Romance

In book three of this slow-burn enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, Prisca has to find her way back to Lorian before his fury lays waste to the continent.

In this sizzling modern retelling of the Greek myth, Orpheus lost everything when he lost Eurydice's love, but now he's ready to brave the Underworld to get her back.

Her luck may have just run out . . . Dedicated family attorney Amanda "Mandy" Newman may have survived an attempted drowning and, along with co-workers, just won the biggest lottery in history, but before she can collect, the ticket is stolen. Now, her co-workers are being murdered one by one. She needs help, and that puts her between a rock and a hard man—the brother of a co-worker. DEA officer Zack Taylor was a one-night stand who'd turned into so much more. Now that his family and Mandy are in danger, he is back in the picture. The attraction between them still simmers; Zack can feel it. But can he resist his desire for her long enough to discover her secret? With her life on the line, the attraction between them should be kept on ice. After all, under the circumstances, a kiss could be deadly.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance series with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan... Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life. Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash… As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

This curvy-girl and football-quarterback sports romance has a baddie plus-size woman who knows her own worth and a Bridgertons-meets-American-Football family.

A steamy, opposites-attract romance with undeniable chemistry between a grumpy retired footballer and his fabulous and very sunshine-y ghostwriter. When grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into selling his memoirs, he knows he’s never going to be able to write them. He hates revealing a single thing about himself, is allergic to most emotions, and can’t imagine doing a good job of putting pen to paper. And so in walks curvy, cheery, cute as heck ghostwriter Mabel Willicker, who knows just how to sunshine and sass her way into getting every little detail out of Alfie. They banter and bicker their way to writing his life story, both of them sure they’ll never be anything other than at odds. But after their business arrangement is mistaken for a budding romance, the pair have to pretend to be an item for a public who’s ravenous for more of this Cinderella story. Or at least, it feels like it’s pretend—until each slow burn step in their fake relationship sparks a heat neither can control. Now they just have to decide: is this sizzling chemistry just for show? Or something so real it might just give them their fairytale ending? A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Equal parts sizzling, sweet and irresistibly fresh, Steven Salvatore’s The Boyfriend Subscription is the LGBTQIA+ Pretty Woman rom-com fans have been waiting for. What happens when a simple deal gets…complicated? After losing his marriage and his beloved retail plant business, Teddy Hughes is ready to drown his sorrows—or would be, if he could afford another beer in his favorite dive bar. He has no choice but to uproot his dreams and leave New York for good. And then a gorgeous stranger walks in with cheekbones that could cut glass and a confidence that leaves Teddy panting. Like the leather harness he wears under his designer suit, Cole Vivien is a mass of contradictions. He’s a successful entrepreneur whose app, VERSTL, allows consumers and sex workers to form real—if temporary—connections. But now Cole is in the unfamiliar position of needing something from someone else. A fake boyfriend can help Cole project a more traditional image for a potential investor. And Teddy—shy, smart and so much hotter than he knows—is perfect for the part. Maybe too perfect. Cole just has two conditions: no kissing and no falling in love. In exchange for one week together, Teddy will get enough money to get back on his feet, and no messy feelings will be in the mix. But some rules are made to be broken… From showing up to glowing up, these characters are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don’t miss these other fun titles from Afterglow Books: The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky The Bookbinder’s Guide to Love by Katherine Garbera The Devil in Blue Jeans by Stacey Kennedy Frenemy Fix-Up by Yahrah St. John Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman Fake Flame by Adele Buck Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham  

Exercise is over-rated! Eja Kane joins a dojo hoping to shape up and zone out before her wedding to Deming Swann. Instead of sweat and spiritual healing, she finds a simmering cauldron of sex, jealousy, and greed. When a con-woman’s corpse literally drops at her feet, Eja and the entire Swann clan plunge into a nasty bullion scam that imperils Deming’s clients and snares even the virtuous in its grip.

The final installment in the “hilarious and steamy” (PopSugar) Regency Vows series follows the heir to a dukedom and a young widow, once very much in love, as they reunite years later to fake an engagement for the benefit of her sister. West, the Marquess of Weston, and Sophie, Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell, have lately been spending a considerable amount of time together. But West and Sophie are not new acquaintances. In fact, years ago, they had once been nearly engaged until West’s almost fatal curricle accident and his meddling father threw them off course. Now recently widowed, Sophie has put aside all thoughts of romance. But when her widowed sister, Alexandra, mentions a fondness for an earl, Sophie realizes that she may be holding her sister back. Alexandra won’t move forward with an engagement until Sophie, too, settles down again, and so Sophie approaches West with a plan. They will announce their engagement and break things off once Alexandra is happily married. It’ll be simple. After all, it’s not like she is going to fall for West a second time, not when Sophie has sworn not to risk her heart again.

To get close to her, this billionaire is hiding in plain sight. Meet Davis R. Black … Please, call me Richard. I'm normally a level-headed billionaire tech mogul, but the world is off-kilter. I'm going out of my ever loving mind, and it's all because of her. Jaclyn Long. Beauty and brains. And the heart of my new obsession. She doesn't remember the first time we met. It's better that way. I mean, if you ask the media, or pretty much anyone at all, I'm not exactly "boyfriend material." More like the King of the A-holes according to Jaclyn. That's a direct quote. And if she knew who I was, there's no way she'd let me get close. Slide in, so to speak. She'd never date me. Or kiss me. Hell, I'd be lucky if she didn't kick me in the nuts and run for the hills. But there's one small problem ... I'm a man on a mission. And that mission is to get as close to that star-on-the-rise CEO as I can. In a way that she won't see me coming...

"Barrett writes with tremendous care for anyone who has ever felt lonely." —Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate Jesse Logan doesn’t want a fresh start. He wants his old life back—before an injury made his career as a firefighter impossible, before his grandfather’s Alzheimer’s got so bad he doesn’t recognize Jesse anymore. When a friend tells him about a paid psychological study, Jesse sees it as a chance to get back to the man he was while making a little extra cash. All Lulu Banks is asking for is a fresh start. Back home after a devastating breakup, she’s struggling to find her place. She’s always been a lot—too loud, too eager, too obvious about her feelings. The friendship study seems like a great idea…until she’s paired with Jesse Logan, who recently ghosted her after a blind date that led to a steamy make-out session. Now that old familiar tension is back. Despite the program’s strict “no romance” rule, Jesse and Lulu are quick to find a work-around that allows them to explore their tenuous connection. And soon they’re on their way to total self-improvement… As long as they don’t get caught.

Eryn James is a medical secretary, not a police officer, but when the police ask her to assist in tracking down a killer, she jumps at the chance. Not because she has any real desire to hunt down a killer, but because the task involves playing bait in Lifemate Connections—one of the most exclusive and expensive bars in town. In a world where men outnumber women ten to one, and long-term relationships are frowned upon, bars like Lifemate provide a safe environment for women and men to meet and “test drive” possible life mates without the initial risk of taking them home. But five patrons of the bar have recently been murdered, and as a shifter with a keen sense of smell, it is now Eryn’s task to track down the killer. But no matter how much she trusts her nose to get her out of trouble, she isn’t about to go in there alone. The club is full of security, and there are cops sitting in a van, listening to her every word and move. How dangerous could playing bait actually be? Then she meets Grey Stockard…a man who oozes sex appeal and danger with every movement. A man she wants with every ounce of her being. A man she just might end up dying for…

She's the Alpha, but he's determined to make her kneel for his love... Avan is finally Alpha to the largest wolf pack in the country. Her position as one of the few alpha females in existence means shifters will come from all over to challenge her and gain control of Ozarka. Most concerning is the sudden appearance of a Ravendale wolf she never expected to see in her camp. But she has a secret weapon--she's going to use the brains her mama gave her to outwit any opponent. And when that doesn't work, she'll lean on her sexual prowess, because it's never failed her yet. Lexar has given up on finding a person to spend the rest of his life with. His former mating ended as an epic disaster, with his intended unwilling to even speak to him, and living on an island in the pacific. He's satisfied spending his nights alone and his days serving Ravendale as the pack's most trusted guard. That is until an intriguing alpha female has him questioning his role as a wolf... and as a hot-blooded man. When Lexar is sent to support the new alpha, he finds himself caught in a seductive game of push and pull that sets his wolf on fire, and makes him wonder if a relationship between two dominant wolves is possible.

A special dual narration by Katharine Chin and Andrew Eiden! “Emotional, relatable and binge-worthy."" –Tessa Bailey “I’ll read anything she writes. An absolute star."" –Emily Henry “I was hooked on the very first page. Don't miss this one!"" — Carley Fortune A sexy and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance guaranteed to pull on your heartstrings and give you a book hangover from brilliant new voice Yulin Kuang. Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by Entertainment Weekly · Today.com · Paste · Daily Waffle ·The Nerd Daily and more! Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever. Now a bestselling author, Helen pours everything into her career. She’s even scored a coveted spot in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of her popular young adult novels, and if she can hide her imposter syndrome and overcome her writer’s block, surely the rest of her life will fall into place too. LA is the fresh start she needs. After all, no one knows her there. Except… Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past, including building a life across the country. And while the panic attacks have never quite gone away, he’s well liked around town as a screenwriter. He knows he shouldn’t have taken the job on Helen’s show, but it will open doors to developing his own projects that he just can’t pass up. Grant’s exactly as Helen remembers him—charming, funny, popular, and lovable in ways that she’s never been. And Helen’s exactly as Grant remembers too—brilliant, beautiful, closed off. But working together is messy, and electrifying, and Helen’s parents, who have never forgiven Grant, have no idea he’s in the picture at all. When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet… the key to making peace with their past—and themselves—might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.

Join the residents of Juniper Springs as the creator of the Juniper Springs Express goes up against everyone's favorite O'Bryan sister, Avery! When I came to Juniper Springs, I didn't think I would stay, but the town's insanity got it's hooks in me. I mean, they have GAY DUCKS. And of course, I love the LOLs (Little Old Ladies). I fell in love with the residents. So when Jon Howard shows up accusing me of stealing his house, I declare war. It's easy at first. He likes spreadsheets and schedules. Order is the name of the game for my nemesis. I like to go with the flow and prefer sugary cereal for breakfast over egg whites. Sure, it's hard to ignore those blue eyes and his amazing body, not to mention that fact that he smells like hot guy heaven. Also, he sees beneath the funny facade I show everyone. And the kiss he gives me? Brain scrambled. When he can quote Taylor Swift lyrics to me...I start falling hard. But I know that I'm not built for a long relationship, especially with a man who likes to keep everyone on schedule. I'm always too loud, too unorganized, too...everything. So while I know I might be falling for him, I know this has one outcome: disaster. Only, this time, I'm not sure my heart will survive the implosion. Author Note: Hey, readers! It's time to grab your white wine, complete with ice cubes, and snuggle in for another Juniper Springs romance. There's visits from old friends, references that Swifties will completely understand, and two amazing cats to fall for. Avery O'Bryan is about to teach Jon Howard that love doesn't have to be perfect to last a lifetime.

Sofia survived the hemorrhagic version of the HLV virus, and then she survived more than a year as a prisoner at Fort Glacier, where she was subject to experimentation to learn the secret of her recovery. When she finally escapes, she's determined to survive the collapse of society and being on her own again. Finding the residents of Camp Utopia aids in survival, and Ben, the handsome leader, gives her a reason to live, not just survive. So does the new addition, Joshua, and she finds herself gravitating toward both of them. Their triad is soon tested, first by betrayal and then by danger. Sofia wants to survive when Fort Glacier comes looking for her, not willing to let a possible cure escape them, but what will it cost her, her lovers, and the people at Camp Utopia?

A little domestic bliss never hurt anyone…right? Charlie Dee is headed for burnout. They’ve been burned before, both by their bio family and the now-defunct queer collective they once called home. So when they’re asked to take a work trip outside the city, they jump at the chance. Sure, it’s additional work with no additional pay, but it’s also an excuse to get out of town—and out of their own head. That dream is shattered when Charlie opens the door to their supposedly private rental. There’s a bird on the loose, circling the living room as it’s chased by a cat, who is chased by a small child. The girl’s parents, Hayden and Buffy, only manage to add to the chaos. They promise to leave first thing in the morning, but when a massive snowstorm rolls in, this overnight trip becomes a weeklong affair. Reluctantly charmed by this unfiltered—if forced—look at a loving, healthy family, Charlie begins to develop feelings for both Hayden and Buffy. And they both seem to be flirting back. But when a potential promotion lures Charlie back to the city, all three will have to decide where they go from here—and what it means to truly feel at home.

After watching my cousins and siblings fall in love, I’m happily avoiding that insanity. no longer on active duty, I’m thrilled to get a job with NCIS in Hawaii. Better yet, my cousin and his wife have their rental house open for me. Only problem is Lalani. After we go out on the worst blind date known to man, it should be easy to forget about her. Only, we keep running into each other. Every interaction pulls me further into her orbit, and soon I can’t even think of life without her. Lalani’s not convinced that she’s ready for happily ever after, but once a Santini man loses his heart, he will do anything to prove his love.

A hacker framed for espionage. A sniper hot on her trail. Enemies who can't resist falling in love. Framed for divulging state secrets, reformed hacker Valerie Sanchez has no choice but to run. Worse, when the proof of her innocence is destroyed, things turn fatal. She must decide if the sexy special operator who mysteriously turns up to protect her is an ally or the real threat. Scott Kramer’s job was supposed to be easy. Follow the hot computer geek who stole plans for classified weapons until she meets her buyer, then let law enforcement take over. But when Valerie becomes an assassin's target, Scott's gut says she’s innocent. Now, he must risk his life—and his heart—to keep her safe.

In and out of foster care her whole life, Tiffany Ennis has never had space or privacy, so housesitting a mansion on the coast of Maine with only the absentee rich owner’s dog for company is pure bliss. But her peace is shattered when the owner returns to his compound unexpectedly. Tiffany finds him to be sexy and intriguing, showing an interest in her that must be mocking, given that everyone’s always told her she’s plain, nothing special. Devin Gold, known in the music industry as Gold Daddy, is usually in New York City attending drop parties and having men and women alike throw themselves at him, and Tiffany wishes he’d stayed there. There’s no reason for a top producer to hole up in Maine in the dead of winter, and every time she turns around he’s asking her prying questions. She finds herself starting to enjoy their intellectual conversations and clever sparring matches. In a hot minute she’s falling for him. Even knowing that he’s a decade older, filthy rich, and could only want her for his momentary amusement. Yet even when he hosts beautiful and confident guests from the city, he still seems to prefer her company, and is protective when odd things start happening around the house. But how far is Tiffany willing to go with a man who is still very much married, estranged wife or not, just to feel special?

Once, there was power in her magick. Now, she must find magick in her power. Claire Emerson has lost her magick—and with it, her place among the Crones. It should spell the end of her involvement in their centuries-old war against the dark god, Morok, but it can’t. Because Claire knows something the others don’t—Morok has become an imposter in the Crones’ midst, and their destruction is imminent. To stop the dark god’s nefarious plan, Claire will have to find her missing powers. But neither she nor her allies have a clue where to start—and that’s the easy part. The hard part? Getting past Morok’s monsters in time to rescue the Crones. Especially when she comes face to face with Morok himself. Will Claire’s powers be enough to defeat a god and save her companions—and the world?

Pride goeth before the fall... and the prideful fall hard. His grandma preached it to him as a little boy. If only he'd listened maybe he wouldn't have lost his mate. One fight is all it took for everything he had to be ripped away. Left viciously scarred from battle, Raden has taken to the mountains to live as a lone wolf. He'd like to forget his time in Ozarka. Forget that he used to be a man, worthy of adoration, feared, and respected. But how can he forget the woman with the strawberry blonde hair who brought him flowers that first day? How can he erase the memory of her face as he tore her alpha sister to shreds for control of the pack? And how can he ignore the forgiveness she offered just before he walked away from it all.

Catriona Fergusson never expected to wind up in a London workhouse, but then, she never expected to be disowned by her family or to become a married man’s mistress. Falling pregnant when her protector believes he cannot father children is simply the latest calamity to strike her. Turned out of her home and stripped of funds, she has few choices and fewer friends. Recently elected to the House of Commons, Noel Langston is on a mission to reform England’s cruel treatment of the poor, especially women and children. So when he stumbles upon the pregnant mistress of his bitterest political rival during a visit to a workhouse, he sees an opportunity to fulfill his goals…and to ruffle the feathers of her former protector. First comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. Can love come last?

Everything North Campbell believes about her life is a lie. She doesn’t discover that until the night her father dies, and she learns he wasn’t her father. He kidnapped her as a baby from her birth parents, Jim and Carol Allis. They seem ecstatic to find her, but she quickly learns they, along with their powerful dragon-shifter ally Pytor Douglas, have nefarious plans for her. She runs straight into the arms of another mysterious group, and they tell her she’s a Trueblood—descended from all the mythic races and capable of great power. She’s at risk, but the Council assigns her six bodyguards, and the Oracle has seen her future husband is among the six. North is dragged from realm to realm to learn how to use her powers. That task seems impossible—almost as impossible as choosing just one man from among the six mythics entrusted with her protection. How can she choose between a vampire, an angel, a demon, a witch, a dark elf, and a wolf-shifter when each of the men is perfect for her in different ways? Dare she risk everything and choose them all? Will she have a chance to make the decision, or will Pytor’s group get her first?

The author of the “sexy, insightful, and utterly charming” (BuzzFeed) Kiss Her Once for Me returns with a new queer rom-com following once childhood best friends forced together to drive their former teacher across the country. A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends. They spent their childhood summers running through the woods, rebelling against their conservative small town, and dreaming of escaping. But then an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals. After graduation, they went ten years without speaking. Now in their thirties, Logan and Rosemary find they aren’t quite living the lives of adventure they imagined for themselves. Still in their small town and working as teachers at their alma mater, they’re both stuck in old patterns. Uptight Rosemary chooses security and stability over all else, working constantly, and her most stable relationship is with her label maker. Chaotic and impulsive Logan has a long list of misguided ex-lovers and an apathetic shrug she uses to protect herself from anything real. And as hard as they try to avoid each other—and their complicated past—they keep crashing into each other. Including with their cars. But when their beloved former English teacher and lifelong mentor tells them he has only a few months to live, they’re forced together once and for all to fulfill his last wish: a cross-country road trip. Stuffed into the gayest van west of the Mississippi, the three embark on a life-changing summer trip—from Washington state to the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf Coast to coastal Maine—that will chart a new future and perhaps lead them back to one another.

Power plays are hard. Trying to one up the stranger who banged me senseless last night? Definitely harder. Do you believe in fate? I was stranded on a deserted stretch of highway late one night. A stranger with broad shoulders and smoldering eyes saved me. Got me back on my way. To my flight out of the country. And all he asked for in return was a kiss. That was a year ago. I never thought I'd see him again. Imagine my surprise to see those same smoldering eyes flirting with me across a negotiation table. But I have to focus. Stand my ground. Keep my family's company safe. And even though my number's unlisted, he just texted me. And his sinful smile keeps daring me to answer it. But we're in a crowded boardroom. With a hundred-million-dollars on the line. What could he possibly want? Ruthless Wars is a sexy stand-alone romantic suspense, but the characters and storyline intertwine in the Ruthless Billionaires Club.

A sexy, sapphic, opposites-attract romance with Mazey Eddings' signature sparkling voice! Winning the lottery has ruined Opal Devlin's life. After quitting her dead-end job where she’d earned minimum wage and even less respect, she’s bombarded by people knocking at her door for a handout the second they found out her bank account was overflowing with cash. And Opal can’t seem to stop saying yes. With her tender heart thoroughly abused, Opal decides to protect herself by any means necessary, which to her translates to putting almost all her new money to buying a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina to let the flowers live out their plant destiny while she uses the cabin on the property to start her painting business. But her plans for isolation and self-preservation go hopelessly awry when an angry (albeit gorgeous) Pepper Boden is waiting for her at her new farm. Pepper states she’s the rightful owner of Thistle and Bloom Farms, and isn’t moving out. The unlikely pair strike up an agreement of co-habitation, and butt heads at every turn. Can these opposites both live out their dreams and plant roots? Or will their combustible arguing (and growing attraction) burn the whole place down? A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

I'm the worst. Seriously. Ask anyone and they'll tell you, "Sylvie Orion is the world's worst witch." But being a supernatural bounty hunter requires more smarts than magic. So put that on your wand and suck it, beyotches. When my latest client—a kleptomaniac werewolf—disappears, I'm on the hunt to drag him to justice. It should be a simple track ‘em and cuff ‘em operation, something I've done a hundred times before. Instead, I somehow acquire an unwanted vampire sidekick, wake up in a ditch, and piss off half of shifter nation. It's not fun, but it's all survivable right up until I'm accused of being in cahoots with my skip trace to steal witchdom's most wanted magical relic. Everyone thinks I have it. And the bad guys are on me like a bad cameltoe hex. If they get this relic? Hell will look like paradise. Forget the werewolf, I've got to find that relic and clear my name, or die trying. Stephanie Plum meets Twilight...all the fun, twice the fangs. Full length novel.

In THE ULTIMATUM, he was a sex slave. Now Kirek's a full-grown Rystani warrior with the most powerful mind in the galaxy. During his previous mission, Kirek learned the Zin, an ancient enemy, are about to decimate the Federation. To stop them, he must sneak into enemy territory--and he's targeted just the right woman to help him. When Captain Angel Taylor "finds" the ultra sexy psi-warrior stowed away on her space salvage--and he claims he needs her help--she's cautious. Angel's a self-made captain and barely scraping by with her antiquated ship. But after Kirek promises her sole access to the galaxy's richest salvage haul, she's drawn into his reckless mission. It doesn't hurt that she finds Kirek devastatingly attractive. Charming. A man who knows how to play every sexual game. He's the perfect candidate for a fling. Too bad he keeps insisting that fate has brought them together, that they are destined to be life-mates, and that her psi is as all-powerful as his own. However sexy Angel finds the Rystani warrior, she isn't about to give up her skepticism, her independence, or her heart. So while they make an unlikely team, their battle of wills quickly escalates into a game of seduction. But once they're deep in enemy territory, Kirek risks everything--to save the Federation and to win Angel's everlasting love.

Hades is as handsome as the devil and just as deceptive. A dark-haired, light eyed arms dealer who steals my breath away. When he finds me after months of captivity, he sweeps me off my feet. With his rough Scottish burr, he tells me that I'm his. Hades swears that he never thought he would lay eyes on me again. I haltingly tell him that I'm carrying his child. Hades has claimed me as his queen. Together, we will face terrible challenges. And if we are to survive, we may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. Queen’s Sacrifice from Wall Street Journal Bestseller Vivian Wood is a dark billionaire retelling of Hades and Persephone. Book two in the King’s Capture duet features heart-pounding action, angsty emotional goodness, and steamy scenes guaranteed to keep you up all night until the very last page.