Two years have passed since my horrendous, soap-opera worthy split from my ex-fiancé, and I'm finally ready to give love another shot. I think. Maybe. What I'm not ready for is Alexander Hughes, a billionaire playboy with more charisma in one pinkie than my ex possessed in full. For some reason beyond logic, Alex is determined to have me - and not just my body, either. He wants to dissemble a lifetime of carefully constructed armor and shine light on what's beneath. My soft underbelly. My deepest secrets. My frightened heart. Despite my wishes, fate puts us on a collision course. Dominant, demanding, and disarmingly kind, Alex is an emotional hurricane I can't outrun. All I can do is try. Standalone. HEA. 18+

Stuffy heiress.Spoiled snob.Party girl.Rich b*tch.I've been called a lot of names in my short time on this earth, but I like to think I have thick skin. I keep my head down, ignore the tabloids, and devote my time to worthy causes. But no matter how much good I do, nothing and no one can fill the void in my heart. Because that's what a void is, right? A bottomless hole of nothing.Only one man has come close to scaling down the dark walls of my deepest self. We were doomed from the start--thrown together by circumstance, torn apart by uncertainty and fear. I wish I could erase the mark he left on me. My dark prince. My forbidden desire. Sebastian Bellizzi.My brother's best friend.Author's Note: The Reluctant Heiress is a companion novella. Although it can be read as a standalone, it includes characters and spoilers from The Reluctant Socialite.

An NPR Best Book of the Year - A Bookish Favorite Book of the Year - A Bookpage Best Romance of the Year Award-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way… New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss…when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr. Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice—and his attraction to her—but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project. Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire burns out of control and the media spotlight gets too hot to bear, can a commoner turned duke and his posh apprentice find lasting love?

This novel is based on a love story complicated by the gap between expectations and attainment; between desire and disappointment. The main theme is 'power of destiny' and inescapable 'fate'.

The King had a good head on his shoulders—for the moment, anyway. Everyone agreed that King Jorian of Xylar had been a good and just ruler. In fact, many also agreed that, in this case, it was a pity that the laws of Xylar decreed that each randomly chosen King must reign for only five years and then, after due pomp and ceremony, have his head cut off! Understandably, Jorian himself was wholeheartedly in agreement with the second sentiment, so with the help of a spell provided by the wizard Karadur, he escaped from the beheading ceremony with his head still on his shoulders. Unfortunately, his beloved wife, Queen Estrildis, was left behind, and getting her out of Xylar would be anything but simple—particularly with the Royal Guard of Xylar hot on the trail of their fugitive monarch. With Karadur's magic, Jorian might be able to pull off the rescue. But first, he would have to locate a trove of ancient spells, deal with an enemy wizard, steal an item from a 500-year-old (but still beautiful) princess who turns into a giant serpent at inopportune moments, repair the giant tower clocks of Iraz to fulfill a prophecy, break a pirate siege, and finally fly back to Xylar in an enchanted bathtub and whisk away his beloved Estrildis before the Royal Guard notices that their King (not to mention his head) has returned. Then things began to get complicated... At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

The socialite and the Texan doc—is this for real? After gossip headlines announce that reluctant socialite Eleanor Aston is in a "relationship" with smooth-talking Texan Tyler Donaldson, for one glorious night this fake fling becomes fact, not fiction! Devoted nurse Eleanor knows she's in over her head with neonatal doc Ty—and that's before the paparazzi discover her baby bombshell!