Mara Gini Books

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster who takes a new bride each night, only to end her life by morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's closest friend falls victim to him, she vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Determined to survive and end Khalid's reign of terror, Shahrzad captivates him with enchanting stories, knowing each dawn could be her last. However, she discovers that Khalid is not the monster she imagined; he is a boy with a tormented heart, and she unexpectedly falls in love with him. This realization feels like an unforgivable betrayal, yet Shahrzad understands that all is not as it seems within the palace walls. She is resolved to uncover the secrets hidden there and, despite her feelings, prepare to take Khalid's life as retribution for the lives he's taken. Can their love endure in a world filled with stories and secrets? Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, this tale is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end, showcasing a mesmerizing narrative that captivates the reader.

Can you keep a secret? ⁣ I grew up sick.⁣ ⁣ Let me clarify.⁣ ⁣ I grew up believing that real love stories include a martyr or demand great sacrifice to be worthy.⁣ ⁣ Because of that, I believed it, because I made myself believe it, and I bred the most masochistic of romantic hearts, which resulted in my illness.⁣ ⁣ When I lived this story, my own twisted fairy tale, it was unbeknownst to me at the time because I was young and naïve. I gave into temptation and fed the beating beast, which grew thirstier with every slash, every strike, every blow.⁣ ⁣ Triple Falls wasn’t at all what it seemed, nor were the men that swept me under their wing. But in order to keep them, I had to be in on their secrets.⁣ ⁣ Secrets that cost us everything to keep.⁣ ⁣ That’s the novelty of fiction versus reality. You can’t re-live your own love story, because by the time you’ve realized you’re living it, it’s over. At least that was the case for me and the men I trusted my foolish heart to.⁣ ⁣ Looking back, I’m convinced I willed my story into existence due to my illness.⁣ ⁣ And all were punished.

'Made me laugh while punching me in the gut. Loved this book' AISLING BEA 'This is the greatest. You'll cry and laugh. I read it though the night. And I never, ever avoid sleep' CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN 'I award it 13/10 on my QWJ scale (stands for Queasy With Jealousy that I didn't write it)' MARIAN KEYES --- Every relationship has one beginning. This one has two endings. Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy. And he can't work out why she stopped. Now he is. . . 1. Without a home 2. Waiting for his stand-up career to take off 3. Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn't looking Set adrift on the sea of heartbreak at a time when everything he thought he knew about women, and flat-sharing, and his friendships has transformed beyond recognition, Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of their broken relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe Jen can find her way back to him. Andy still has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend's side of the story. From the bestselling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About Love: a sharply funny, beautifully observed and exquisitely relatable story of heartbreak and friendship, and how to survive both.

A fierce, feisty, and wonderfully entertaining (Scott Westerfeld, author of "Uglies") debut with a magical twist about three ordinary, regular girls who suddenly have their fantasies come true or do they? Best friends Evie, Krista, and Willow are just trying to make it through their mid-twenties in New York. They re regular girls, with average looks and typical quarter-life crises: making it up the corporate ladder, making sense of online dating, and making rent. Until they come across Pretty, a magic tincture that makes them, well...gorgeous. Like, supermodel gorgeous. And it s certainly not "their "fault if the sudden gift of beauty causes unexpected doors to open for them. But there s a dark side to Pretty, too, and as the gloss fades for these modern-day Cinderellas, there s just one question left: "What would you sacrifice to be Pretty?" Wildly irreverent, blatantly sexy, and observed with pitch-perfect wit, "The Regulars" is fresh compulsive reading from a bright new voice (Brenda Bowen, author of "Enchanted August") in fiction, perfect for fans of Jennifer Close and Kevin Kwan."