In a world of death and chaos, how can they ever hope to be together again? Lydia Jones is ready to spend the rest of her afterlife mourning the man she once loved more than life itself. That is, until she is offered a special position from the angels as Fate, the pure soul who makes the impossible choice between life and death over all the mortals. Centuries have passed since Luke Rogue had begun his search through Afterlife for the love of his life. Just when he thought she had moved on to Afterlife, Fate appears, ready to claim the soul of a loved one and bringing with her the demons of their past. Overjoyed, he wants to pick up where they left off, but Fate is less than agreeable to his intentions. Determined not to be distracted from her destiny by love, Fate tries in vain to ignore her desires for Luke at every turn, but her heart fights against her resistance. With every touch, every word, and every heated kiss, Luke chips away further and further at the wall she had so carefully erected around her heart, softening her resolve while chaos reigns around them. But with evil stepmothers and stepsisters, demons, and monsters, is all hope for their love lost? Or is there still a chance that true love can truly conquer all?

Amidst the enchanting Yuletide festivities, the Duke of Cleburne, Giles Fortescue, renowned for his roguish charm, finds his artfully constructed façade slipping through unexpected circumstances in the hallowed library's shadows. Mistaking one lady for another in a clandestine rendezvous, his carefully cultivated guise begins to unravel, plunging him into a labyrinth of unforeseen complexities that threaten to shatter his carefully honed reputation, leaving him ensnared by the ominous specter of societal censure. Lady Juliet Gale's world is transformed when the devilishly alluring duke’s impetuous kiss propels her into a realm of unprecedented excitement and trepidation. As their passions entwine and boundaries blur, Juliet's moment of daring abandon leads to a transgression with consequences that reverberate far beyond the stolen embrace. As Yuletide joy collides with societal strictures, she must confront the price of her recklessness, navigating a path fraught with judgment and censure. Amid the flickering candlelight and ornate decorations, the fates of Giles and Juliet converge. Will they surrender to the inexorable pull of destiny, allowing love to bloom amidst the frosty air of the holiday season, or will they muster the strength to defy convention and carve their own path, redefining their lives and love against the backdrop of a Regency Christmas? In Fate Gave Me a Duke, the Yule log's glow illuminates not only festive celebrations, but the enduring struggle between honorable actions and untamed desires.

Baz Cormac never intended to be a rogue, but fate had other ideas. Being forced to pledge loyalty to the evil Morrigan is its own kind of hell. So when Baz discovers the lie she’s used to keep him and his band of rogues under her power, he concocts a plan to force the goddess’s hand, which drops him in the center of a cosmic tug-o-war. No matter which way he leans, someone is going to lose—and it looks like that someone may be Baz. A talisman fights her fate…and her fatal attraction. Delaney Ferrell has spent her life trying to live down her uncle’s choice to turn rogue. As a warrior-talisman hybrid, she’s done her best to serve the warrior community as a protector. But a cryptic letter sends her to an abandoned home where she encounters a lone rogue with fighting skills no rogue should possess. Instead of killing her, he kidnaps her and takes her to his lair. He presents a terrible danger to the community, one she must neutralize. So why does he have to be so damn charming? Discovering Delaney is his fated mate throws all of Baz’s plans into chaos. And when the goddesses come calling, Baz has to choose between a rogue’s freedom and a talisman’s love. Will they have a chance at love, or will they be torn apart? enemies to lovers fantasy romance, intriguing fated mates romance, compelling fantasy romance, engaging fantasy page turner, unique paranormal plot line, fantastic alpha male character, fantastic storyline suspense fantasy, compelling women's paranormal fiction novel, gripping storyline supernatural, filled with action supernatural, must read supernatural curse page turner, high action fantasy romance, romantic plot line fantasy with fated mates, swoon-worthy fantasy romance, strong female protagonist high action, page turner fantasy with warrior

Plot elements such as adventure, travel to far-flung regions, the criminal underworld, and embezzlement schemes are not usually associated with Soviet literature, yet an entire body of work produced between the October Revolution and the Stalinist Great Terror was constructed around them. In Writing RoguesCassio de Oliveira sheds light on the picaresque and its marginal characters – rogues and storytellers – who populated the Soviet Union on paper and in real life. The picaresque afforded authors the means to articulate and reflect on the Soviet collective identity, a class-based utopia that rejected imperial power and attempted to deemphasize national allegiances. Combining new readings of canonical works with in-depth analysis of neglected texts, Writing Rogues explores the proliferation of characters left on the sidelines of the communist transition, including gangsters, con men, and petty thieves, many of them portrayed as ethnic minorities. The book engages with scholarship on Soviet subjectivity as well as classical picaresque literature in order to explain how the subversive rogue – such as Ilf and Petrov’s wildly popular cynic and schemer Ostap Bender – in the process of becoming a fully fledged Soviet citizen, came to expose and embody the contradictions of Soviet life itself. Writing Rogues enriches our understanding of how literature was called upon to participate in the construction of Soviet identity. It demonstrates that the Soviet picaresque resonated with individual citizens’ fears and aspirations as it recorded the country’s transformation into the first communist state.

A Regency Robin Hood, a duke’s daughter and deceptions of the heart To escape her stepmother's matchmaking machinations, Lady Pearl runs away, pretending to be a common housemaid, with the help of her abigail. When she is rescued from the near-disaster of recognition by a charming serving-man, Pearl pretends to be simpleminded to safeguard herself from any unwanted advances. But soon she begins to suspect that her rescuer is far more than the common servant he seemed at first. Luke St. Clair lives a double life, pretending to be a gentleman while in reality sustaining himself and the needy as the notorious Robin Hood-type thief, the Saint of Seven Dials. The last thing he needs in his life is a beautiful simpleton in need of protection. But "Purdy" proves to be anything but simple—or common! Once he learns the truth, does he dare continue, in the ballrooms of the elite, the flirtation that began in the slums of London? The risk is enormous, but Lady Pearl's sweet kisses may just be worth it. Themes: legendary rogue, unforgettable hero, honorable intentions, noble purpose, secret identities, an heiress in disguise, romantic outlaws, Regency London series

“Nobody can change fate, but I did.” In a world where destiny's grip is unyielding, Irina, the rogue leader's daughter, has endured hell twice over. Love has eluded her, until the merciless Alpha twins of the Midnight Pack, Alpha Kaizelus and Alpha Zeferion, step into her life. But these twins are not her saviors; they are the ones who took everything from her. When faced with a choice between her own life and the safety of her rogue pack, Irina sacrifices herself to the twins. Only, fate has a cruel twist in store—they are her mates. Anger and instinct war within her as she plots to break their bond, but a world she never knew existed opens before her eyes, and the twins reveal hidden depths. Alpha Kai and Alpha Zef have always shared everything, but now they battle for Irina’s heart. It's a showdown of love and power, and only one twin can win her over. With a past shrouded in mystery, newfound abilities, impostors, and a vampire playing a dangerous game, Irina discovers she's far from what she believed. As revenge and love collide, will Irina let go of her thirst for vengeance and surrender to fate's whims? Or will she forsake her heart and let revenge consume her? Book 2 of the Destined Series is a tale of passion, power, and the enduring struggle between destiny and desire, a story that can be savored on its own or as a continuation of the gripping saga. Dare you follow Irina’s journey?