A billionaire prince and the fake engagement that feels all too real… Grace: When I landed a job at a big-name tech company, it was like winning a golden ticket. At least until I uncovered a massive conspiracy and my golden ticket became a golden cage. Now I’m jobless and about to be deported. Imagine my surprise when Paul, the handsome Prince Charming of Bastard Capital, comes riding to my rescue. But then his mom, the Ice Queen, sweeps in and we’re suddenly pretending to be engaged. And my ex-employer acts like a big, bad troll and Paul saves me again. Fairy tales aren’t real, and I’m not princess, but Paul’s got me believing in the impossible… Paul: I’m a Bastard—the well bred, old money one. So when my mother shows up with an engagement ring and her unlucky choice of bride in tow, I don’t tell her to get lost. Instead, I spin a white lie about the wonderful woman I’m already engaged to. Grace is only too happy to take the deal—she fakes being in love and I set her up like royalty back home. She’s the perfect pretend fiancée: gracious, canny, and leaving very soon. But Grace turns out to be more than just an easy solution, with her sarcastic one liners, love of pro wrestling, and scorching hot kisses. And now I’m determined to make my fake fiancée my very real lover… Enter the world of Bastard Capital: Unrivaled men. Unimaginable wealth. Unlimited power. Binge read the complete series now! Books in the Bastard Capital Series Secret Acquisitions (Book One, Mark’s story) Unfinished Seductions (Book Two, Logan’s story) Competitive Instincts (Book Three, Finn’s story) Intimate Mergers (Book Four, Paul’s story) Hostile Attractions (Book Five, Elliot’s story) Private Disclosures (Book Six, Dev’s story) fake engagement tech silicon valley billionaire office workplace romance tech silicon valley billionaire romance enemies to lovers rivals san francisco office workplace billionaire wealthy suspense suspence romantic silicon valley venture capital romance enemies lovers rivals novel comedy alpha club books series boys workplace office banker male steamy hot sizzling thriller adventure silicon valley tech venture capitalist tycoon

A compulsively readable behind-the-scenes memoir that takes readers inside the weddings section of The New York Times--the good, bad, and just plain weird--through the eyes of a young reporter just as she's falling in love herself. Growing up in the south, where tradition reigns supreme, Cate Doty thought about weddings . . . a lot. She catered for them, she attended many, she imagined her own. So, when she moved to New York City in pursuit of love--and to write for The New York Times--she finds her natural home in the wedding section, a first step to her own happily-ever-after, surely. Soon Cate is thrown into the cutthroat world of the metropolitan society pages, experiencing the lengths couples go to have their announcements accepted and the lengths the writers go in fact-checking their stories; the surprising, status-signaling details that matter most to brides and grooms; and the politics of the paper at a time of vast cultural and industry changes. Reporting weekly on couples whose relationships seem enviable--or eye-roll worthy--and dealing with WASPy grandparents and last-minute snafus, Cate is surrounded by love, or what we're told to believe is love. But when she starts to take the leap herself, she begins to ask her own questions about what it means to truly commit... Warm, witty, and keenly observed, Mergers and Acquisitions is an enthralling dive into one of society's most esteemed institutions, its creators and subjects, and a young woman's coming-of-age.

"In recent years, fewer young people make a smooth and linear transition to adulthood. The age of marriage has increased, and the lives of many young people are characterized by instabilities in both their careers and their romantic lives. These changes have been conceptualized as an extension of adolescence, with some arguing that this reflects the increased narcissism and self-absorption of "Generation me". However, when approaching the age of 30, the vast majority of young people are likely to have settled down. More than eighty percent have started a career or have a steady job (OECD, 2022) and more than two thirds are married or involved in a stable and intimate romantic relationship (U.S, Census Bureau, 2021)"--

On Intimate Terms looks at the internal logic of lesbian relationships, arguing that they are not patterned after heterosexual ones but rely on the interplay of psychosexual differences between women. The book suggests that everyone seeks psychic complementarity with an Other in intimate relationships as a way of supporting personal growth and development. A complementary partner is one who is different in some individually meaningful way, not necessarily in terms of gender. Drawing upon interviews with individuals and lesbian couples, literature on lesbian psychology, and contemporary psychoanalytic theory, Beverly Burch observes a special attraction between primary lesbians - women who have been attracted to other women from an early age - and lesbians who formerly were heterosexual. This difference may be a source of tension for lovers, but it also attracts and bonds them in conscious and unconscious ways. The intimacy between lesbian partners permits interpersonal exchanges that foster the continuing development of each, according to Burch. This development can occur in three areas, with the significance of each varying from couple to couple. It can be a source of both conscious and unconscious psychosexual exchanges, a way in which each partner can experience "the road not taken" through her relationship with the other. The partners' different histories can reflect different ways of negotiating difference itself, a pivotal theme in the development of adult women. And gender role identities related to different developmental experiences can be played with, expanding the experience of being female in a way that can challenge gender categories.

A billionaire husband and the estranged wife he never stopped loving… Callie: I only ever wanted to be the perfect wife. To prove to myself and a short-term world that Logan and I had a forever love. I was wrong. The harder I tried to be flawless, the farther apart we grew, until I never saw my husband. At least not at home—but definitely in the pages of gossip rags with beautiful women in his orbit, like in his playboy bachelor days. So I ran before my heart could break completely. But Logan’s found me… and he refuses to let me disappear again. Logan: I only ever wanted to be the perfect husband. To prove I could succeed where my dad hadn’t and provide my wife with everything she could ever want. I failed. The harder I worked, the more I made, the more I gave to her, the farther away Callie drifted. Until one day she was gone and my entire world went black. But I never stopped searching for her. When I find her, we reignite the passion between us—and uncover a whisper campaign to destroy our marriage. Finding who’s responsible and making them pay will be the easy part. Convincing Callie to give our marriage a second chance… that will be hardest fight of my life. Enter the world of Bastard Capital: Unrivaled men. Unimaginable wealth. Unlimited power. Binge read the complete series now! Books in the Bastard Capital Series Secret Acquisitions (Book One, Mark’s story) Unfinished Seductions (Book Two, Logan’s story) Competitive Instincts (Book Three, Finn’s story) Intimate Mergers (Book Four, Paul’s story) Hostile Attractions (Book Five, Elliot’s story) Private Disclosures (Book Six, Dev’s story) tech billionaire workplace office silicon valley marriage in trouble san francisco romance tech silicon valley billionaire romance enemies to lovers rivals san francisco office workplace billionaire wealthy suspense suspence romantic silicon valley venture capital romance enemies lovers rivals novel comedy alpha club books series boys workplace office banker male steamy hot sizzling thriller adventure silicon valley tech venture capitalist tycoon standalone

Enter the world of Bastard Capital: Unrivaled men. Unimaginable wealth. Unlimited power. Secret Acquisitions (Book One) A sizzling romance about a second chance with the billionaire who got away. Unfinished Seductions (Book Two) A passionate romance about a billionaire husband and the estranged wife he never stopped loving. Competitive Instincts (Book Three) An enticing romance about a bad boy billionaire with a quicksilver mind and a secret heart of gold. beauty beast forced proximity romance billionaire office billionaire wealthy suspense suspence romantic second chance comedy alpha club books series boys workplace office banker male steamy hot sizzling novel enemies lovers thriller adventure silicon valley tech venture capitalist tycoon standalone boxed set