Showing results by author "Nicole Dykes" in All Categories

I'm a fan—how could I not be? And not just a fan of racing. I can't help but be swept up by the lives of celebrities. Wondering if they really have it so much better or if something is missing. Now that Maverick isn't just that hot racer I've followed for years and is instead my friend, I'm starting to see the answer. We always want what we don't have.

I’m a teacher who has only one thing missing from his life: a healthy relationship. I have a plan in place. This should be easy. No more toxic men. No more casual hookups. I want something real. A love that’s equal, not lopsided. I’m a fixer at heart, but I’m done with the hopeless and the selfish.

I'm the Rookie. That's how they want to label me. The new guy. But I'm damn good at what I do. I don't have anything to prove—except maybe to him. I've watched his career for years. So yeah, maybe I want to impress him a tiny bit. But I also can't help riling him up and ruffling his feathers. He wants me to do things his way, but I don't work like that. I may be the Rookie, but I'm about to school the Ace.

I'm the hotshot—both on and off the track. I know how to work the crowd and show off. And I'm good at it. I've had to become very effective at putting on a show. But my agent is not a fan of my over-the-top antics. So she did something I still can't believe... She called in the press—the media. Specifically, the reporter who hates everything I stand for. And now, he's tasked with showing the world a different side of me. Yeah... Good luck with that.

I had everything; I was going to college, having a blast, enjoying myself, and not taking much seriously. But then, two years ago, everything changed. A car wreck destroyed my life. It sent me into a total tailspin. I walked away, even when everyone said I wouldn’t be able to. But I haven’t recovered from it. The only thing I have left is my best friend, but I’m sure he’ll give up on me soon. Even so, I can’t fight the truth: I’m irrevocably ruined.

Selfish. That's the only way Andrew will ever see me. An abused boy who grew up and became a defense attorney for the rich and famous. I'll never forget the look on his face when I told him. The hurt and disgust I saw in his eyes as I stomped all over his dreams. He left me behind, convincing me he'd hate me forever. Now, circumstances have brought me back into his life. I have one more chance to prove I'm not the man he thinks I am. I'll do anything to prove I'm worthy of him.

I’ve always been a helper, someone who sees the world in a brighter light than others do, who tries to show everyone there’s good in this world. So when I meet Henry, I immediately make it my mission to show him how great the world can be if he’ll only accept a little help. Easier said than done. But I’ve always liked a challenge.

Rhys: I’m an addict. I’ve been abused, and I’ve been the abuser. My entire life has been a blur, filled with misery and anguish. I’m trying my best to stay clean and lucid even when my world feels dark. Now, I have to stay away from the woman who makes everything murky and complicated. Blair: I’ve always been a toy for others to use. A spoiled, broken girl who’s never been seen because no one ever tried. He sees me though. Holding up a mirror and showing me exactly who I am with absolute clarity. Is that a good thing? I’m not sure.

Grady: A preacher’s son. I’ve done everything I can to defy his rules. Reckless, destructive, immoral. But after all this, there’s only one thing I haven’t allowed myself to indulge in...him. Ryan: A welder's son. I’ve done everything I can to make him proud. Hardworking, loyal, strong. I’ve accomplished all his dreams while denying my own. But there was only one thing I’ve ever wanted...him.

I'm the rebel, the bad one. I follow no rules on the track or anywhere else. I'm the obnoxious bad boy the fans secretly root for. I don't mind playing my role. I'm good at it, and it pays to be the dark to his light. Until the good boy starts to get to me. I'm confused and unsure of what I want, when it was all so clear before. They say good always wins, but is that truly the case? In the race between the far-too-pretty good boy and the angry bad boy, who will actually win?

Best-selling novelist Karen Witemeyer joins award-winning authors Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese for this Texas-sized romance novella collection. Each of the authors' unique voices is on display in stories where courting couples leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak's bark.

When you’re young, everything seems brighter, more hopeful, and like anything is possible. Which is great. But it can also lead to so many mistakes. Mistakes you promise yourself you’ll never make again.

I'm keeping some pretty big secrets from my best friend. Secrets, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold onto. Secrets that'll likely destroy our friendship. Because he thinks we're going to college together—but I just can't do it. I can't spend any more time with this lie. Big Bend may have been my beginning, but it never felt quite right. Something was always off—truly, I think it was my false start. Now it's time to live my life with nothing but the truth.

Sean is a normal guy. Has a great job as a photographer. Drives a new car, but not overly flashy. Has his small group of friends. Yeah he's just your run of the mill average Joe. Except, is anyone really all that normal? The secrets Sean harbors run deep. Stemmed from agony deep inside and a thirst for vengeance. Melody is perceived as the beautiful spoiled princess that fell for a beautiful, confident stranger many years ago. Two polar opposites. One night that changed everything without either of them knowing it. Can love conquer all? With the help from a mysterious stranger, Adele.

I’m in trouble. Big trouble. Not that I should be surprised. My entire life has been one huge misfortune. I have nothing and no one. But then.... Finn comes along. Gorgeous, stubborn, and infuriating. And he can’t seem to leave me alone.

The Sterlings have been through hell. They’ve each made mistake after mistake while trying to climb out of their grief and guilt and recover from an unimaginable tragedy that had a ripple effect of consequences reaching far further than their own lives. It seems the youngest Sterling may never find peace after everything that’s happened. But the love he has for his nephew is more powerful than any amount of pride.

Grief can hold us back. Sorrow can make us stop enjoying our lives for fear of being too happy when what we truly want is never possible. Lola Sterling has deprived herself of living for a long time. Remaining laser-focused on everyone and trying to fit their pieces back together. But can someone from the past repair her? Could he help her heart break free from the painful restraints put there from a devastating loss? Can the Sterling family ever come back from the tragedy? Time will only tell.

Healing after a tragedy is hard enough. Doing it when you’re haunted by past betrayal and so many things left unsaid? Feels nearly hopeless. Is it impossible to come back from so much anguish and all the regrets? Can you ever truly mend your heart and move on? Or are Penelope and Linc destined for a life of punishment and pain?

Loss. Guilt. Grief. Do you ever truly recover from it? How can you be happy when the person you once looked up to is gone? Sheltered. Ruled. Shamed. Do you ever grow after that? How can you break free from a lifetime of repression? Vivienne and Asher have been through a lot in their young lives. Can they use each other to heal and to find their true selves? They’re about to discover whether they can liberate each other or if their love is only more constricting.

Two people drifting through life - one on a firmly established plan, the other with no plans at all. Both believing they know exactly what they want. But what happens when a chance encounter is so electrifying that everything they believe is threatened with destruction? They're suddenly fixated on each other. Will it make them stronger? Or will everything come crashing down? An addiction so strong, the high will be unforgettable, but the inevitable low will be devastating.