Pride 2023
19 stories
The Heir and the General by druidrose
The Heir and the General
druidrose
  • Reads 536,674
  • Votes 13,322
  • Parts 52
Forced into an engagement with a man she doesn't love, Reyna must ignore her bond with her father's general in order to avoid a war and save her throne. ***** As the first female heir to one of the great Northern Kingdoms, Reyna panics when her claim to the throne is threatened by the discovery that her father's general is her soulbound partner. She forces herself to ignore their connection, determined to be more than a general's wife, only for her father to manipulate her into a political engagement with a man she could never love. So to forge her own path forward, keep her throne, and confront her feelings for the general who owns her heart, Reyna must find a way to refuse this arranged marriage without destroying her kingdom in the process. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] ---------- Cover designed by Ren Tachibana
Skullduggery {sapphic thriller} by cjtruz
Skullduggery {sapphic thriller}
cjtruz
  • Reads 19,589
  • Votes 1,929
  • Parts 35
An art thief teams up with an unlikely ally in order to track down a bloodthirsty artist before she becomes the killer's next muse. * * * * * After serving time in a foreign prison for art theft, Kirby McKinley returns home only to be tempted by one last heist. And this time, the job is personal. But the simple heist goes awry when she pushes her luck and runs into the museum's gorgeous artist-in-residence, who is reconstructing a forensic facial sketch from a mysterious skull. Before the two can part ways, they stumble upon the rest of the body, posed as the subject in a painting Kirby knows far too well. More bodies begin to show up in twisted tableaus, entangling Kirby in a murder mystery that forces her to confront secrets that were never buried with her dead ex-girlfriend. But the forensic artist also has a few mysteries of her own and they must work together to track down the killer before Kirby becomes the muse in the final composition.
Like Bees to Honey | gxg by ccstarfield
Like Bees to Honey | gxg
ccstarfield
  • Reads 109,045
  • Votes 5,985
  • Parts 41
When a laid back and rudely gorgeous city girl comes for her farmer's market crown, Sabina's dream of joining the family honey business is threatened - and her heart may just get stung too. *** Now that she's graduated high school, Sabina is ready to join her family's honey business, but her parents are convinced that there's no future for her in her small town. They're set on sending her to university, which she knows will be less fun than getting swarmed by angry bees. To prove that her place is on the honey farm, Sabina plans to impress her parents by winning the Best Vendor prize at the summer farmer's market. Her quest for the sweet prize gets sticky when a pretty city girl steals her table at the market and doesn't even feel bad about it. Mel's family has been the enemy of Sabina's for generations, and now this otherwise easygoing girl seems determined to continue the feud by beating Sabina to the Best Vendor prize. The competition would be no problem for Sabina... if Mel wasn't also gorgeous and maybe even a little funny. Sabina didn't plan for feelings, and if she gives in to the temptation she may lose her honey farm dreams. But Mel's love might be the one thing sweeter than honey, if she can avoid the sting. *** Complete at 82k words. *featured on Wattpad's Cottagecore Cute and A Latte Love reading lists*
After the Fall by LLSanders
After the Fall
LLSanders
  • Reads 68,862
  • Votes 4,218
  • Parts 33
Connor and Vince fight their forbidden attraction as they attempt to rescue themselves and fellow residents of the underground Refuge facility from a toxic breach. ***** Connor Nichols spends his days alongside several young cadets training to become a future peacekeeper of the underground Refuge facility, but his nights are spent dreaming of his forbidden romantic past with best friend Vince Moore. Risking his quality reputation among Dr. Randolph and the leaders, he pursues a secret relationship with Vince until a sudden toxic breach threatens to poison the occupants of the facility and places Vince in immediate danger. To give him and Vince a fighting chance at a solid future together, Connor puts his life and love on the line to expose the truth about the toxins, the leaders, and the history of the Refuge. ***** CONTENT WARNING: Contains some language, mild violence & mild sexual references. ***** Copyright © 2021 by Leslie Lee Sanders
Falling for the Gun-Toting Accountant by Zoe_Blessing
Falling for the Gun-Toting Accountant
Zoe_Blessing
  • Reads 257,764
  • Votes 27,697
  • Parts 45
A no-nonsense IRS agent sent to investigate a family business for tax fraud finds it difficult to do her job when the suspect is so frustratingly adorable. ~~~A 2021 WATTY AWARD WINNER!~~~ ***** Summer Hong is good at her job. As a field agent for the IRS's criminal investigation division, she knows never to let things get personal. Her resolve is tested, however, when she meets the beguiling Holly Layton. Holly loves Christmas, and loves the Layton Christmas Tree Farm even more. If only her father would take her seriously and let her play a bigger role in the company. Dealing with an IRS agent breathing down their necks isn't what she had in mind, though. Still, if she succeeds in somehow making the problem go away, maybe she'll finally get the recognition she deserves. But how do you get rid of a "problem" you secretly have a crush on?
Unhealthy Coping Mechanism by sandydragon1
Unhealthy Coping Mechanism
sandydragon1
  • Reads 11,506
  • Votes 3,090
  • Parts 32
Stay-at-home mom Harriet has just about had it. As her husband puts in more and more hours at the office, she's stuck with six-year-old Sam and the looming insanity of the holiday season. Along with the usual event planning panic, fall brings constant reminders of her father's failing health and the limited time they have left together. When her friend and renowned caterer Carol invites her over for a baking session, Harriet jumps at the opportunity to destress and learns Carol's secret ingredient to her stress-free lifestyle: venting her negative emotions into everything she bakes. As Harriet's love for baking warps into an addiction to the comforting warmth of the oven, her new coping mechanism starts to look more and more like a recipe for disaster. Cover by @meha-k
Camp Antler Point by sandydragon1
Camp Antler Point
sandydragon1
  • Reads 4,364
  • Votes 1,032
  • Parts 24
Eighteen-year-old Amy Sterling expected her overprotective dad to be the worst thing about working at Camp Antler Point over the summer, but when one of her would-be coworkers goes missing right before the start of camp, its up to her to save the kids from rampaging wildlife. When rebellious bad boy Lucas invites her to sneak off for some fun by the lake, Amy jumps at the chance to finally be around someone who doesn't treat her like she's made of glass just because she has cerebral palsy. Helicopter parenting quickly becomes the least of her problems when what she thought was just a campfire story turns out to be horrifyingly real as a disease ravages the local moose population, turning the once gentle giants into murderous monsters. Cover by @deathinreverie
The Taste of Home by sandydragon1
The Taste of Home
sandydragon1
  • Reads 52,075
  • Votes 8,918
  • Parts 45
Goat sucker. Overgrown lizard. Monster. Miguel is all too familiar with the many names humans have for chupacabras. As a member of a struggling pack, he knows how unfair the world can be to his kind. With their scaly bodies, sharp claws, and flesh-melting venom, it's no wonder humans fear them. After Miguel protects a human from his pack leader at the only restaurant that caters to chupacabras, his life takes a turn for the strange when he is offered a job as a chef. Adapting to the culinary chaos soon becomes the least of Miguel's worries as he finds himself falling for Alejandro, an outspoken chef who treats him with more compassion than even his own kind. But what human would ever love a chupacabra? With the restaurant struggling to stay afloat, inter-species tensions flaring, and Alejandro's ex serving as a constant reminder of what he can never be, will Miguel be able to take the heat, or will he be forced out of the kitchen? Cover by @ShyGuySamurai
The Bee's Knees by sandydragon1
The Bee's Knees
sandydragon1
  • Reads 5,964
  • Votes 1,211
  • Parts 33
In a world where people are followed by animals that reflect their personality, Sweet Surprise welcomes everything from the biggest bear to the tiniest termite to enjoy the tastiest treats in town. When Anna's parents tell her they might have to shut down the beloved bakery, it's up to her to save Sweet Surprise. Cover by @AziaElga Sequel to Quit Bugging Me.