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Mackenzie Cooper has always hated labels. She's been the girl who lost her mother when she was young. And when she catches her boyfriend making out with her best friend, she becomes the girl who got cheated on. All she's ever wanted was to focus on the things that matter. Get good grades, get a scholarship playing soccer, and take care of her family. But all of that is about to change.Enter Camden Beck. All-star athlete and Vista Point's local royalty. He's cocky, arrogant, and Mackenzie's older brother's best friend. His goal: get a baseball scholarship and follow through with the promise he made to his best friend-don't fall for his sister. When Mackenzie becomes the center of pity looks and endless rumors, Camden presents her with a proposition. In order to make her ex think she's not affected by his act, Camden offers to be her fake boyfriend.Through the shared ache of loss and a growing closeness neither of them expect, lines will be crossed and hearts will get tangled. But grief doesn't choose sides, and neither does love.…

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**Ambys 2024 Romance Favorite** Some rules are meant to be broken, but what happens when the rules are there to protect the walls around your heart, and the last thing you ever meant was for someone to see through them?Lacy Adams, artist and high school teacher, finds herself suddenly living out of her van with no potential prospects. That is, until a fateful accident lands her in the ER, where she unexpectedly runs into Trevor James, a long forgotten blast from the past. Trevor offers her a lifeline: a place to stay in his home. With thick boundaries drawn in the sand, and a rulebook bound by promises, Lacy agrees. However, they soon land in a desperate need to forget their pasts, and what starts as a casual arrangement between friends soon ignites into something much more.Set against the backdrop of crashing waves and coastal charm, All of Me is a passionate story of healing, vulnerability, and the transformative power of love when least expected. *This story will be removed February 7th for self-publishing*Please check trigger warnings…

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First love. It's beautiful, it's messy, it's all encompassing. It changes us. For Savannah Riley her first love is the hazy dream of what should have been. There was only ever one picture of family, and she wanted more than anything to give that to her son.For Nathan Miller first love meant forever. He fell for the woman he planned to grow old with. Got down on one knee and built the beginning of a family. Until life had other plans. Pulling her from his world and leaving him a single dad to a tiny girl who holds the last pieces of her mother on earth.Though their loss of first love has a different story, both Savannah and Nate must find a way to move on. To let go of what should have been and open their hearts to what can be. *Updates coming in 2024*…

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This is a short story written for the Contemporary Lit Contest: A Fantabulous Easter.Running from home after the aftermath of loss, Mari finds herself in California. Alone for Easter, she reluctantly agrees to attend a coworker's Easter party. The lingering memories of spending holidays with her family continue to pull at her as the bright cheer surrounding her ignites. What she doesn't expect is a face from her past to appear. Through reminiscent Easter fun, Mari begins to cherish the very things she ran from. Will it be enough to bring her home, or will the pain of her past keep her miles from the one place that still holds her heart?…