Karina Halle – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Karina Halle – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Sat, 28 Feb 2026 17:32:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Karina Halle – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Vanguard – A Dark Post-Dystopian Romance Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/vanguard-a-dark-post-dystopian-romance-read-online-karina-halle Sat, 28 Feb 2026 17:32:35 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/vanguard-a-dark-post-dystopian-romance-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Dark, Dystopia, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Karina Halle Advertisement

Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 169266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 846(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)

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Her kiss may be deadly, but he’s indestructible.

Erasmia "Mia" Baxter is her agency's most lethal operative, genetically engineered to have poisonous saliva. But having the kiss of death is hell on her social life. Her future holds no romance, no family, no intimacy of any kind—only killing for her country.

When her special ops group hears rumors that America's first enhanced soldier—Vanguard—may be more deadly weapon than savior, Mia is tasked with infiltrating his inner circle to investigate. What she finds is a former military asset with a hidden dark side—and the only man she can kiss without consequence.

Intoxicated by the obsessive passion rising between them, Mia falls deeper into lust with each new sensual encounter. But the closer they become, the more she realizes there might be truth to the rumors. Vanguard is changing—becoming more violent, more devious, less…human. And the truth of her identity might push him over the edge entirely.

In a world where heroes and monsters are separated by the thinnest of lines, Mia must Is the man she's falling for worth saving? Or is he the weapon he was created to be—one that will destroy her first?

A dark romance special ops spy thriller with a post-dystopian sci-fi bent—VANGUARD has the gripping twists and turns of BLACK DOVES paired with the seductive intensity of Runyx’s DARK VERSE series.

SPECIAL NOTE: this is POST-Dystopian and set in the near future, so it's more The Boys than it is The Handmaid's Tale. And please read the author's note inside the book prior to diving in as topics and situations in the book can be considered controversial and triggering

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PLAYLIST

“As Alive As You Need Me to Be” – NIN

“The Wake-Up” – How to Destroy Angels

“I’m Afraid of Americans” – David Bowie

“Gunshots by Computer” – Saul Williams/NIN

“Lethal Woman” – Dove Cameron

“Copy of A” – NIN

“Runner” – Crosses

“Digital Bath” - Deftones

'”The Last to Know” – Faith No More

“Welcome Oblivion” – How to Destroy Angels

“You Can Have It All” – Florence and the Machine

“Apocalypse Please” - Muse

“My Iron Lung” - Radiohead

“Satellite” - NIN

“Souvenir” – Deftones

“How to Disappear Completely” - Radiohead

“Departing the Body” - Deftones

“You Know What You Are?” – NIN

“Corrupt” – Depeche Mode

“Stockholm Syndrome” - Muse

“Invisible Hand” – Crosses

“I Know You Can Feel It” - NIN

“Cover Me” – Depeche Mode

“Stripsearch” – Faith No More

“Vivien” – Crosses

“Before We Drown” – Depeche Mode

“Master of Puppets” - Metallica

“Absolute Zero” – Faith No More

“Metal Dream” – Deftones

“The Darkest Star” – Depeche Mode

“Innit” - NIN

“End of the Line” – Daft Punk

CHAPTER 1

MIA

LONDON, UK – OCTOBER 2040

The mission was simple—kill the world’s first superhero.

Okay, well, maybe it wasn’t quite simple, and killing him wasn’t the main objective, and the term ‘superhero’ was still up for debate when it came to Vanguard, but I still had my directions to do so if absolutely necessary.

Which, frankly, gave the job a touch of much needed novelty, something sorely missing in the spy business these days. Being a trained assassin for a black ops offshoot of MI6 could feel awfully heavy at times.

Tonight, after months of training, building up our special team, and laying all the groundwork, the plan was ready to be put into action.

I was ready to be put into action.

“Nervous?” Bayo’s smooth Yoruban accent says deep inside my head.

“Not even a little,” I tell him as I stare at myself in the restroom mirror, wiping excess lipstick away from the edges of my mouth.

“Liar,” he says. “BP is 165 over 90. Take a moment to do your breathing exercises.”

I grumble in response, “Yes, Dad.”

He chuckles. “You better stop calling me that, or I might think you have daddy issues.”

I grunt. Having Bayo in my head is both a comfort and annoyance. On one hand, I’m never truly alone, thanks to the device constantly sending and receiving from my left earring, my namesake moth in gold with a tiny diamond in the center. The only way to sever our connection is to remove it entirely, and I’d been instructed not to do that at any point in this mission tonight.

Which is what can get annoying. The last thing I need is for Bayo to hear me on the toilet. Let’s just say we’ve grown really close over the last few years.

Then again, when someone broke down the door to said toilet because my cover had been blown, I was fucking glad he was in my ear.

“Grab a glass of champagne,” he says, watching everything from his hacking of the gala’s security footage. “There’s a waiter approaching you from the left. Use it to cover your mouth.”

I look over to see the waiter and smoothly grab a glass from the gilded tray. “Okay. Now what? Do you see Vanguard or his handlers?”

While I wait for him to answer, I scan the room. Tonight’s event is a gala put on by Prince George for one of his numerous charities, and the crowd is a mix of London socialites, celebrities, politicians, and anyone who cares more about social climbing and being seen than actually contributing to society. The venue is the lavish and ornate Victoria and Albert Museum, and there are gowns and jewels in all directions, competing with the art on the walls.

“He’s in the courtyard with the Prime Minister,” Bayo tells me. “Other side of the reflecting pool.”

“Copy that,” I whisper behind the glass and start walking down the hall. The Raphael court is dim and hushed, tall, midnight-blue walls stretching toward triple-height ceilings, seven enormous Renaissance paintings in their gold frames dwarfing the party goers who saunter past. Everyone’s tones are reverent and low, and I can’t help but focus on the two security guards stationed by the exit, hands clasped at their fronts. I also notice one of the waiters, wide-shouldered with graceful movements, his eyes carefully taking in the scene—not a waiter at all, but another security detail undercover. It’s standard to have this level of coverage when it comes to the Prime Minister and royal family, but something tells me there’s even more now thanks to Vanguard’s appearance.

With him on my mind, I exit the hall and step out into the courtyard. Immediately, I’m met with a cool blast of early autumn air, my ears filled with the sounds of water fountains and laughter and classical music from a violinist stationed amidst the potted lemon trees. I’m much more exposed like this out in the open, and I notice every head that turns my way. I would blame it on the black sequined dress I’m wearing—probably a little much for the event, but there’s always the chance someone is looking at me because they know me.

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Advertisement Bad at Love Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/bad-at-love-read-online-karina-halle Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:27:59 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/bad-at-love-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic, Funny, New Adult Authors: Karina Halle Advertisement

Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 111165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)

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She's bad at love, but he's even worse...

Marina is hot, blonde, and wickedly smart, but when it comes to men? She's hopeless. Between her quirks and her lack of filter, there isn't a man in Los Angeles that will stick around after the third date.

Her handsome, charming friend Lazarus has the opposite problem. Everyone wants to be the sexy Brit's girlfriend, but he gets bored and moves on quickly.

There's only one way to figure out why neither of them has cracked this love thing-- they'll date each other. On paper, it's the perfect experiment. But in reality, things between Marina and Laz get complicated quickly.

They might be bad at love, but they are even worse at being friends.

Note: This full-length romance is a complete standalone with no relation to any other books and was inspired by the Halsey song "Bad at Love."
It does contain ample amounts of profanity, filthy language and graphic sex scenes.
Sensitive readers should be advised

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

MARINA

Four Years Ago

“Dream On”

“Tonight is going to suck,” Naomi grumbles.

I give her a withering glance but quicken the pace as we walk down Pico Boulevard toward The Joint where our friend Jane is playing tonight. We’re already running a bit late and her band, Magic 8 Ball, is first up. At a place like The Joint, they could have already started and finished their set by now. Or they might not go on for another few hours. It’s always up in the air.

Not that I’ve ever seen them perform live before, but I have spent many nights at The Joint during college weekends, drinking draft beer, watching bands, and vomiting outside. Ah, the good old days.

Which is probably why Naomi thinks it’s going to suck. We’re twenty-five now, not twenty-one, and what passed for good music when you’re wasted probably doesn’t when you’re (relatively) sober.

“It’s not going to suck,” I assure her. “It’ll be fun.”

She rolls her dark eyes. “Right. Fun. You know we don’t have that kind of fun anymore.”

“Always the grump,” I mumble under my breath.

“I can hear you,” she says.

“I know.” I sigh and check my phone again. We’re still a few blocks away. I wish I had my own car already instead of having to rely on the Los Angeles bus system. By the time we get to the venue, I’m going to be an even sweatier mess than usual. It may be October, but fall means nothing in LA. “This is about supporting Jane, just remember that.”

“What has Jane ever done for us?” she says. “The damn woman slept through last semester. If it hadn’t been for me stepping in and practically writing her papers for her, she would have flunked.”

“I don’t know? Professor McGill did have it pretty bad for her. I’m sure he would have given her a passing grade.”

Naomi giggles. We all studied at the University of California in Riverside together, and though our fields and interests are different, we had some classes overlap and everyone knew that the Professor loved Jane.

Jane, however gorgeous she is with her tall, lithe body, killer tattoos, and long pink hair and piercings, was never the type to indulge him. Never mind the fact that he was thirty years older than her, came up to her boobs, and smelled like ham.

Finally, we get to The Joint and the bouncer is already looking the two of us up and down as we try to get ahead of the small line of smokers outside.

We tried to dress up from our usual day uniform of jeans and a tank top. I upgraded to ripped jeans and a sequin tank top with a little extra eyeliner. Naomi has me beat, wearing faux-leather pants that make a farting sound when she walks. I don’t have the heart to tell her.

“We’re on the list,” I tell the angry-looking dude with the bald head and beard down to his knees, the prerequisite bouncer uniform for music venues. I’m willing to bet he has a tattoo on him somewhere that says Mom but I’m not willing to find out.

He continues to give us the once over. “Name?”

“Marina Owens and Naomi Harris.”

He squints at Naomi. “The actress?”

“No,” she says flatly. “It’s spelled differently.” As annoying as it is to have the same name as an actress, she actually looks like said actress. And both of them are extremely beautiful with their luminescent dark skin and bright eyes, my friend even more so when she displays her dazzling smile.

But Naomi keeps her grump face on so I have to turn on my grin for the bouncer. Which I hate to do. It makes me look like a kid. I have a lot of teeth.

“We’re guests of Jane. Magic 8 Ball.”

“Who?”

“The band that should be playing right about now?” There’s a dull crunchy rock sound coming from inside but it doesn’t sound like they’ve hit the stage yet. Thank god.

“Let’s go.” Naomi tugs at my shirt. “Jane’s on the drums. She’s not even going to notice if we came or not.”

“No, we came all this way, we can’t just bail,” I protest, but my words sound feeble. It would be so wrong to go back home but feel so right. My bed is calling me. Comfy socks. Fluffy robe. I could have a bath and light some candles and read. I know that I’m young and your mid-twenties is about getting out there and partying and meeting guys, but both Naomi and I have accelerated to old lady status really fast. We’re like the Golden Girls over at our apartment.

“Come on,” she says, and I’m about to turn around and follow her like the weak woman I am when a tall, dashing man steps out of the door, digging a cigarette out of his pocket.

Okay, I know I just described him as dashing but my mind is fumbling for the right words to convey what I’m seeing, and I’ve read far too many historical romances lately.

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Advertisement Realm of Thieves (Thieves of Dragemor #1) Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/realm-of-thieves-thieves-of-dragemor-1-read-online-karina-halle Mon, 30 Jun 2025 19:08:04 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/realm-of-thieves-thieves-of-dragemor-1-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Dragons, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Karina Halle Series: Thieves of Dragemor Series by Karina Halle
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 137226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)

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Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.

For Brynla Aihr, crime and survival have always gone hand in hand. Ever since she escaped the fanatical dragon-worshipping cult that controls her homeland, she’s had to carve out a life doing the stealing dragon eggs. Egg theft is illegal and, in most cases, fatal. To breach a dragon's nest means a harrowing journey through the ancient wards spelled to keep the monstrous beasts confined. Dragons can’t get out and only those with a death wish can get in.

Despite the risks, dragon eggs are highly coveted for their magic. A black market flourishes under competing criminal empires, and Brynla’s loyalty has always been to the highest bidder. Until she finds herself kidnapped and blackmailed by Lord Andor, a formidable lieutenant of House Kolbeck, and thrust into the dangerous political games of rivaling dynasties.

Brynla and Andor clash at every turn, sparking heat in ways Brynla’s never felt before. But in a world that’s prophesized to return to the dragons, and rife with betrayal and secrets at every turn…how close to the flames is she willing to stand?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

They gave the girl a new name when they first brought her into the convent, discarding her old one like an oily rag that dirties more than it cleans. “Daughter of Pain,” the ancient woman had christened her with a quick sweep of cataracted eyes. “I see it deep within you, even the pain you haven’t yet faced.”

The girl didn’t give a damn what the woman saw. Pain? She felt only rage at that point, a living and breathing vessel of anger that had been simmering to toxic levels ever since her parents died. But that wasn’t what the Harbringer saw as the girl was brought into the Great Hall of Zoreth on the first day of her initiation. She saw the physical pain in the girl’s body. Not just the fury and the grief and frustration at a life being shattered to fragments—every Daughter of Silence was suffering, after all—but the pain that was deeper inside yet, waiting to come out when she became a woman. A pain that would debilitate the girl and lead her on a desperate quest for relief, a quest that would combine with vengeance.

But at that moment, as the girl was stripped of her old name and her clothes and put into the black cloak that covered every inch of her skin, her eyebrows and her head shaved, her lavender hair discarded in spools on the marble floor, the last proof of what she was, a girl born under the lavender moon, there was only that slithering, seething rage.

All the girl’s life her parents had fought against this very institution. They fought against the cruelty of the convent, the hypocrisy of the religion itself, the dictatorship that ruled over the Saints of Fire and those who followed it. Indeed the people of Esland had no choice but to follow it. They told the girl that she could not help being born in Esland but that they would spend every living minute trying to change it for the better.

Her parents did their best to change it. But their best was not enough.

They should have known this would happen to me, the girl thought as the old woman took her roughly by the elbow and led her out of the cleansing room and back into the quiet halls. They should have known that all their risks for a better tomorrow would land me here one day.

The towering obsidian walls and ceilings around her gleamed from frequent polishing, making it look like the girl was being led into the dark belly of a dragon, which was no accident. The convent wanted to instill fear into these girls. They were here to be punished, not to be pious. Punishment was always the point of the Daughters of Silence, no matter how their public façade spun it.

The girl shut her eyes as the image of her father’s last moments slammed into her head, as if that would prevent her from seeing it. Him standing on the gallows block. The defiant look in his emerald eyes, his long dark purple-streaked braid captured by the wind that held the decay of low tide that stretched outside the city walls of the capital. He was so proud even in those last moments, except for that very last moment when he looked to the girl and her mother, who had been captured by the Black Guard and forced to watch at the foot of the gallows. In that split second the girl didn’t see defiance or anger or even fear. Just sorrow. Like he was cloaked in the grief he knew would befall his two most beloved people after he took his last breath.

And she watched him take his last breath. Watched as the bottom dropped out from under his feet, as it dropped from beneath everything she held dear, and as that rope winched up and sliced into his throat and chin. Her father didn’t cry out, didn’t thrash, like he was willing his body to go as silently as possible. And while her mother wailed and buried her head in her hands, the girl kept watching, knowing that the twelve years she had with him in her life wouldn’t be enough and to take every last glimpse of him, no matter how gruesome, even if the image would be burned in her head for years to come.

“You should be afraid,” the Harbringer had whispered in her ear, her breath smelling foul, like the fermented herbs that the cloisters burned at all hours of the day. “You must fear the gods or you will live and die in vain.”

The girl opened her eyes at that, feeling just a thread of the defiance that her father wore so well. She saw the statues of the dragons before her, their so-called gods. There were two carved of the smaller varieties, the sycledrages that were known to be as smart as a dune fox, with sickle claws on their monstrous feet. The woman thought her eyes were closed because of them, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. The girl didn’t fear dragons, not in the ways the Saints of Fire followers did. Her fear was healthy; their fear was not. Their fear would ruin all Esland one day, if not the world.

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Advertisement Nocturne Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/nocturne-read-online-karina-halle Mon, 21 Apr 2025 22:20:08 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/nocturne-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal, Vampires Authors: Karina Halle Advertisement

Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 116618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)

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A vampire romance so dark it’ll bite.

He’s not just dangerous—he’s designed to destroy you.

Blood. Obsession. Murder.

And a love story twisted enough to hurt so good.

Los Angeles, 1947.
The city is drowning in secrets and blood—and Lena Reid just lost her best friend to the shadows.
Elizabeth Short is dead. The press calls her the Black Dahlia.
Lena wants answers. Closure. Revenge.
What she finds instead… is him.

Victor Callahan is danger in a three-piece suit. An ex-boxer with fists like thunder and eyes that promise ruin. He’s supposed to help her.
Instead, he haunts her. Follows her. Wants her.
He doesn’t remember what happens after dark.
The blackouts. The blood.
The hunger.

But Lena’s not afraid of monsters.
She falls for them.
She is one.

Now, with a serial killer circling closer and a secret society pulling strings behind the curtain, Lena has one rule
Don’t let a vampire fall in love with you.
Because once he does…
He’ll never let you go.

Seven meets L.A. Confidential with a vampire twist, in this true crime and film noir-inspired standalone dark romance from New York Times Bestselling author Karina Halle. This book contains mature content with potential triggers--please consult the Content Warning at the start of the book.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Los Angeles, January 9, 1947

The Biltmore Hotel lobby gleamed with false promises. Elizabeth Short watched the glittering crowd from her perch on a velvet settee, her black hair a stark contrast against her pale skin. She’d carefully applied her signature bright red lipstick in the ladies’ room moments earlier, checking twice for smudges. In this world, appearance was everything.

She crossed her legs at the ankle, consciously elegant despite the fraying hem of her black skirt, which she tried to tuck under. Three dollars remained in her handbag—enough for another night if she skipped dinner again. Her stomach growled in quiet protest.

Elizabeth checked her watch for the third time in fifteen minutes. Her contact was late. That didn’t surprise her. The past few months she worked as a courier for Mickey Cohen and his associates, she was always left as an afterthought. No one bothered to be on time for her, she was just a mule for one thing or another.

Though tonight, she had been promised something different. She’d been so close to quitting, so spooked by what she’d seen recently on the job, yet Cohen managed to wrangle her in for one last thing. Told her that if she did this, she’d be given a new opportunity and a lot of money.

She needed a lot of money. That was more valuable and solid than the false promises that were always given to her as payment. The person she was meeting tonight represented someone with connections, someone who could make things happen for a girl with her particular look, but he also promised money, and that was the one thing she could count on.

She’d heard the rest before, anyway. In Hollywood parlance, that could mean anything from a legitimate screen test to something decidedly less savory. Elizabeth was desperate, not naive. But desperation won out tonight. The thought of getting enough money to finally get out was like oxygen she didn’t even know she’d been deprived of. This city wore you down like that, little by little, until you didn’t even notice you were face down in the dust.

She sighed heavily and rose, deciding to give it five more minutes before cutting her losses and returning to the boarding house. As much as she needed the money from this one last job, there was also relief. She could find another way, a proper way.

As she gathered her purse, a prickling sensation crawled up her spine, the unmistakable feeling of being watched.

Elizabeth scanned the lobby carefully. A middle-aged couple dressed in fine clothes arguing in hushed tones by the concierge desk. A bellhop helping an elderly woman with her luggage. No one seemed to be paying her any attention.

And yet that feeling remained.

She moved toward the grand entrance, heels clicking against the marble floor. Outside, the chilled night air carried the peculiar Los Angeles mix of orange blossoms and automobile exhaust. Elizabeth hesitated on the top step, uncertain which direction to take.

“Ms. Short?”

The deep male voice came from her left. A tall figure stood partially obscured by shadows, only the ember of a cigarette betraying his presence.

That chill on her spine returned, the feeling of being so openly watched by someone she couldn’t see.

“I’m afraid you’ve missed our appointment,” he continued. “But perhaps we can still salvage the evening.”

Elizabeth squinted into the darkness, the ember flaring. “You’re late,” she said, straightening her shoulders and putting on a brave face. “I was just leaving.”

“A thousand pardons.” He stepped forward enough for the hotel lights to illuminate his silhouette but not his features. Tall, broad-shouldered, well-dressed. “My associate was supposed to meet you, but he was…unavoidably detained.”

Something in his phrasing made her skin crawl, but Elizabeth had spent her life ignoring such warnings. “Your associate said there was an opportunity for me. Said he’d pay handsomely.”

“Indeed.” The cigarette arced through the air as he discarded it. “A rare opportunity for someone with your specific qualities.”

Elizabeth took a small step back, not trusting the peculiar way he said qualities. “I should go.”

“Of course.” His voice remained pleasant. “My car is this way. We can discuss the details en route.”

“I meant I should go home,” she clarified, clutching her purse tighter.

“Ms. Short.” Something in his tone changed, became more compelling. “I promise this will be worth your time. Just a brief conversation.”

Against her better judgment, Elizabeth found herself nodding. “Just a conversation.”

His hand emerged from the shadows to gesture toward the street. “After you.”

The car looked the same as she’d seen following her around—a gleaming black Cadillac with leather seats soft as butter—but of course she couldn’t be sure. There were so many of them in this town. And if she let herself think about it too much, she might just bolt.

So she sat rigidly in the passenger seat, watching the city lights blur past the window. They’d been driving for twenty minutes, moving away from the glittering center of Los Angeles toward areas she didn’t recognize. She hadn’t lived there long enough to know all the neighborhoods yet.

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Advertisement Death Valley – A Dark Cowboy Romance Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/death-valley-a-dark-cowboy-romance-read-online-karina-halle Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:58:16 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/death-valley-a-dark-cowboy-romance-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal, Suspense Authors: Karina Halle Advertisement

Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >126

Take Yellowstone and add in the White Walkers from Game of Thrones and you have Death Valley. Morally grey cowboys, menacing wilderness, and deadly zombies await in this dark western horror romance from NYT bestselling author Karina Halle.

Three years ago Aubrey Wells’ sister disappeared in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Since then, Aubrey’s life has crumbled around her. Desperate for answers, she hires rancher and wilderness guide Jensen McGraw to help discover what happened to her sister.

Jensen doesn’t frighten easily. Hell, the finances of his family’s ranch are mixed up with one of the world’s most dangerous crime bosses, but he knows exactly what kind of unnatural creatures wait up in those mountains. He tries to convince Aubrey to give up, but he needs the money she offers if he wants to retake control of his ranch.

Business isn’t the only thing brewing between Aubrey and Jensen—secrets, lies, and an intense attraction threaten to derail their journey up the mountain. When a fierce snowstorm hits, and members of the crew start disappearing, Aubrey and Jensen will have to use all their wits to survive.

Because what dies in this wilderness doesn’t stay dead… it devours

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PLAYLIST

In addition to the following songs, I was also listening to the Red Dead Redemption soundtracks (particularly “Undead Nightmare” cuz obviously), as well as the soundtracks to Wind River, The Assassination of Jesse James, Hell or High Water by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

“Quattro (World Drifts In)” – Calexico

“Dream in Red” – Murder By Death

“Cruel World” – Josh Homme

“It Will Come Back” – Hozier

“Moonshiner” – Alessandro “Asso” Stefana (feat. Roscoe Holcomb)

“Epic” – Calexico

“Hunted” – Murder By Death

“Dead of Night” – Orville Peck

“God’s Gonna Cut You Down” – Johnny Cash

“Built on Bones” – Emily Scott Robinson

“Devil’s Backbone” – The Civil Wars

“So Far From Your Weapon” – The Dead Weather

“Gatekeeper” – Torii Wolf

“No One Knows” – Queens of the Stone Age

“Dead in Love” – Desert Sessions

“Demon Cleaner” – Kyuss

“The Devil’s Rejects” – Rob Zombie

“Close Behind” – Calexico

“The Curse of the Blackened Eye” – Orville Peck

“Bottom of the River” – Delta Rae

“A Girl Like Me” – Desert Sessions

“Everybody Knows That You’re Insane” – Queens of the Stone Age

“Sick, Sick, Sick” – Queens of the Stone Age

“More Human Than Human” – White Zombie

“Die by the Drop” – The Dead Weather

“Into the Hollow” – Queens of the Stone Age

“Red Fox” – Tomahawk

“Song for the Dead” – Queens of the Stone Age

“Laredo” – Tomahawk

“Big Dark Love” – Murder By Death

“Bend to the Road” – Calexico

“Hang You From the Heavens” – The Dead Weather

“River in the Road” – Queens of the Stone Age

“Man Made Lake” – Calexico

“Sunken Waltz” – Calexico

“No Horse” – The Dead Weather

“Two Silver Trees” – Calexico

“Rocking Horse” – The Dead Weather

“Totem” – Tomahawk

“Spirit” – The Devil Makes Three

“I Cut Like a Buffalo” – The Dead Weather

“Over Your Shoulder” – Calexico

“Blood, Milk and Sky” – White Zombie

“Carnage” – Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

“I am a Man of Constant Sorrow” – Alessandro “Asso” Stefana (feat. Roscoe Holcomb)

PROLOGUE

WINTER, 1847

Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

The baby came during the worst of the storm.

Nora McAlister crouched beside her aunt Amelia in the cramped lean-to, watching her aunt’s breath steam in the frigid air. The roof creaked under the weight of snow, the wind whistling through the cracks. No matter how hard Uncle Thomas tried to patch up the weak spots in the shack, the cold always got in. It was like a ravenous monster itself, finding every weakness in the lean-to, of which there were many.

Now Thomas was gone, as was little Nathaniel, lost days earlier to a fate that Nora didn’t let her thirteen-year old mind think about. She couldn’t, not even for a second. She had to keep concentrating on Amelia and the baby, she had to do all she could to make sure both of them survived.

And Nora was good at that. For the last few months, all they had been doing is surviving, ever since the Donner Party got stuck at Truckee Lake. The year prior, Nora lost both her parents to tuberculosis and her father’s brother, Thomas, took her on just before they started their journey from Missouri, joining the 500 wagons en route to a better future in California. Tragedy and calamity struck again and again on the grueling journey, until it came to a head when they got snowed in at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

People began to starve. People began to die.

People started to do the unthinkable.

It was enough that Thomas, a deeply God-fearing man, broke away from the group and sought refuge for Nora and his family, finding it in a dilapidated cabin built by previous emigrants, located half a day’s walk from the camp at Truckee Lake, further up in the mountains beneath the pass. He had hoped the distance would keep his family safe from the horror that was slowly ravaging the groups.

He was wrong.

“You’re going to be okay,” Nora said to her aunt, though her voice shook from both the cold and the fear that made a permanent nest in her bones.

The lantern’s flame cast grotesque shadows across Amelia’s face, deepening the hollows of her cheeks, the dark pits of her eyes. Months of starvation had pulled her skin tight across her bones, but her belly remained swollen, distended. Unnatural. Something about the way it moved beneath the blanket made Nora’s skin crawl.

“You just need to push,” Nora whispered through her cracked lips. Her hands shook as she positioned the threadbare blanket. “Almost there, Aunt Amelia.”

But the lie tasted bitter. Nora didn’t know anything about birthing babies, but they’d been at this for hours, and something was wrong.

So wrong.

Amelia’s skin was cold to the touch, too cold for someone in labor. Her eyes had taken on a strange sheen, and the veins beneath her skin showed black against flesh that was growing paler by the hour. When she screamed, the sound was wrong—guttural, hungry. Like the sounds Uncle Thomas had made yesterday, when he’d torn into⁠—

Nora pushed the memory away.

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Advertisement Ravager Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/ravager-read-online-karina-halle Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:15:31 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/ravager-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Erotic Authors: Karina Halle Advertisement

Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 59320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >65

All Cherine Cadet has ever known is desperate circumstances—crushing poverty,
cruel servitude, and no hope of escape. When a band of Vikings attacks the estate
where she lives, her old life goes up in flames. On the verge of death, she’s rescued
by an unexpected savior—Erik the Axe, second in command of the Viking fleet.

Erik claims her as a spoil of war, and takes her back to his leader, Rolf the Walker.
Erik is dark and sensual to Rolf’s brutal and commanding. Subject to the whims of
both men, Cherine is once again left with no choices and no hope. She’ll have to
discover her own warrior spirit before the desires of these two men leave her
burned down to ash like the life she left behind.

VIKINGS VALHALLA meets HOOKED in this Dark Viking Romance 50K word novella by NYT
bestselling author Karina Halle. If you like your heroes morally gray, ruthless, and
looking like a Skarsgård, get ready to be RAVAGED. as this book is dark, please
take heed of the content warning inside the book.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Cherine

Inever meant to lose my virginity this way, but even as I slipped the layers of my undergarments back on in the freezing boatshed, the scent of low tide swirling in through the door and wrapping around my ankles, I knew it was better than the alternative. If it hadn’t been Marc, it would’ve been with his indifferent older brother, Pierre. Pierre, with his trembling hands and hunched back from collecting shellfish all day. Pierre, the only serf available on Lord Bouchon’s estate.

I shot Marc a shy glance, trying not to notice his naked form standing before me, his spent cock still quivering with its recent victory. Shyness was new to me. Marc had been my oldest and dearest friend, the one person I could turn to when life got too hard and my sisters were either too sick or too selfish to spare me their time. Now, I’d gotten to know Marc in a way I hadn’t before, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it.

Marc watched me with a mix of worry and relief as a red splotch began to form on his neck, spreading like spilled wine. I didn’t know whether to keep my eyes on his heated face or let them drift down to the part of him that had so recently been inside me. What used to be an easy-going friendship had suddenly made the boathouse feel stuffier with every moment. I slipped my woolen dress over my head, and I briefly thought that perhaps we’d gone a little too far this time. After all, it had only been touching and kissing for the last year until my urges had gotten the better of me.

Not that I was the only one to blame. Marc was a year younger than me, and soon, he’d be paired with either my second youngest sister, Giselle, or one of the Fornier daughters. The Lord’s estate was small, and the serfs had no choice but to marry whoever was available. I hadn’t seen an outsider in two years, not since a group of soldiers from another fiefdom had come through. It had been one of the most exciting days of my life.

I cleared my throat and adjusted the stiff linen layers under my dress, my eyes darting to the stack of moldy rope crab traps in the corner. “Perhaps you should put your clothes back on, Marc.”

The red splotch grew, and he quickly snapped up his trousers, as if caught in a trance. “I’m sorry, Cherine.”

A small smile tugged at my lips as I moved my attention away from him. “It’s no matter. Just thought you’d catch a cold.”

I waited while I heard him fumble with buttons and sleeves until he finally said, “There.”

I looked back and felt a relief wash over me, happy to see my friend looking like my friend again—dark curly hair, olive skin, hazel eyes, all above tattered, threadbare clothes permanently stained by sea mud. Marc was such a good-looking boy on top of everything, and yet, I felt a pang of disappointment. Our coupling hadn’t produced the results I wanted. As much as my body had wanted to be with Marc, as frustrated as I’d been after months of secret courting and no relief, I was confused at how unfulfilled I felt. Marc had only lasted a few minutes—and I knew he’d enjoyed himself from the way his cries filled the boatshed as he came—but I’d expected to feel more than just a burst of pain and a trail of wetness soaking my drawers.

Well, there was also the bit of fear. I hoped I hadn’t bled enough to make my mother or sisters suspicious if they found my garments on washing day. Almost every soul in France was born with the fear of God in their heart, and my mother was no different. If she found out I was impure, that I wouldn’t be married to Pierre as a virgin, she’d probably have me conveniently disposed of—maybe chopped up and fed to the pigs they kept fat for Lord Bouchon.

I swallowed hard, trying to push the fear away with my fingers as I smoothed out my dress. I remembered the last time I’d upset my mother. I’d fallen asleep on a balmy summer day, lying on my back in the cow pasture, my basket of vegetables beside me. I woke up to a munching sound and a cow’s ugly udder in my face, the carrots all gone. I spent a week sleeping in the woods by myself as punishment, with only my father to bring me a pitiful slice of bread in the mornings. That was before Papa had been called upon by the Lord to serve in the King’s army.

We never saw Papa again.

“I better go,” I quickly told Marc, my heart hammering in my chest. “Odette is in the fields today, and I need to make supper.”

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Advertisement Goddess of Light (Underworld Gods #4) Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/goddess-of-light-underworld-gods-4-read-online-karina-halle Wed, 25 Dec 2024 21:49:59 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/goddess-of-light-underworld-gods-4-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Karina Halle Series: Underworld Gods Series by Karina Halle
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >135

The battle for the Underworld has begun…

When Hanna Heikkinen sacrificed herself to the God of Death to save her father, she never imagined she’d fall in love with the grumpy god—or thrive as Queen of Tuonela. Nor did she expect to uncover the truth of her divine lineage, a secret tied to powers far beyond her understanding.
But when the Old Gods rise and Louhi’s dark forces plunge the Land of the Dead into Kaaos, threatening to destroy the balance of life and death, Hanna must fight for more than just her realm. With Tuonela unraveling and the souls of the dead at risk of eternal Oblivion, Hanna and Tuoni face impossible odds as love and duty collide.

Can Hanna save Tuonela before it’s lost to the void, or will her greatest sacrifice come at the cost of the one she loves most?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

GLOSSARY & PRONOUNCIATION

Tuonela (too-oh-nella)

Realm or Land of the Dead. It is a large island that floats between worlds, with varied geography and terrain. The recently deceased travel via the River of Shadows to the City of Death, where they are divided into factions (Amaranthus, the Golden Mean, and Inmost) and admitted into the afterlife. Outside the City of Death, Gods, Goddesses, spirits, shamans, and the dead who have escaped the city can be found.

Tuoni (too-oh-nee)

The God of Death, otherwise called Death, and King of Tuonela, who rules over the realm from his castle at Shadow’s End.

Louhi (low-hee)

Ex-wife of Death, former Goddess, half-demon daughter of Rangaista.

Loviatar (low-vee-ah-tar)

The Lesser Goddess of Death and Death’s daughter. Her job is to ferry the dead down the River of Shadows to the City of Death, a role she shares with her brother Tuonen.

Tuonen (too-oh-nen)

The Lesser God of Death and Death’s Son. He shares ferrying duties with his sister, Loviatar. Tuonen is also a lord in the City of Death and helps oversee things in the afterlife.

Sarvi (sar-vih)

Short for Yksisarvinen, Sarvi is a relic from the times of the Old Gods and originally from another world. Sarvi is a unicorn with bat-like wings who died a long time ago and is composed of skin and bone. Sentient, Sarvi is able to communicate telepathically. While he is a loyal and refined servant to Death, he is also vicious, violent, and bloodthirsty by nature, as all unicorns are.

Ilmarinen (ill-mar-ee-nen)

Louhi’s consort, the demigod shaman she left Death for. He lives with Louhi in their castle by the Star Swamps.

Eero (ay-ro)

A powerful shaman from Northern Finland.

Väinämöinen (vah-ee-nah-moy-nen)

Death’s past adversary and legendary shaman, who became a Finnish folk-hero.

Ukko (oo-koh)

A supreme God and the father of Tuoni, Ahto, and Ilmatar. Husband to Akka.

Akka (ah-ka)

A supreme Goddess, wife to Ukko, and the mother of Tuoni, Ahto, and Ilmatar.

Ilmatar (ill-mah-tar)

Goddess of the Air, sister to Tuoni and Ahto.

Vellamo (vell-ah-mo)

Goddess of the Deep, wife of Ahto. Protector of mermaids. Vellamo can be found in the Great Inland Sea.

Ahto (ah-to)

God of the Oceans and Seas, husband of Vellamo, brother of Tuoni and Ilmatar.

Kuutar (koo-tar)

Goddess of the Moon, Mother of Stars, protector of sea creatures.

Päivätär (pah-ee-vah-tar)

Goddess of the Sun, protector of birds.

Kalma (kahl-ma)

God of Graves and Tuoni’s right-hand man and advisor.

Surma (soor-mah)

A relic from the days of the Old Gods and the personification of killing.

Raila (ray-lah)

Hanna’s personal Deadmaiden.

Pyry (pee-ree)

Deadmaiden. Head cook and gardener of Shadow’s End.

Harma (har-mah)

Deadmaiden. Head of the Shadow’s End servants.

Tapio (tah-pee-oh)

God of the Forest.

Tellervo (tell-air-voh)

Lesser Goddess of the Forest and daughter of Tapio.

Mielikki (Mi-eh-li-kee)

Goddess of the Forest, Tapio’s wife

Nyyrikki (Nye-rick-ee)

Lesser God of the Forest, brother to Tellervo

Hiisi (hee-si)

Demons and goblins of Tuonela, spawns of Rangaista.

Rangaista (ran-gais-tah)

A powerful demon and Old God, father of Louhi.

Liekkiö (lehk-kio)

The spirits of murdered children who haunt the Leikkio Plains. They are made of bones and burn eternally.

Vipunen (vee-pooh-nen)

An unseen giant who lives in the Caves of Vipunen near Shadow’s End. The most ancient and wise being in Tuonela from before the time of the Old Gods.

Keskelli (Kes-Kell-ee)

Friendly trolls that live in the Frozen Void

PLAYLIST

“The Prophecy” – Taylor Swift

“I am not a woman, I’m a god” – Halsey

“Don’t Say You Love Me” – Depeche Mode

“And Nothing is Forever” – The Cure

“The Night Does Not Belong to God” – Sleep Token

“Help Me I Am in Hell” – NIN

“Dark Signs” – Sleep Token

“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” – Taylor Swift

“Into the Void” – NIN

“God Games” – The Kills

“Combat” – Deftones

“The Great Destroyer” – NIN (Modwheelmod version)

“God Given” – NIN (Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert version)

“Risk” – Deftones

“Gods” – Sleep Token

“March of the Pigs” – NIN

“Kingdome Come” – The Kills

“Always You” – Depeche Mode

“Going to Heaven” – The Kills

“Warsong” – The Cure

“I Let Love In” – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

“Hole in the Earth” – Deftones

“Last Rites” – +++ (Crosses)

“Castle” – Halsey

“Everything in its Right Place” – Radiohead

“The Epilogue” – +++ (Crosses)

“Endsong” – The Cure

CHAPTER ONE

HANNA

When I was young, maybe eight years old, I visited my father in Finland during the height of summer. I remember the days were long and warm, and the woods held so much life, every day was an adventure to me. My father was happy to let me play by myself or with the kids who lived on the other side of the lake but, sometimes, he would take me on nature walks for hours at a time.

One day, the two of us had walked deep into the woods behind our house, where the pines grew so tall, they blocked out the sky. It was dark, strangely so, like I was seeing everything through a black veil. I remember being a little afraid, but my father held my hand and told me the woods were always looking out for me.

Eventually, he led me to a small clearing with a ring of moss-covered stones in the middle. There was a quiet stillness that suddenly fell around us, something so deep, it felt as if even the wind dared not enter the circle.

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Advertisement Grave Matter – Dark Gothic Thriller Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/grave-matter-dark-gothic-thriller-read-online-karina-halle Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:05:10 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/grave-matter-dark-gothic-thriller-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Dark, Erotic, Forbidden, Thriller Authors: Karina Halle Advertisement

Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >117

Horror Romance meets science fiction in this dark and delicious gothic psychological thriller by NYT bestseller Karina Halle, perfect for fans of Gothikana, Ninth House, and Mexican Gothic.

Aspiring mycologist Sydney Denik is getting a second chance. When a dream opportunity presents itself with a prestigious foundation doing promising Alzheimer’s research, Sydney leaves the shambles of her old life to join a dozen other grad students at an isolated lodge hidden away in a remote, fog-shrouded inlet on Vancouver Island.

But the Madrona Foundation harbors more than brilliant minds. Everyone around her is hiding a terrible secret—including the resident psychologist she’s falling in love with. A student disappears, and no one but Sydney seems to care. Ghosts walk the halls. Snow falls in the middle of summer. Dead animals move like the living. The more Sydney uncovers about the foundation, the more she begins to question her own sanity. And if Sydney isn’t going mad, then the horrors in the surrounding forest are real, and the Madrona Foundation may be the biggest monster of all.

NOTE: This will be a live release on Amazon for paperback, ebook and hardcover on October 23rd 2024. The paperback and ebook cover is different from the case-laminate and dustjacket hardcovers. This is a standalone novel. Check content warnings inside the book or author's IG closer to publication.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PLAYLIST

The following songs (in no particular order) helped me write this book, though I also listened to various soundtracks, including The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Westworld: Season 3 by Ramin Djawadi, and Inception by Hans Zimmer. The playlist can also be found on Spotify by scanning the code on the next page.

“The Beginning of the End” - +++ (Crosses)

“The Day the World Went Away” - Nine Inch Nails

“Change (In the House of Flies)” - Deftones

“Dissolved Girl” - Massive Attack

“Alibi” - BANKS

“Bury a Friend” - Billie Eilish

“Cinnamon Girl” - Lana Del Rey

“The Wake-Up” - How to Destroy Angels

“This is a Trick” - +++ (Crosses)

“Summertime Sadness” - Lana Del Rey

“We Come 1 (Radio Edit)” - Faithless

“Is That Your Life” - Tricky

“Butterfly Caught” - Massive Attack

“Sour Times” - Portishead

“Girls Float, Boys Cry” - +++ (Crosses)

“The Space in Between” - How to Destroy Angels

“The Night Does Not Belong to God” - Sleep Token

“Matador” - Faith No More

“Cadavre Exquis” - +++ (Crosses)

“How Long?” - How to Destroy Angels

“Body Electric” - Lana Del Rey

“Snow on the Beach” - Taylor Swift

“We’re in This Together” - Nine Inch Nails

“Vivien” - +++ (Crosses)

“Ashes to Ashes” - Faith No More

“Head Like a Hole” - Nine Inch Nails

“Tomb of Liegia” - Team Sleep

“Runner” - +++ (Crosses)

“Into My Arms” - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

CHAPTER 1

The girl I was talking to the entire flight has disappeared.

I’ve stepped off the floatplane, the propellers still sputtering in rotation as I take the hand of a lanky man in a rain jacket who introduces himself as David Chen, manager of Madrona Lodge. But as I look behind me for the bright and bubbly Amani in her pale pink hijab, who I just spent an hour conversing with in the seat across from mine, she’s no longer on the plane. The two other passengers are still on board—a bushy-browed man and a thin-lipped woman whom the co-pilot told me were new staff at the Madrona Foundation—sitting in the back row and watching me with idle curiosity.

But no Amani.

“Are you alright?” David says, giving my hand an unsettling squeeze, which brings my attention back to him. “I said I’m David Chen.”

“Oh. Sydney Denik,” I absently introduce myself, pulling my hand away from his as subtly as possible as I find my balance on the dock, meeting his inquisitive dark eyes for just a moment before I start scanning the plane again. “Sorry, I…I was just talking to someone on the plane, and now she’s gone.”

“Amani?” he asks, and I nod. “She went up ahead of you.”

I look up the dock. There’s a steep ramp, thanks to the low tide, and a long wharf leading to the land, but there’s no sight of her. I frown. How is that possible?

“You likely didn’t notice,” he goes on. “Wouldn’t be the first time a new student has become enraptured by the scenery here. We’ve even had a person fall off the dock because they were so distracted. It was quite the welcome, I’m sure,” he adds with a chuckle.

But I was the first to step off the plane, I want to tell him. I swear I was. But I realize that arguing with the manager of the lodge wouldn’t be the best start for me, especially when things are already so precarious. And perhaps he’s right. Maybe I didn’t notice Amani disembarking before me. Already, my brain feels a little fuzzy, probably from the relief of finally getting here without a hitch.

Amani talked the entire flight about how excited she was about being selected for the Madrona Foundation’s student program, and I could hardly get a word in edgewise, which was fine by me. I try to stay silent when I first meet people, trying to figure out how to wear my mask, what kind of person I need to be for the conversation. So I listened and stared out the window at the scenery for the flight from Vancouver to this remote inlet on Vancouver Island’s northwest coast, soaring over glittering straits dotted with white ferries, thick green forest, milky blue alpine lakes, and craggy, snowcapped peaks that have yet to thaw in the May sunshine.

But the further north we went, the more the landscape was blotted out by clouds and fog. In fact, our pilot had to circle for about twenty minutes before we landed, waiting for the mist to clear enough for a clear view of the water.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” David remarks. His hands go behind his back, and he rocks on the heels of his fancy dress shoes, which seem out of place on the dock. He sniffs the air in a perfunctory way, as if he’s encouraging me to look at the scenery.

I expected the location to remind me of home—I grew up in Crescent City, California, so I’m no stranger to fog, ocean, and towering trees—but here, the elements are amplified, as if they have an edge to them. The fog is more corporeal yet delicate, reminding me of cobwebs that don’t seem to move but stretch across the tips of the trees. The trees themselves—Douglas fir, western cedar, Sitka spruce—aren’t as wide as the redwoods, but they’re taller, their boughs are heavier, their trunks rich with moss and lichen. The undergrowth, too, is wildly overgrown, and my eyes have a hard time taking in all the different vegetation in riotous shades of green—salal bushes, Oregon grape, wild ginger, and massive sword ferns.

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Advertisement Smut Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/smut-read-online-karina-halle Sat, 05 Oct 2024 02:32:26 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/smut-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Chick Lit, College, Contemporary, Erotic, Funny, New Adult Authors: Karina Halle Advertisement

Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >121

A rivals-to-lovers, new adult romantic comedy about sex, love, and the written word.

When I first met Blake Crawford, all I wanted to do was hit him in the face.
Maybe the groin.
Okay, maybe I wanted to kiss him too, but that's neither here nor there. I mean, he may have a gorgeous English accent, sexy full lips and an ass I'd like to bite but...
Where was I?
Right.
Being in the same creative writing class, he's the last person I wanted to speak to, let alone be paired up with for my final assignment. But here comes the kicker...not only did our project end up getting us both As, but we found out we work well together.
Really well together.
I hate him and he hates me and yet we churn out gold. We've started writing self-published erotica under a pen name and let me tell you one thing... Writing dirty sex scenes with the sexiest, most infuriating man you know is a lot harder than you think.
And keeping our hands off each other?
Well, that's another story...one with an ending I didn't see coming.

Smut is a standalone, tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy from the NYT bestselling author of The Pact.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

AMANDA

New Year’s Eve

“You look absolutely ravishing tonight,” Alan says as he leans in to place a soft kiss on my cheek.

I pull back and eye him warily. “Ravishing? What are you, a duke all of a sudden?”

His blue eyes turn strangely shy and he averts them from my face, clearing his throat. In the background, the music seems to build as happy couples dance to and fro. “I’ll get us another drink,” he says quickly.

I frown as I watch him go, cutting across the dance floor and nodding at our friends. Ironically, Alan’s family is so wealthy that I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that somewhere along the line he’s related to a duke. It would explain why he walks around like he’s got a stick up his ass (hey, I’m dating the guy, I’m allowed to make fun of his posture. If he stood up any straighter, he’d be mistaken for a tree).

Still, he’s been acting weird the whole damn night. I know it’s New Year’s Eve and all, which has always been a rather big deal for us, but even so, Alan Kingston is normally smooth and unflappable. It’s one of the reasons why we work so well together—I’m the (hidden) hurricane and he’s the calm. Tonight, there’s something a little bit off that has me, well, really wanting another glass of champagne. Or ten.

The winter storm isn’t helping my nerves either. Outside, the wind batters the large floor-to-ceiling windows, causing them to rattle and shake. People let out little ooohs, coupled with nervous giggles as the rain pelts against the panes, like someone is throwing wet rocks. It’s also completely black outside which adds to the uneasiness. Beyond the stately lodge you know the beach is getting absolutely pounded by the ocean—you can feel the vibrations every now and then, even if you can’t see the angry waves.

Tofino has always been one of my favorite spots, even though I’ve only been to the sleepy surfing town a few times in my life, so naturally when Alan said we were doing our annual New Year’s Eve party here, I jumped at the chance. Over the last four years I’ve been with Alan, we’ve done New Year’s Eve in a cabin on Mount Washington, in the streets of Vancouver, on the beach in Mexico, and now at one of the most beautiful resorts on Vancouver Island, famed for storm watching in the winter, and surfing and whale watching in the summer.

Because last New Year’s Eve down in Los Cabos was so quiet and intimate, I was kind of shocked that he wanted to invite not only every single friend of ours, but his parents too. That set off a few warning bells that I really should have addressed because now I’m standing here, watching him get champagne from the waiter, and I’m deathly afraid of what’s going to happen when he returns.

You know when you just get a feeling about something, and even if it’s something you won’t let yourself think about, it still festers somewhere inside you? I’m starting to feel as gnawed up as a rotten log.

“Amanda,” Sarah Price says to me from behind.

I let out a sigh of relief, eager for the distraction, and turn around, smiling at her.

Sarah is a striking girl, tall and slender, with skin like polished marble and hair that flows like fields of silken wheat all the way to her waist. Her eyes are a rich, dark brown, shining like coffee. I know I’m going a bit purple prose over one of my oldest friends, but hey, it’s what I do.

Tonight she’s wearing a rather daring dress, a low cut black velvet gown that clings to her slight curves, giving her the appearance of an old-fashioned mannequin. She’s turning heads as usual, even though we’re pretty much around the same people here as we have been since high school. It amazes me that she’s managed to stay single for so long. I know she says she’s picky, but there’s a world of guys out there that would give their left nut (and maybe their right one) to be with her. Sometimes I wonder how I might have turned out if I had stayed picky too. I’d be single…but would I be happy? It’s something else that I don’t dare think about.

“I haven’t seen you all night,” she says. “How are you?”

I shoot her a placating smile and run my hand over my updo, making sure it’s all in place. It’s true I haven’t really said anything other than hello to her tonight, and over the last few months I’ve talked to her less and less. I still consider her a great friend, probably my closest one in some ways. But even though we come from similar families and were raised pretty much the same way, ever since I started university, I’ve felt this fissure between us. I’m sure this continental drift is natural when you’re twenty-one and figuring shit out, but I’m becoming more and more aware of it.

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Advertisement The Royals Upstairs Read Online Karina Halle http://www.books2020.com/the-royals-upstairs-read-online-karina-halle Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:23:35 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-royals-upstairs-read-online-karina-halle Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary Authors: Karina Halle Advertisement

Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)

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He’s the royal bodyguard. She’s the royal nanny. The annoyingly hot attraction that simmers between them—that’s a royal pain.

James Hunter has made a tactical error. His new role as protection officer to Prince Magnus of Norway was supposed to be an exciting change. Instead he’s marooned on a royal estate in the middle of nowhere charged with chasing after demon children and dodging the machinations of meddling staff. And the crowning jewel in this little drama—the children’s nanny is none other than Laila Bruset. The woman whose heart he broke. The woman who still holds his.

When Laila took the job as a nanny for the Norwegian royal children in order to be closer to her ailing grandmother in Oslo, the last thing she expected was to have her life turned upside down—again. But as much as James gets on her nerves, he's also getting under her skin, and the tension between them sizzles just as devastatingly as before.

As undeniable sparks turn James and Laila’s battle royal into a more serious game of hearts, nanny and bodyguard will have to decide just how much they’re willing to risk for a second chance at love.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

One

JAMES

It’s bloody cold, I’ll tell you that much.

I’m standing on the side of a runway in what feels like the middle of Norway, and I’ve been freezing my bollocks off for a good twenty minutes at least. It’s early December but there’s already a fresh layer of snow on the ground, and though it’s nearly three in the afternoon, the sun is already setting, suspending the air in this murky kind of twilight. My new employer, Magnus, the Crown Prince of Norway, arranged for a private jet to take me from London to this tiny airstrip, and I’m supposed to meet one of his advisors who will take me to the nearby Skaugum Estate, where the prince and princess live, my future home for the foreseeable future.

I gather my coat collar tighter around me, snowflakes sticking in my hair, wishing I had brought a scarf. When I did my research about Norway, everyone always said that it wasn’t as cold as the stereotype and that it rarely snowed in December, but boy were they fucking wrong.

Finally a black SUV screeches to a stop outside the chain-link fence, and a man practically falls out of the vehicle, his shoes slipping on the ice. He holds on to the hood, arms splayed, legs slowly sliding apart before he manages to take another step. He straightens up unsteadily, then looks at the ground between us, seeming to have second thoughts.

“Mr. Hunter?” he yells over in a light Norwegian accent.

“That’s me,” I tell him. “Are you Ottar?”

“Ja,” he says. “Would you mind if I stayed here? I don’t think my shoes can handle the ice.”

I stare at him for a moment. He’s on the portly side, though he has a boyish face and black glasses. But the more I stare at him, the more I realize that half his face is banged up. Maybe it’s best that he stays where he is.

“Not a problem,” I tell him, picking up my suitcase handle and carefully walking over to the fence and going through the gate. At least my black boots have an ample amount of tread, which is more than he has. I don’t know why someone here wouldn’t know how to dress for the elements, but I guess I’m about to find out.

“Mr. Hunter,” Ottar says, smiling hastily as I approach, sticking out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to welcome you to Norway.”

I stop and shake his hand. “Please, call me James,” I tell him. Now that I’m up close, I can finally get a good look at him. He’s got a black eye and a bunch of scratches along his cheeks. “I don’t mean to pry, but are you okay? You look bloody mangled.”

He laughs and then points at his face. “Oh right, my face. Long story. But I’m fine. Here, let me get your bag.”

Ottar takes my suitcase from me and then starts the very long, laborious process of walking alongside the SUV, his hand propped against the car for support as he tries to balance on the ice.

“I can just put it in the back seat,” I tell him.

He attempts a dismissive wave, but that movement alone sends one leg flying forward and the other leg flying backward, and it’s only by the grace of a Norse god that he doesn’t end up doing splits.

“Hellvete,” he swears.

“Are you sure I can’t help?” I ask, biting back a smile.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he says quickly, letting out an awkward laugh. “Just hurt myself the other day, so I’m a bit, uh, overly cautious, as one might say.”

One might say that he has a reason to be overly cautious and that the best course of action is to just abandon the suitcase and make it back to the safety of the driver’s seat.

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