Debbie Macomber’s name on a book is a guarantee of warm-hearted, endearing romance.” —Jayne Ann Krentz A Debbie Macomber classic, One Night is a funny, warm, truly unforgettable story of two mismatched people—rival workaholic radio broadcasters—who discover there’s much more to life than air time. Fans of the #1 New York Times best selling author will fall in love with this early Macomber gem—taking unparalleled delight in a wonderful tale about how lives and hearts and everything can change in One Night!
A world doesn’t need a king to be prosperous, but it definitely needs great morals and principals for it to be prosperous. For a world that is turning into hell, the Supreme Being planned a game called ‘God’s Chess.’ Ajin, a twisted college president, and another seven pieces, a prostitute, a scientist, a general, a reporter, an actress, an educator, and a queen play the game. The game they are playing for a wish come true is a holy book to a world that has rotten to the core and forgotten humanity.
Biographies of more than 100 Irish scientists (or those with strong Irish connections), in the disciplines of Chemistry and Physics, including Astronomy, Mathematics etc., describing them in their Irish and international scientific, social, educational and political context. Written in an attractive informal style for the hypothetical 'educated layman' who does not need to have studied science. Well received in Irish and international reviews.
