Showing results by narrator "Shakira Shute" in All Categories

I’m a vampire-witch hybrid with a fondness for necromancy. Excuse me if I’m a little dead inside. I tried to attend a human school, but they didn’t appreciate my behavior. Personally, I found biology class more interesting when the dissected animals fought back. The school didn’t. My parents searched for somewhere new to send their deviant daughter, and doors open when your father is Dorian Blackwood. Then they close firmly behind once he dumps you inside an exclusive supernatural academy, along with instructions to become "a touch more amiable".

Mead House was once our childhood home. Despite my fears, I always knew we would have to return to face the demons of our past. Back to the place where it happened, to where, as carefree teenagers, we lost our elder sister in the most brutal of circumstances. As executors of our grandmother’s will, my twin brother, Ollie, and I needed to empty the house for resale. What I didn’t expect to discover was my sister’s secret journal that contained her most private thoughts and shocking dark secrets.

My time with the Blackwoods opened my eyes to a frightening side of the new world I belong to. The night brought me closer to Tobias, but now he’s discovered a hidden connection that tears us apart. My reality turns upside down for the second time since I arrived at the academy and my visions become more horrific.

A dark secret. A deadly obsession. No place to hide. Max Hunter, my boyfriend, booked the beautiful boat house on the Norfolk Broads as a surprise autumn break. A week away to heal after a fraught few months following my father’s death. A chance to put the lies and secrets behind us and to start afresh. But in the silence it feels like someone is out there. Watching, waiting and taunting me.

Eventually, all wallflowers will have their chance at love...this is where it begins. Lottie Hughes likes people, as long as they aren't too close. Does it bother her that no one asks her to dance? Yes, but she's not sure how to drum up dance partners when she has almost no dowry and no title, and freezes up when anyone tries to talk to her. Ellen might be beautiful and considered a diamond of the first water by Society, but she is so very tired of the pressure to marry a titled gentleman. Charlotte Winters is destined to spinsterhood until she turns down an unwanted proposal.

When Ellie and Ash move into a beautiful old house in rural Norfolk, England, they believe they’ve found their perfect home. Intrigued by the people next door, Ellie befriends shy but sweet Benjamin and, as time goes by, becomes ever more curious about his elusive sister, Virginia.

When Hannah met David, it was love at first sight. They were married quickly, but she knew it was the right choice. They're always laughing, the passion is unmatched, and they want the same things. Most of all, they both want a family. For David, it's doubly important. He tragically lost his first wife, Katherine, several years before. Hannah is, he says, the person who saved him from his grief. Although his friends worried he was moving on too fast, and Hannah sometimes still feels a strange jealousy towards his first wife, deep down she knows she's meant to be his happily-ever-after.

Duncan Stone is one of the country's most eligible bachelors, and he wants to take me, Callie Parker, on a date. At first I am surprised and flattered, the envy of my friends. Then when our whirlwind romance escalates and he asks me to move in with him, it's like a dream come true. But as I get to really know my new boyfriend, my fairytale turns into a nightmare. Duncan is no Prince Charming. He is the Devil.

Two years ago, my whole world was ripped apart when my husband and best friend were killed in a car accident in Norfolk. Since then, I've struggled to come to terms with my overwhelming grief and to understand why they were together in Charlie’s car that fateful night. Following a friend’s advice, I sign up to a reputable dating site, IntoYou. She tells me it’s the perfect way to meet someone, and when I quickly get a match, I believe she is right. I am surprised how easy this is. But it seems I have a lot to learn.

CHRISTY AWARD FINALIST ECPA CHRISTIAN BOOK AWARD FINALIST READ WITH JENNA JR. SUMMER READING PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY In the start of a richly woven fantasy series for young readers in the grand tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia, a mysterious manor house hides the keys to shocking...

My name is Evangeline Astley, and the only thing you need to know about me is that I never imagined this was how my life would go. I was supposed to devote all my time to painting gorgeous things to eventually open my own art gallery. Instead, I spent it all trying to sell my art to save my parents’ hotel.

The stories of Patricia St. John have been entertaining and challenging children and young people for generations. This new edition of The Other Kitten is as fresh as when it was first published in 1984.

When Friska the dog came to live with Colin and his family, Colin thought that he and Friska would be friends forever. But, when Friska disappears, Colin begins to find out what "You are mine" really means, and who is saying those words to him.

In a world where not everyone believes in God, "blasphemy" is surely a concept that has passed its use-by-date. And yet blasphemy (like God and religion) seems to be on the rise. In this Very Short Introduction Yvonne Sherwood asks why this should be the case, looking at factors such as the increased visibility of religious and racial minorities, new media, and engines of surveillance (which are far more omniscient than the old gods could ever be), and the legacies of colonial blasphemy laws.

She was born to be a queen, yet she’s nothing more than a political pawn. With no name and no place to call her own, she’s doing her best to hold on to the only thing that belongs to her and her alone—her soul. A difficult task, given that she was kept alive for the sole purpose of being given to the formidable King Rowan of Northrend to fulfill the treaty signed by the three kingdoms of Greatland long before she was born.

When James O'Sullivan returns to his hometown of Cuanmore to settle his estranged father's estate, he uncovers a life-altering secret: his family's pub holds a portal to a magical speakeasy, one that connects to worlds James once thought only existed in fantasy stories. Now James must learn how to manage a bar, deal with being trapped in a town he's tried to escape his entire life, plus handle a steady stream of patrons that include orcs, dwarves, gnomes and dragon riders, who are all seeking rest from their own adventures.

For fans of Lessons in Chemistry and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, a bold, big concept debut about a secret club of women who risk everything to ask the question: If you could be anyone…who would you dare to become? Beth Greenwood has spent her life playing it safe. She’s been a...

Following events at the lodge and my unfortunate encounter with the fence post, I've no choice but to turn to my father for help. Of course, my blood-covered entourage of guys don't exactly receive a warm welcome, but at least Grayson walks away in one piece. With suspects galore, I can't stay on the edge if I want to find the truth, so I'm forced to insert myself further into the Thornwood Academy social scene.

For an extraordinary love, Emmie Grace has given up her life in the modern world to move to the 16th century and marry the Tudor king she bravely saved from a dreadful fate. However, not everyone is pleased to see the glorious King Nick betrothed to the unknown and uncultured Emmie - especially the noblemen commanded to protect her. As Emmie is drawn deeper into Nick’s sumptuous and savage world - where beheadings are way more popular than time travelers - the Tudor court heads on progress across the country, and a growing rebellion against the promised queen looms.

One moment, Emmie is writing her high school history paper; the next, she is lost in 16th century England, where she meets a dreamy but dangerous Tudor king who is destined for a dreadful fate. Able to travel back to her own time but intensely drawn to King Nick and the mysterious death of his sister, Emmie finds herself solving the murder of a young princess and unravelling court secrets while trying to keep her head on her shoulders, literally.