Showing results by narrator "Rachel Leblang" in All Categories

It all started when I was six years old. I was homeless. They were held prisoner. I saved them. Even though it put me in the system. They believed we built an unbreakable bond forged by trauma. These beautiful, damaged boys saw me differently than the rest of the world. As much as I wished I could feel the same. I couldn't. These boys—men—had too much anger. Too much hate.

Lillith has always possessed the ability to feel the grief of the people around her. But now she can harness it and put it to use as well. That said, her recent exploits have labeled her a monster and a villain, specifically "the Mage of Mourning." This title is a nod to both the carnage she leaves in her wake and the tools she implements in the process. But Lillith doesn't need a good reputation. She doesn't even need this life. And she certainly doesn't need to keep her hands free of blood.

What's a girl to do when she's stranded in paradise with a handsome, filthy rich orc? That's the dilemma realtor Shona Dove faces when a big green billionaire stomps into her life and demands she help him buy an island off the coast of Motham City. He's buffed, he's arrogant, and sexy as hell. And while Shona has never been attracted to orcs before, there's a first time for everything . . .

The strangest thing about Annie's new reality isn't that she's now in the body of a seven-year-old child, the beloved Lillith, feared dead by her family after a particularly nasty bout of pneumonia. It's that she's constantly having to conceal her adult intellect, which is not only advanced but otherworldly. Sure, being a young woman and a grad student in twenty-first-century America had its challenges, but this life as Lillith presents even tougher obstacles. She must tread carefully to conceal her vast knowledge of biology, math, physics, and . . . being an adult.

In the blink of an eye, Mallory Thorne's world fell apart. She was fired from her job, found her boyfriend in bed with their neighbor, and a phone call from her estranged sister came next, telling her that their grandmother had been murdered.

It was an offer too good to refuse: spend one month in the most haunted house in the world. When the reclusive owner of Duskwood Manor opens the door to five teams of paranormal investigators, there's no way my team can say no. But there are no ghosts here. There are monsters. They live under my bed, in my closet, and watch me from the shadows, whispering filthy visions in my ear at night. Begging me to come with them to their world—the Void, where the monsters roam free . . . where they teach me what it really means to want.

Having just dealt with the pesky Dragon of Frost, Arc declares herself the new ruler of the dragons to snuff all her problems at the core and seek the entrance to the Forgotten Places, the place where the corruption resides, all to grow stronger.

Meera has been called many things over the years, and for the most, they don't bother her. She'd rather be boring than draw attention to herself because she knows exactly how dangerous the wrong attention can be. But when a ghost from her past pops up to haunt her in her new life, Meera remembers what a powerful tool anger can be. Sensible. Reliable. Steady. Verner doesn't rock the boat, and he always tries to do right by everyone—especially the cautious but kind ex-hunter he's trying to befriend.

Gargoyle security guard Grayson Lightfoot never celebrates Christmas. It brings back too many bad memories. Besides he's got a job to do—watching over Motham City 24/7 from his rooftop. Maisie doesn't celebrate Christmas either. Orphaned at an early age, she's a sensible human with a mission—to earn enough money to open up a drop-in center for street kids in Motham. So naturally she jumps at a lucrative holiday contract to work as a housekeeper for Grayson.

With just ten days left till her folks' loan comes due, ever-pragmatic Charlotte Delaney is officially throwing in the towel on the bet that she made with her sisters. It looks like it's up to her to save their parents' café and beloved home with a marriage of convenience to her family's rival. It's time to get the in-name-only nuptials over with. Of course, Charlotte's never been one to easily admit defeat.

Ophelia was born into a family of Hunters, tasked with protecting the humans from the creatures of the night who feast on their fear. Except Ophelia always found the idea of monsters kind of intriguing. She even made the grave sin of committing some X-rated monster thoughts to paper—which in hindsight may not have been the best idea because her parents were mortified—but you live and learn. Well, everyone finds out your secret, you get banished from society, and then you learn.

Jay Crownover presents Book 2 in the Monsters Duet.

Tallulah is confident, happy, and looking for love. At least, on the outside. Evrin is kind, thoughtful, and has plenty of love to give. At least, on the inside.

When Patrick stumbles across a cute maid watching a couple have sex at La Petite Mort Club, he can’t believe his luck. She’s sexy, curvy, and kinky. Just his type of lady. Until he discovers that she’s his best friend’s little sister, which puts her firmly in the “hands-off” department. Sparks fly and passions explode when Patrick is put in charge of the club and ordered to keep Annie out of trouble. How can he do that when every time he turns around, she’s watching another scene at the club, and he's dying to show her that playing is much more fun than watching?

When I climbed out to the surface this morning, to scavenge some food for my village, I knew the odds were severely stacked against me. A mere nurse, I had no business going out into the sun, where all kinds of monstrosities roamed. As if to prove my fears right, I was only out in the open for a few minutes when a pack of Kinru spotted me. I was quickly cornered. In a desperate attempt to defend myself, I managed to hurt one in the face...right before the creature was snatched by an even bigger monster. Then everything became a blur. And when I came to, I wasn't the same anymore.

Vivacious and successful, Ava Meyers is living her dream life, except for one thing: ever since childhood, she’s been in love with her best friend...and she’s never admitted it. Back then, Sam Farrow was a damaged young man with a tough past. Now he’s supremely confident, super sexy, and totally untouchable—until the night when he pretends to be her boyfriend to save her from some unwanted attention. In a moment of weakness, she finds out that a decades-long friendship is no match for blistering sexual chemistry.

When Anna Gazmarian is diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011, she’s faced with a conundrum: while the diagnosis provides clarity about her manic and depressive episodes, she must confront the stigma that her evangelical community attaches to her condition. Over the course of ten years, we follow Anna on her journey to reframe her understanding of mental health to expand the limits of what her religious practice can offer. In Devout: A Memoir of Doubt, Anna shows that the pursuing our emotional health and our spiritual well-being is one single mission and, in both cases, an act of faith.

Francie Vespertine has lived all her life in a supernatural town full of powerful witches, but her own magic is lackluster at best. The only place she fits in is the Magical Archives. Head librarian (and bookworm extraordinaire) might be a boring job . . . if it wasn't for the ghosts of fictional characters haunting the shelves.

As a hive mind parasite threatens the entire multiverse, Jack’s going to have to pull out all the stops in order to save the women he loves and the worlds he’s come to know. With old friends, new allies, and more explosive weapons by his side, he’ll figure out the best way to kill a queen.

When a secret society offers me an invitation to stay in their isolated forest retreat, I can't possibly refuse. Not if I want to find out what my mother was hiding before she died. But it's not just any forest. The noises in the woods at night aren't animals—they're monsters. They watch me from the trees, slither through the lake, and creep in the shadows outside my window. By day, the society hides their secrets from me. By night, I disappear into the world of monsters and discover secrets of my own. Secrets about being meant for their world, the Void.