If love is an addiction, your first love is the first hit.
How many of you remember your first love?
Because falling in love for the first time…I remember that. And that’s the thing about your first love—we all have a love story.
But this isn’t a love story.
This is a life story.
The good.
The bad.
The heartache.
It’s all here.
Love is truly a battlefield…
Love is scary, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. When you love someone wholeheartedly, you leave yourself open to being destroyed…and that’s what I did, what I still do even though I know better.
But it doesn’t make a difference.
The best kind of love doesn’t make sense. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.
This one-in-a-million story is mine, and if you take anything away from this book, it would be to never be afraid to love.
So, let me introduce myself. You may call me Z.
Buckle up, besties, because this will be a bumpy ride.
Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.
When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.
She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.
Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.
Genre/Tropes: Fantasy Romance, Enemies-to-Lovers Romance, Forced Proximity , Slow Burn, Touch her and die, Grumpy/sunshine (Hades/Persephone and Beauty and the Beast)
I would kill for a normal life, but my father took a reckless gamble, and I must pay the price. His betrayal forces me to live in Faerie with king Damian and grow my magic, even though it’s forbidden.
Now, I must learn to protect myself from the nightmares, dreams, and fantasies that govern this mysterious realm.
If I don’t, my kingdom will fall.
***
Nothing will get in the way of my duty, not even a witty beauty like Penelope Darcy.
I’m in ruins, and the Shadow Court, too. The rules of the curse are simple. They draw our enemies away and keep us safe.
For her, I’d break all the rules, but I’ve got to tear her kingdom apart to survive.
This novel is a full-length fantasy romance with a happy ending, and though it’s part of an interconnected series, it also stands alone.
Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone collide in this enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity fantasy romance. The mysterious Shadow King is hot as sin, and the secrets of his world will bring any mortals to their knees. Slow-burn. 18+. Full list of triggers inside.
Waiting to Love You, an all-new multicultural, small town, military romance from USA Today bestselling author AJ Alexander is now available!
After spending my entire childhood moving wherever the military told us to, I put down roots in Tyson’s Creek. My plan was simple—start a business and live a peaceful fulfilling life with my friends. That is until Seth Williams walked into my yoga studio and turned my world upside down.
I swore that I’d never fall in love with a military man, but the more time I spent with him the more I started to fall.One night I let my guard down, allowing the walls around my heart to crumble to the ground. After spending one amazing night together he was shipped off to defend our country.
Then one day, a little over a year later, Seth shows back up—throwing my entire life into chaos again. This time, I can’t make the same mistake. I have to keep Seth away from my heart to protect the life I’ve built here—not for myself…
But for our daughter.
NOTE: This story was previously published as Anchor in 2022. It has since been recovered and titled, reedited, and significant additions have been made to the story.
Keep reading for a look inside Waiting to Love You!
I turn my attention toward the voice and freeze, my eyes connecting with the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. Her red hair lays over her shoulder in an intricate braid, with a few stray tendrils of hair framing her face. As she comes closer, I notice there are streaks of blonde in her hair brought out by the halo of sunlight behind her head. My eyes continue to wander down her body, taking in the fitted green top covering her curvy frame and the way her apple bottom fills out a pair of black yoga pants. Images of sinking my teeth into that ass as I take her from behind fill my mind, creating a rising problem in my pants.
Her face lights with happiness as she throws her arms around Brady’s neck and squeezes tightly. He chuckles softly, lifting her in the air before placing her feet back on the floor. She doesn’t even get a second to breathe before Riggs wraps her in his arms and spins her around, causing her to let out peals of laughter. Jealousy shoots through my veins as I jump to my feet, my entire being vibrating with the need to rip her from Riggs’s arms. I’ve never had this reaction to a woman before, let alone one I just met, but my body is moving before I stop myself. I have no idea who she is, but I plan on remedying that as soon as possible and learning everything about her.
Unable to contain my desire to meet this woman, I step between her and Riggs, causing her to take a step back.
“Hello,” she replies as she raises her eyebrow in question.
“Hi,” I reply awkwardly, suddenly at a loss for words. Flecks of gold sparkle in her emerald-green eyes as she looks me up and down, probably making many assumptions about me and my manners.
I hold out my hand, shoving it in her direction. “Hello. I’m Seth.”
The gruff sound of my voice surprises me as I clear my throat loudly, causing all three of my friends to snicker softly. I’ve always been slightly socially awkward, but this time it’s different. It’s like I’ve forgotten how to speak. Words are stuck in my throat as I try to make sense of what is happening right now. I’ve never been a person who believes in love at first sight, but right now, I do.
“Hi, I’m Bristol,” she responds tentatively as she looks down at my outstretched hand before grasping it in hers.
As soon as our skin connects, an electric current sizzles up my arm. Her eyes widen in surprise as she pulls her lip between her teeth. The two of us remain standing there, frozen, staring at each other. My heart aches as my hand moves on its own, brushing along her cheek. Her eyes drift closed as she leans into my touch, a soft sigh escaping her lips as I tuck a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. We stare at each other, neither of us moving, trapped in each other’s gaze until Brady clears his throat and breaks the spell.
He gives her his trademark grin. “Excuse him, Bristol. This is my friend, Seth; we are in the same unit together.”
Bristol’s demeanor immediately changes, her eyes hardening in my direction before plastering on a fake smile. “Nice to meet you, Seth. Are you guys ready to get started?”
“Sure thing. Lead the way, darlin’,” I motion toward the glass door separating the waiting area from the main studio. She flashes me a tight smile before spinning on her heels and walking through the glass door.
“What the hell just happened?” Brady’s eyes are focused on her retreating form.
“I don’t know, but the temperature in the room dropped by a thousand degrees the minute Brady said you were his friend,” Riggs retorts, a confused look crossing his face.
“Do you and Bristol have something going on?” I growl, my fists tightening at my side.
“Calm down, Seth. Bristol and I are just friends, nothing more. What did you do to piss her off that quickly? You only said three words to her.”
Riggs and Brady are right. I highly doubt that I could have done anything, but there must be a reason for her sudden change in behavior. I just don’t understand why she would shut down so quickly after hearing Brady and I are friends. Does she have a thing for Brady he doesn’t know about? Is it because I’m in the military? No, that can’t be it, especially with how she reacted to Brady.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Bristol moving around the studio, laying four beige-colored yoga mats on the floor as she gets ready to start our class. “I’m not sure, but she doesn’t seem like she wants to talk about it right now.”
I take a step forward to enter the studio but feel someone tugging on my arm. I turn to find Walker eyeing me skeptically.
“What?”
“You need to tread lightly with her, Seth,” Walker warns as he releases my arm, his eyebrows pulled down in concern as he examines my face. “Bristol is Leia’s best friend from college, but…” he begins, but shakes his head. “Never mind, just be careful, okay?”
Walker strolls past me and into the studio, Riggs right on his heels. Brady gives me a slap on the back. “Don’t think too much about it. Talk to her and ask what her deal is, then we can proceed from there.”
“My eyes instantly shift to Bristol again, a soft sigh escaping my lips, which causes Brady to laugh. “You’re hooked, aren’t you?”
I pause for a moment and consider what he just said. Am I hooked on a girl that I’ve never laid eyes on before today? I don’t know, but I do know one thing. If there’s one woman I would trade my little black book in for, it would be her.
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts before shrugging my shoulders. “There’s just something about her that calls to me.”
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author AJ Alexander has been writing romance since 2018. She love writing small town romances with found families and all the nosey nellies that help her characters find their happily ever afters! She lives in Arizona, otherwise known as the surface of the sun, with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and a lovable golden retriever.
When she isn’t writing you can find AJ reading, binging the latest true crime documentary on Netflix, or binging the latest Korean Drama or Anime that’s released. AJ is a cynical hopeless romantic that believes in love at first sight, that bigger is always better, and everything should be put off for a nap.
For more information about AJ Alexander and her books, visit her website:
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