L.H. Cosway

L.H. Cosway – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Wed, 13 May 2026 18:54:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png L.H. Cosway – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Rhythm is a Heartbeat Read Online L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/rhythm-is-a-heartbeat-read-online-l-h-cosway Wed, 13 May 2026 18:54:12 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/rhythm-is-a-heartbeat-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary Authors: L.H. Cosway Advertisement

Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)

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Shannon Guerin is an ordinary single mother—except for the fact that her ex-husband is the lead singer of a world famous rock band.

Shannon and Jace were childhood sweethearts. They divorced when his drug addiction destroyed their marriage, but that was years ago. Now he’s in recovery and has just come off a yearlong tour. His band are going on hiatus, which means Jace is going to be around a whole lot more for their daughter, Zara. What Shannon doesn’t know is that Jace never stopped loving her and has a secret plan to win her back.

While Shannon has tried to convince herself to move on, she’s never fully gotten over her ex. Jace is determined to prove that he deserves her trust again even though he knows it won’t come easy.

When someone begins impersonating Jace online and scamming his fans, he and Shannon grow closer in their quest to find the culprit. The bond they once shared sparks to life, but old hurts take time to heal. Jace is patient and prepared to make amends for the pain he caused in the past. He will go the distance for the one and only woman who ever captured his heart.

Rhythm is a Heartbeat is a Six of Hearts next generation novel, starring Jay and Matilda’s son, Jace. It can be read as a standalone romance

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Shannon

~Age 12~

My nanny, Valerie, left over four hours ago.

She’d been in a panic because her son had gotten into a bike accident and had to be rushed to the hospital. Unable to contact my parents, which was typical when they were working, she’d instructed me to stay in the house until either she returned or my parents did.

It was starting to get dark, and the house felt too big and silent, so I’d decided to go outside to sit on the front step and watch for my parents’ cars coming up the drive. We’d only moved in three weeks ago, and this was the biggest house they’d ever bought. So big it echoed when I walked through it. We’d lived in lots of nice places over the years: a penthouse in Hong Kong, a townhouse in Copenhagen, a fancy apartment in London near Buckingham Palace. Everyone always said how lucky I was, how exciting it must be.

But the truth was, I’d trade every single one of those places if it meant we could stay put. If it meant I could actually see Mam and Dad for more than a rushed breakfast or a goodnight kiss when they got home late.

They said this place would be our last, our forever home, but I didn’t let myself believe them. I’d had my hopes dashed one too many times, packing up my life the second they got a new opportunity, leaving behind friends just when things started to feel normal.

I stared down the long driveway as dusk closed in, wishing this time that “forever” might actually mean something.

A few minutes later, the sound of a vehicle approached, followed by bright headlights, and my spirits lifted. Then I saw it was only a car pulling into our neighbour’s driveway. I hadn’t met them yet, but I was curious to know if there were any kids living there who were my age. It was August, so no new school for a few more weeks, nor any chance to make new friends.

Spending my days with Valerie while my parents worked was kind of lonely.

I watched as a tall man with brown hair emerged from the car. He looked around my father’s age, but that was where the similarities ended. This man wore a dark jacket and jeans and had tattoos crawling up his neck and across his knuckles. He carried a stack of pizza boxes and looked like the kind of person my parents might represent on trial for a serious crime—if they didn’t work exclusively for rich families who hired them to protect their wealth and assets, that was. At least, that’s what Mam said. I always suspected their jobs were a lot more complicated than that.

I didn’t realise he’d noticed me until he called over, “You the new kid?”

I was momentarily surprised that he was addressing me since I was so used to being ignored by the adults in my life. He had an American accent, and his warm expression somehow put me at ease. This man was no bad guy, even if his tattoos sort of made him look like one.

I nodded eagerly in response, happy that someone was acknowledging my existence after I’d been left home alone for hours. He tossed his car keys in the air before easily catching them, still holding the pizza boxes. I was impressed by his multi-tasking. “What are you, like, ten?” he went on.

I sat up a little bit straighter. “I’m twelve.”

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Prudence (Balfe Family #1) Read Online L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/prudence-balfe-family-1-read-online-l-h-cosway Sun, 12 Oct 2025 20:52:15 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/prudence-balfe-family-1-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary Authors: L.H. Cosway Series: Balfe Family Series by L.H. Cosway
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Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)

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Derek Balfe proposed to Milly O’Shea at twenty.

She turned him down and left to build a career and a future that didn’t include him. Derek had no idea that it wasn’t purely Milly’s decision to decline but rather the influence of a meddling relative.

Now thirty-eight, Derek is a successful hotelier, divorced and parenting two teenagers. His father is retiring soon and has asked Derek to take over the family business. He has a lot going on and to add to it Milly has moved back into town, more distractingly beautiful, shy and delicate than ever—and with a teenage daughter of her own in tow. Milly is close friends with Derek’s sister so he can’t avoid running into her—but he is determined to ice her out.

That is until their daughters meet at school and become inseparable. Derek has to deal with seeing Milly every week, sometimes daily. The more he’s around her the more he realises that deep down she’s still the same girl he fell for all those years ago, and he begins to suspect that there was more to her rejecting his proposal than he’d always believed.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

“She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning.”

Jane Austen, Persuasion

1.

Milly

~18 years ago~

Derek Balfe came to my rescue when the cherry blossoms were in bloom.

It was my favourite part of spring, the pale pink petals brightening up the road I walked along to school, the weather mild. Unfortunately, that day, midway through my walk home, it started pouring. Not merely rain, but hailstones, too. It was sunny when I left my house in the morning, so I’d forgone my coat, only to be punished with what felt like shards of ice pummelling down on me.

Removing my bag, I held it above my head to shield myself from the onslaught and broke into a run. Not that running would make me any less wet, but it would get me out of the downpour sooner.

I was in the middle of my mad dash when I heard a car horn beep behind me. I ignored it and continued running. When the beeping persisted, I finally slowed down and turned, spotting a black Audi idling by the footpath.

I squinted amid the rain and hail, trying to see who was behind the wheel. It could’ve been my aunt, Nell. She currently drove a BMW, but she was rich and often traded in her cars for newer models. The Audi didn’t seem her style, though. Then the driver’s side window rolled down, and a dark-haired boy with a serious expression stuck his head out. Well, not a boy, really. He was more of a young man, and it took me a moment to place him.

Derek Balfe had been a year above me in primary school. I couldn’t remember ever really speaking to him. His sister, Nuala Balfe, attended my all-girls secondary school, St. Colmcille’s. Derek was also one of the most popular boys in town, and lots of girls had crushes on him. The fact he was even acknowledging my existence felt surreal.

“Need a lift?” he called out, and my heart raced. Why on earth was he offering me a lift? Sure, it was raining but we didn’t know each other. Nerves seized me. Since I went to an all-girls school and grew up with only sisters, I wasn’t used to interacting with boys at all. My cheeks heated despite my chilly, rain-soaked clothes, and my hands felt clammy as they gripped my backpack.

My pulse fluttered against my neck, and I scurried closer to his car. “That’s very kind, but I’m already drenched. I’ll ruin your seats.”

He leaned across and threw open the passenger side door. “Ah, don’t worry about that. Sure, it’s all leather anyway. Get in.”

I chewed my lip, uncertain, then blurted, “I don’t know you.”

His serious look was replaced with an unfairly handsome smile.

“Course, you do. I’m Derek Balfe, and you’re Milly O’Shea. We went to primary school together. My sister, Nuala, is in your year.”

“Right, but still,” I went on, unable to come up with a proper excuse. “That doesn’t mean we actually know one another.”

His face softened at my hesitation, the smile fading a little as his eyes trailed up my body, from my soggy shoes to my drenched uniform and wet hair, his expression turning thoughtful. “I get it, but listen, I’m just going to drop you off at your house. I see you walking this way every day, and I can’t in good conscience leave you out in this weather. You’ll catch your death.”

My lips twitched faintly at his statement. Catch your death. It sounded like something my grandma would say. “This is very kind of you.” I stepped closer. His warm, inviting brown eyes had me throwing caution to the wind as I approached the car and impulsively slid into the passenger seat.

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Quiet Yours (Quiet Love #3) Read Online L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/quiet-yours-quiet-love-3-read-online-l-h-cosway Thu, 01 May 2025 18:18:11 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/quiet-yours-quiet-love-3-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Billionaire, Contemporary Authors: L.H. Cosway Series: Quiet Love Series by L.H. Cosway
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Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)

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Ada Rose never expected to find herself homeless in her thirties. Then again, she also never thought she’d encounter a man as heartless as Jonathan Oaks. Her job managing a care home for the elderly is a struggle and the sudden death of her father and stepmother—who she had been living with— has thrown her world into disarray. The house is left to Jonathan, her stepmother’s estranged son, and he wants Ada gone ASAP.

In fact, he’s given her a week to pack her things and move out.

As a resident in the home, Ada knows she has certain rights but her pride gets the better of her. If Jonathan wants her gone then she’ll go, and finding herself out of options, resorts to sleeping in her car. But she’s a survivor and has gotten through a lot worse.

After a week and still finding no apartments in her price range, Ada is getting desperate. She receives a call from Jonathan requesting she come collect some of her late father’s belongings. She doesn’t expect him to be there when she drops by, and after he takes one look at Ada’s possessions stuffed into her car she’s filled with a sense of shame. Resentment, too, because he’s the very reason her life has been upended.

Being a wealthy investment banker, Ada anticipates Jonathan’s disdain for her situation but it never comes. Instead he mentions a vacant apartment he owns and offers to rent it to her for a reasonable price. Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ada accepts his offer. But what she doesn’t realise is that the apartment is right next door to Jonathan’s, and becoming his neighbour means getting to know him a whole lot better.

Quietly Yours is book #3 in L.H. Cosway's Quiet Love Series and can be read as a standalone

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;

I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

– The Old Astronomer to his Pupil, Sarah Williams.

1.

Ada

I didn’t expect a painting on the wall of an investment firm to make me feel so overwrought. Just looking at it had tears trickling down my cheeks.

I was normally very self-composed in public places, but I was still reeling from the news of my father and stepmother’s passing. Grief had me acting out of character. Sniffling, I pulled a tissue from my bag and dabbed at the wetness beneath my eyes.

The painting wasn’t anything like the sterile, abstract images you normally saw in places like this. Meaning practically radiated from the canvas. It could’ve been the setting from Wuthering Heights, a vast and moody landscape depicting a rolling countryside akin to the Yorkshire Dales. It made me remember Dad so keenly.

He was a voracious reader and used to say I was made to be a heroine in an Emily Brontë novel, while my sister, Frances, stepped right out of the pages of Jane Austen.

When we were children, the comparison irked me. Why was I the one who ran across the Moors in bare, muddy feet and knotted hair destined for a miserable ending while Frances sat in elegant parlours having tea, taking turns about the room while dancing joyously towards her happily ever after?

It was only years later I truly understood what Dad meant, how well he saw me back when I was too young to truly see myself. I was a Brontë character through and through, prone to bouts of emotion, my personality stubborn and my looks intense, mainly due to my untameable mop of brown hair and my dark, bottomless eyes.

My dad and I had been through our share of issues, but in the end, he was the person who knew me best, probably because we were alike in many ways. And now, he was gone. It felt like thorns were cinching around my heart, pricking the tender organ and squeezing tighter and tighter until I couldn’t stand the pain.

Up until two days ago, I’d been fine—albeit—working long hours managing a care home for the elderly and living in my dad and stepmother’s spare bedroom. In exchange for low rent, I kept the house clean, did all the grocery shopping and tended to the garden. It was hard work, but it was a good deal, especially considering I didn’t want to live on my own. I’d always hated being in an empty house or apartment. I needed the comfort of knowing someone else was nearby doing their own thing. Someone who would hear me cry out if there was an emergency, for instance.

With Dad and Leonora gone, I was no longer fine. The house was disturbingly quiet without them, and it heightened my grief while also exacerbating my phobia of living alone.

Over the years, I’d become a fearful person in certain ways, and I wondered if I hadn’t been bestowed the fate I had, if my accident had never occurred, would I be better equipped to survive alone? Would I be able to sleep alone in a house without worrying about the worst happening?

“Miss Rose?” the receptionist called, breaking me from my inner turmoil.

I glanced up, hoping she was about to tell me Mr Oaks was at long last ready to see me. I’d been waiting for over an hour, and my leg was beginning to cramp. Not to mention I felt incredibly out of place in the waiting area of the shiny corporate office building that belonged to my stepmother’s estranged son. I’d tried getting hold of him over the phone all day yesterday but was informed he was unavailable. I hadn’t wanted to come in person, but he needed to know what had happened to our parents.

He needed to know his mother was gone.

Emotion welled in my throat once again.

Two nights ago, I’d received a call from an official in Thailand. The worst call of my life. My father and stepmother had been there on holiday and embarked on a private boat tour when a storm had hit. The boat had capsized, and everyone on board had perished, except for the tour guide, who was in serious condition in hospital. Honestly, I felt like I was in a waking nightmare. It was the sort of thing that happened in movies, not real life. I was in a state of shock, but arrangements needed to be made, and I was the only one around to make them. Those arrangements included informing Jonathan of his mother’s passing.

I’d seen countless photos of him that my stepmother, Leonora, kept around the house. Through those pictures, I’d observed his evolution from an adorable little boy to a slightly gangly teenager and finally to a handsome grown man with a stern, serious sort of face. The adult pictures were well over a decade old so who knew how he’d changed since. Most likely, he’d become sterner and even more serious, if his mother’s description was anything to go by. We’d never met in person. I was pretty sure Jonathan didn’t even know I existed. He hadn’t been a part of his mother’s life for a long time, which was something I could never get my head around.

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Quiet Longing (Quiet Love #2) Read Online L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/quiet-longing-quiet-love-2-read-online-l-h-cosway Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:04:06 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/quiet-longing-quiet-love-2-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic Authors: L.H. Cosway Series: Quiet Love Series by L.H. Cosway
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Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)

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When she agreed to spend her last summer before college at her cousins’ house in Ireland, Charli Moretti never expected to meet anyone like Rhys Doyle. He was the first boy to ever make her heart flutter, and though their lives followed different paths after that fateful summer, she always remembered him as her first everything.

Sixteen years later, after a tumultuous divorce from her abusive husband, Charli is returning to Ireland a shell of the woman she once was. Life has tried to break her many times over, and now all she wants is a fresh start and an even keel. She’ll be working as an accountant at her uncle’s hotel, but what she doesn’t know is that Rhys Doyle works there, too. He’s the head of security, in fact, and he’s no longer the teenage boy she once knew.

With the rumours flying around that he and his fiancée just broke off their engagement, Charli decides it’s best to give Rhys his space. She knows personally how hard it can be when a relationship ends. The problem is, she can’t seem to stop running into him, and the more she gets to know the man he’s become the more those old feelings start to return.

Tropes &
~Second chance~
~Workplace romance~
~Protector hero~
~Summer fling~
~Tragic past~
~Starting over~

Quiet Longing is book #2 in The Quiet Love Series and can be read as a standalone.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Part One:

The Past

1.

Charli

Sixteen years ago.

I was nervous.

Not surprising since it was my first time away from home. It was also my first time stepping foot in another country. I was completely out of my element, had never even been on an airplane before, and was flying solo.

I gripped the straps of my backpack while waiting for my suitcase to appear on the carousel at Dublin Airport. It was late evening, and my flight from Boston had just arrived. I was spending the summer with my cousin, Nuala (pronounced Noo-la), at my aunt and uncle’s house.

Uncle Padraig (pronounced Pod-rig) was my mom’s brother and the big success of the family. He’d made his fortune by becoming the owner of two five-star hotels in Dublin. One was in the city while the other was closer to their family home on the coast.

Sadly, I wasn’t going to be staying at either hotel, but I would be working in one of them. My uncle had invited me to visit before I started college in the fall. He’d meant it to be a vacation, but Mom had refused to let me go unless I paid my way. So, I was going to be working as a kitchen porter, which I guessed was similar to a busboy. Still, I only had to work part-time. The rest of my time would be my own, and I was eager to explore and experience the country where my mom grew up.

I was also excited to spend time with my relatives.

My cousin, Nuala, was supposed to be meeting me at the airport. I hadn’t seen her or her brothers, Tristan and Derek, since they were little. The whole family used to visit the States when we were kids, but then Mom fought with Uncle Padraig, and things turned frosty between the families after that. They only started to thaw about two years ago when my father passed away and Uncle Padraig reached out to Mom.

Anyway, I was pretty sure this trip was his way of mending whatever bridges had been broken between them. Mom never told me what they’d argued over, but I had a suspicion it was about money. Padraig probably offered some to Mom since we were always struggling, and she was too proud and mulish to accept.

At long last, after most of the other passengers on my flight had collected their luggage, my suitcase appeared. I grabbed it hastily, made a quick trip to the bathroom then walked to Arrivals, hoping my cousin was there already, and I wouldn’t have to hang around waiting.

Nuala was seventeen, a year younger than me. Her brother Derek was the eldest at nineteen, and Tristan was also seventeen since he and Nuala were twins. I remembered her as this gorgeous, blonde, freckle-faced eight-year-old with long, willowy limbs and brown doe eyes. I’d been her opposite with my dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and chubby cheeks. Even now, I was still a little chubby. I’d always been self-conscious about it despite my attempts to love myself no matter what I looked like.

It didn’t help that Mom prided herself on being rail thin without ever really having to try. I took more after my dad’s side of the family, the Italian side, and like them, I’d always been a big foodie. I loved fast food, convenience food, healthy food, luxury food. You named it; I was probably going to eat it. I liked to think of myself as a sensualist in that respect, though really, I just loved to eat.

Nuala and I had connected over email a few weeks ago. I told her a bit about my life: just finished high school; headed to college to study Business and Accounting in the fall; no boyfriend; two close BFFs, Lydia and Gwyn. And she’d filled me in on hers: about to start senior year of what they called secondary school at the end of summer; also no boyfriend (or girlfriend); a small group of friends, but no one she’d consider a BFF.

I felt a little sorry for her hearing the last part, but who was I to judge? Maybe not everybody needed a best friend.

We’d exchanged pictures so I knew what she looked like all grown up. She was still blonde and willowy; only now, she could add ethereally beautiful to the list.

I spotted her right away. She wore a pale yellow sun dress paired with a white cotton wrap, ankle boots, and tortoiseshell glasses. She looked fresh and glorious while I felt like death warmed over after the long flight.

I’d been stuck sitting between a couple who at first wanted me to switch seats with them so they could sit together then proceeded to get into an argument and wanted to switch back again. I obliged them both times, mainly because I wasn’t an experienced flier and didn’t have the confidence to say no. Then the person sitting in front of me decided to put their seat back while I was leaning forward to take a sip from my water bottle, causing my head to bump harshly against the seat.

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Quiet Types (Quiet Love #1) Read Online L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/quiet-types-quiet-love-1-read-online-l-h-cosway Sat, 11 May 2024 14:57:10 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/quiet-types-quiet-love-1-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary Authors: L.H. Cosway Series: Quiet Love Series by L.H. Cosway
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Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 111775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >121

Maggie Lydon rides the bus to her cleaning job every day. It’s an ordinary existence until she notices him sitting just two rows behind her. She doesn’t know his name, nor anything about him. All she knows is that he watches her and it’s the most exciting part of her week.

Shay Riordan notices her the very first time he takes the bus. She’s captivating, a beauty who moves through the world like no one else can see her, but she’s far from invisible to him. He wants to sit next to her, introduce himself, but it’s hard to do when you can’t speak.

Then, late one Friday evening they both board the bus, and an unexpected occurrence plunges Maggie into Shay’s world, and Shay into Maggie’s.

Quiet Types is a standalone contemporary romance and is book #1 in L.H. Cosway’s Quiet Love Series.

Tropes & Themes
~Strangers to lovers~
~Mute hero~
~Maid heroine~
~Introvert~
~He protects her~

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

“We sit and talk,

quietly, with long lapses of silence

and I am aware of the stream

that has no language, coursing

beneath the quiet heaven of

your eyes

― William Carlos Williams, Paterson.

1.

Maggie

Anyone who’s lived in a busy city has, at one time or another, witnessed someone walking down the street crying their eyes out.

I saw them frequently, these poor strangers, often while I stared out the window of the bus I took to work each day. I’d wonder what had happened to cause such a public display of emotion, walking the streets with stress and grief written all over their faces. I wanted to ask them what went wrong because I sympathised with them, but I didn’t truly understand their plight until I was the person crying as I walked down the street.

I needed to clean myself up before I reached the bus stop; otherwise, he might notice. The man I saw each day, who I thought about often. He was a stranger I knew nothing about, a stranger who always watched me. I didn’t want him to think I was a blubbering mess who let her boss drive her to tears, but that was exactly what I was.

Normally, I could tolerate Mrs Reynolds’ meanness, letting her cruel and stinging words wash right over me, but today was different. Today, those words managed to penetrate my armour.

I cleaned houses for a living, and I liked most of my clients well enough, but she was a different story. By all accounts, Mrs Reynolds had the perfect life: a successful husband, three healthy children, and a large house on Shrewsbury Road, one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Dublin.

Despite all this, she still found it necessary to make life harder for the woman who kept her home spotless. That woman being me, Maggie Lydon, the thirty-one-year-old who lived alone in a studio flat and whose picture would never grace the society pages of glossy magazines or news websites like Sariah Reynolds’ picture did.

I was nobody, a scraping-by quiet type who didn’t bother anyone and didn’t blame others for my minuscule lot in life. But that didn’t matter to Mrs Reynolds.

It hadn’t always been this way with her. The first few weeks I worked for her, she was reserved but polite towards me. Then slowly over time, her mask came off, and the needling set in. Her criticisms were never personal, at least. They were always about my performance as her cleaner, but because none of my other clients complained as she did I soon realised I wasn’t the problem. No matter who cleaned her house, Mrs Reynolds would find a way to criticize that person, even if they were nothing but a loyal, conscientious worker for her. Sometimes, I’d wonder why she was like that, but perhaps the answer to that question was simple.

She enjoyed the power.

She found things to critique about the way I cleaned—like spots of non-existent dust I missed or how the end of the toilet rolls I folded weren’t quite sharp and pointy enough. How the couch was a millimetre off when I pushed it back in after pulling it out to vacuum behind it.

I’d come to consider her commentary part and parcel of the job. Mrs Reynolds liked to complain, and I was more than certain she found a perverse sort of release in laying those complaints at my doorstep. I tolerated her because not everyone was lucky enough to have a nice boss. And besides, I didn’t have to deal with her every day because I only cleaned for her once a week.

I used to work for an agency but made the change to self-employed a few years back. It was better in a way because I got to set my own schedule and not work such gruelling hours for less pay, but it also meant I had to keep the people I worked for happy. I no longer had an agency to find me a new gig if someone decided to drop me.

As established, Mrs Reynolds was the toughest client to keep happy. Normally, I was very good at persevering through her tirades. I’d mastered the art of stoicism, taking her passive aggressiveness on the chin, but today was more than I could handle.

I was in the kitchen, kneeling on the floor as I cleaned the oven, when I heard her arrive home with the kids. She had twin ten-year-old boys, Tadhg and Ben, and a seven-year-old girl named Marla. I didn’t interact with the children much, and they typically ignored me, which was fine, but today, I’d neglected to put enough kitchen roll on the floor to catch the brown, watery liquid that dripped from the oven as I cleaned it. I hadn’t expected anyone to come into the kitchen, but then one of the twins appeared and stepped in some of the oven juice.

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It Had To Be You – A Cracks Novella Read Online L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/it-had-to-be-you-a-cracks-novella-read-online-l-h-cosway Sun, 30 Jul 2023 16:01:21 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/it-had-to-be-you-a-cracks-novella-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: Contemporary, Novella Authors: L.H. Cosway Advertisement

Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >39

At twenty-seven, Yvonne Flynn never knew her eighteen year old neighbour had a secret crush on her. At least not until he kissed her one night and she had to let him down gently.

Now thirty-nine, that awkward boy has walked back into her life a man. And he’s certainly not the bookish, shy teenager she’d once known. Conor Abrahams is the thirty year old COO of a multi-million dollar company. Yvonne is happy to see he’s thriving but she has no clue that he still considers her the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

Despite the feelings bubbling between them, Yvonne convinces herself she’s not right for Conor. And Conor is more determined than ever to prove to her they’ve been perfect for each other all along.

It Had To Be You is a 33,000 word novella featuring characters from L.H. Cosway’s Cracks Duet.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

“I came here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

- When Harry Met Sally.

For my readers who wanted more of Conor and Yvonne.

This is for you.

1.

Yvonne

It had been a long day at work. Strike that, it had been a long week.

First, two members of staff at the nightclub I managed called in sick. Then there was a mix up with a vodka order that left me with a migraine. Even worse, I had to deal with an impromptu health inspection, which did a number on my nerves waiting for the results. Thankfully, the club passed, but still, the entire thing wedged a ball of stress right in the pit of my stomach.

All this to say, I was looking forward to letting my hair down tonight with my niece, Evelyn, and her old friends, Dylan and Conor. By pure serendipity they all happened to be living in New York at the same time, with Evelyn coming to stay with me a little over two months ago.

I’d known both boys when I was in my twenties and acting as Ev’s guardian. Now I was thirty-nine and I couldn’t tell you where the years had gone. Seriously, they’d flown by in a blur.

Since I’d already caught up with Dylan, who was now a successful perfume designer and certainly no longer a teenager, I was interested to see how Conor was doing these days.

He’d been such a clever, earnest lad. Completely adorable and sweet. I remembered his crush on me, one I’d been unaware of until he’d gotten drunk on his nineteenth birthday and tried to kiss me. At the time I’d been shocked and taken off guard. I’d always imagined Evelyn’s friends saw me as a mother figure, especially since I was almost a decade their senior. I’d been flattered, of course, but I had to let the boy down gently. I had my ambitions to focus on, and besides, I hadn’t needed everyone in St. Mary’s Villas gossiping about Yvonne Flynn going out with a teenager.

Not that the thought struck my mind. Conor was adorable but far too young for me.

Anyway, I was certain he and I would be able to laugh about his silly teenage crush now that eleven years had passed. He’d be a man now, probably with a wife and children of his own. It warmed my heart to think it, because if he was anything like the sweet, goofy boy I’d known in the Villas then he deserved a happy life.

I, sadly, had never excelled at relationships. I’d had a few boyfriends since moving to New York but none of them lasted longer than six months. It was my own fault, really. I was married to my work and whoever was with me tended to come second. I knew it wasn’t a healthy way to be, and I’d tried to change but…well change was hard. Especially since I thrived on keeping busy. Some people might call me a workaholic.

And those people would be correct.

I had to be one though. I’d started with very little when I moved to New York, renting a small apartment in Queens and working as a barmaid until I eventually started doing some managerial courses at night. I slowly moved my way up the ladder to eventually get hired at my current position. I was proud to be the manager of FEST, which was one of the most popular clubs in Manhattan. The salary also afforded me to rent a slightly nicer two bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. At work I prided myself on running a tight ship, and there was nothing more satisfying than doing my job well and having the respect of my staff and customers.

I’d even been able to hire Ev to work the bar, since she needed a job when she arrived. It felt good to be able to help her find her feet, especially since she’d given up the better part of the last ten years to care for my ailing mother back home. If it weren’t for Ev, I would’ve been stuck in Dublin caring for Mam. I never would’ve gotten to fulfil my dreams of emigrating.

I’d always be grateful to her for that, which was why I was perfectly happy for her to live with me rent free for as long as she needed.

As soon as I got home I ran myself a bath, poured a glass of wine then enjoyed a long soak before climbing out to get ready. With a little encouragement from Ev, I decided to wear my red dress, the tight fitting one that made my arse look great and always gave me an extra pep in my step.

I was just finished curling my shoulder length blonde hair into soft waves when the buzzer to the apartment went. I hurried over and picked up the receiver.

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Blaze – Oreylia Novel – Blood Prophecy Read Online L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/blaze-oreylia-novel-blood-prophecy-read-online-l-h-cosway Thu, 01 Jun 2023 11:54:29 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/blaze-oreylia-novel-blood-prophecy-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal, Vampires, Witches Authors: L.H. Cosway Advertisement

Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >116

Darya has escaped from the Prison of Thorns, but her mission is far from over. Not only is Red Armand still on the loose, he’s dragged Vasilios and Sven back to hellish Oreylia with him. Darya might have returned to the safe and loving arms of Peter and her family but she cannot rest until she saves the two men she once considered her enemies. Now they’re her friends, perhaps even more than that in the case of Vas, and she can’t just leave them to their awful fates.

But in order to travel to Oreylia, she must once again leave the people she loves behind. And this time the decision threatens to tear her and Peter apart for good. There’s no guarantee that she’ll be able to come back, and the uncertainty leaves a gaping chasm between Darya and the first boy she ever loved. The vision of her future burns strong in her mind, and the more it penetrates, the more she comes to realise that she might live up to the prophecy of her birth, but not in the way she or anyone else could’ve possibly imagined.

Blaze: An Oreylia Novel is book #3 in L.H. Cosway’s Blood Prophecy Series. All books in the series must be read in order.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

“The path to paradise begins in hell.”

- Dante Alighieri.

1.

There was a brief period of quiet, just the sound of waves moving against the shore. Then, sirens.

In the blink of an eye the small beach we’d washed up on was surrounded by members of the Guard. My parents, Peter, Rebecca and Grace were there, too. Tears welled behind my eyes. A whack of emotion stole my breath. I’d missed them all like crazy.

Too much had happened in quick succession. Vasilios and Sven were gone. Red Armand took them back to Oreylia and the mark burned like an inferno inside me, raging to act. Now that Vas and I had bonded, the mark didn’t like that we were separated. I could feel it pulsating and rebelling as though it were a living, breathing entity.

“Are you okay?” Peter asked, picking me up and pulling me into his arms. “God, it’s so good to hold you.”

I choked up as his familiar warmth and energy surrounded me. I looked and felt like a drowned rat, and he was just so comforting and full of vitality that I latched onto him and didn’t want to let go. My emotions were being torn in different directions. I was relieved to be back in Peter’s arms, but there was another part of me that felt the urgency to rescue Vas.

Whatever route I took next, it was going to hurt.

Tears clogged my eyes but now wasn’t the time. I had to suck them back. My parents and Sergeant Davis were at my side then, eager for an explanation. Rebecca and Grace stood behind them, matching distraught expressions on their faces.

“Darya, where are the prisoners?” Sergeant Davis asked in a gentler voice than he normally used. He could obviously see that I’d been through a lot. Carrabelle still sat on the sand behind me and I recalled that she was injured. Was she able to stand? Not answering the sergeant’s question, I drew away from Peter and went to help her.

Carra was a slight woman and seemed to have some kind of leg injury that had been left untreated. What a monster Red Armand was to leave her like this. He used her for her magic and then abandoned her when he didn’t need her anymore.

Slowly, I helped her walk a few steps before introducing her to everyone. “This is Carrabelle. She’s a witch and she came here from Oreylia with the man you’ve all been chasing these past few weeks. The same man who murdered Belinda. His name is Red Armand.”

Carra nodded meekly to confirm what I said and Sergeant Davis stepped forward. “My apologies, Miss, but I’ll need to take you to the station to answer some questions.”

“You know she wasn’t an accomplice, right?” I interjected. “She was a hostage. And she can tell you all about Red Armand, but it might not be much use now that he’s portalled back to Oreylia and taken Vasilios and Sven with him.”

“Hold up a moment, Darya,” my father intervened. “He’s taken them to Oreylia?” I nodded. He sighed, running a hand down his face. “I think you’re going to have to start from the beginning and tell us everything you know.”

So, I did. I began with my entry into the prison, how I soon discovered Vas wasn’t behind Belinda’s murder and how Red Armand had come to take him and Sven back to their home dimension. I explained how he framed me because I possessed Vas’ mark, and he needed us close to make Vas stronger so that he could finally escape the wards surrounding the prison. I detailed how Red Armand didn’t have strong magic himself, which was why he’d taken Carrabelle with him so that she could be used to cast spells.

“But why did you escape with Vasilios?” Mum asked. “We were on our way to get you. All you had to do was wait—”

“There was another inmate who knew my real identity,” I explained. “Today she decided to tell the other prisoners about me. I had to leave, otherwise they were going to hurt me. Besides, this way you don’t have to pay that arsehole warden any money.”

“The money has already been transferred,” Dad said and my stomach plummeted. “But don’t worry about that. The main thing is that you’re safe.” He stepped close and drew me into his arms. “I’m afraid there’s a good chance I won’t let you out of my sight for the next century.”

“The next two centuries,” Mum corrected, relief in her voice, and my stomach plummeted even further because I was going to have to leave them again. And soon. If time really did move five times faster in Oreylia then that meant Vas and Sven had already been there for hours. A day here was the same as five days there. It made me even more anxious to get planning how to rescue them.

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Prison of Thorns – Blood Prophecy Read Online L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/prison-of-thorns-blood-prophecy-read-online-l-h-cosway Fri, 16 Dec 2022 07:34:52 +0000 http://www.teennovels.net/prison-of-thorns-blood-prophecy-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance Authors: L.H. Cosway Advertisement

Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >96

Darya Cristescu has been living a charmed life. She has the perfect boyfriend, is just about to turn nineteen and will soon graduate from the St. Bastian Institute for Magic and the Supernatural.
All that goes belly up when she’s framed for a crime she didn’t commit. Luckily, the authorities know exactly who set her up: the demon warlock she helped send to prison only a few short months ago. What they don’t know is how he managed to orchestrate everything whilst bound by wards and magical blocks.
Eager to assist in the investigation, Darya makes the tough decision to leave her family, her friends, and most importantly, her boyfriend behind and go undercover to the Prison of Thorns. She must pretend she’s been found guilty and sentenced to serve time, all the while gaining access to Vasilios, earning his forgiveness and trust, and figuring out how he managed to frame her.
However, nothing goes according to plan. In the cutthroat microcosm of the prison, Darya and Vasilios are forced to become allies. She learns about his past and the strange dimension he came from, making the realisation that it might not have been him who framed her but someone else entirely. And when all is said and done, Darya finds herself changed utterly, no longer the protected daughter of the most powerful couple in Tribane, but a woman who survived the horrors of prison hand in hand with the one person she used to consider her very worst enemy.

Thorns is book #2 in L.H. Cosway’s Blood Prophecy Series. It is necessary to read book #1, Foretold, before reading this installment.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

“I am dragged along by a strange new force. Desire and reason are pulling in different directions. I see the right way and approve it, but follow the wrong.”

― Ovid, Metamorphoses.

1.

Present

The waves crashed violently against the sides of the boat as we approached the island fortress. Seagulls cawed overhead, almost like they were screaming a warning, Go back. There’s nothing for you here. I stared up at the giant stone building covered in magical thorns and vines with no small amount of dread. It would be my home for the foreseeable future. No, not my home. My prison.

All I could do was hope and pray I got out alive.

2.

Ten days ago

It was a beautiful night.

If I wasn’t so distracted by the rope burning my hands, I might’ve taken a moment to look up and admire the stars.

It was Games Night at St. Bastian’s Institute for Magic and the Supernatural. The event was held each year, sort of like the sports days they had at human schools, and I was taking part in a violently competitive game of Tug o’ War: magical edition. The rules of the game were simple: the team to successfully pull the rope to their side won. However, the nature of it was vastly more complicated. The rope was no normal rope. It was bespelled to change and morph.

One moment it was blazing hot; the next icy cold. Similarly, the texture could change from rough to spiky to slippery smooth. All of which added an extra layer of difficulty. Currently, both teams were struggling to keep hold of the rope as it burned into our palms. My team consisted of my boyfriend, Peter, my friends, Nic and Ren, my cousin, Grace, and me. The opposing team included Belinda, the popular girl I recently learned resented me for various silly reasons, her best friends, Anna and Liz, and twin brother warlocks, Harry and Henry. They were identical, and I could barely tell them apart.

Peter’s best friend, Sophia, and my ex-blood donor, Angela, were on the sidelines cheering us on. Being the strongest of our group, Grace headed up the line, followed by Ren, Nic, and me, with Peter directly behind me, his solid frame anchoring us. I was constantly aware of his heat, his looming, heady presence as I tried to focus my energy on the rope. It was difficult when the object of all my affections was directly behind me, his scent making my mind wander to inappropriate places.

“Focus,” his low voice murmured in my ear, his front meeting my back. “You almost lost your grip there.”

“That’s because the rope is singeing my hands,” I gritted as a pleasant shiver trickled down my spine at his rumbly voice. My mind conjured images of him grabbing my hips and pulling my body into his.

“You’ll heal. I, on the other hand, will need to cast a spell.”

The heat of the rope turned to ice, and I gasped, “Oh my God.”

“My palms have gone numb,” Anna complained from the other team.

“How is this supposed to be fun?” Ren asked. “Aren’t Games Nights supposed to at least be enjoyable?”

“If you’re not cut out for this, you can always let go,” Belinda fired at him from where she headed up the opposing team.

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The Nature of Cruelty Read Online Free L.H. Cosway http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-nature-of-cruelty-read-online-l-h-cosway Wed, 01 Jun 2016 01:57:33 +0000 http://www.test123.demo2.xyz/the-nature-of-cruelty-read-online-l-h-cosway Genre: College, Contemporary, Erotic, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult Authors: L.H. Cosway Advertisement

Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 120326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >102

Read Online Books/Novels:	The Nature of Cruelty
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	L.H. Cosway
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	1489578897
Characters:	Lana Sweeney, Robert Phillips
Book Information:
Her name is Lana. She wasn’t dealt the easiest cards in life. She wasn’t dealt the hardest. She has an illness, but she doesn’t let it rule her. The first time she laid eyes on her best friend’s twin brother she fell in love at first sight. It didn’t last very long. He was a hateful boy who made her miserable. The happiest day of her life was when he moved away to London six years ago. His name is Robert. He breaks the ones who love him. He’s always liked to play games with Lana, see how far he could push her. He once thrived on her pain, but no more. Now she’s coming to London to live with his sister for the summer and this time he plans on being her friend instead of her tormentor. But Lana is scarred by his past bullying. She doesn’t trust him, nor does she have any reason to. Not suitable for younger readers. Contains strong language and scenes of a sexual nature.
Books by Author:	L.H. Cosway Books

Part One

Cruelty is Seldom Forgotten

One

June, 2012.

Sometimes love and hate can emerge from the very same womb.

Sasha and Robert Phillips became my next door neighbours when I was twelve years old. They were twins, two years older than I, both tall and beautiful with dark eyes and dark hair. I think I fell in love with the two of them at first sight. Well, I quickly fell out of love with Robert.

Sasha, though, she'll always have my love. She's one of those girls who has a knack for making you feel cooler just for the fact that you're being seen with her. She's the best friend I've ever had.

The twins were the result of a broken marriage; their mother was Irish and their father English. So when the divorce came about, their mother Liz moved back to Ireland to the house right across from mine, and their father Alan continued to live and work in London. That's how I got my neighbours: a new best friend and her brother, who alternated between ignoring my existence and actively torturing me.

They'd spend September to June living with their mother and then go to London during the school holidays to live with their dad. Alan Phillips was and continues to be the owner of one of the most successful celebrity PR agencies in Britain. In other words, he's filthy rich.

I always wondered how Alan and Liz ever managed to get along, never mind like each other enough to get married and have babies. They are polar opposites. Alan is coldly charming and violently ambitious, while Liz is warm and loving, with a great dry sense of humour. You could say that Sasha took after her mother and Robert after his father.

So why am I detailing all of this? Well, it seems that my whole world has revolved around Sasha and Robert ever since they walked into it with their refined beauty and strange English accents. Sasha could be considered responsible for the happiest times in my life – and Robert for the most miserable.

I'm not even sure if Robert realises how horribly he treated me when we were younger. I think he might be a few steps away from a full-on sociopath, like Patrick Bateman without the killing. Even hearing his name whenever Sasha mentions him makes my stomach drop and my pores tingle.

That's the exact feeling I'm having right now. Sasha's on the phone from London, telling me about Robert's latest exploits seducing a married woman, whose husband beat him to a pulp when he discovered what had been going on. This story is nothing new. Ever since he was fifteen, Robert's been getting himself into all sorts of deplorable situations with women.

Sasha's just completed her first year working as a celebrity gossip columnist for The Daily Mail, putting her journalism degree to good use – sort of. It's been awful not having her around these past twelve months. But we'll be reunited very soon, because I'm going to stay with her for the summer in a week's time. I'll be starting my Ph.D. in ancient Greek mythology when I come home, so this is going to be my “Summer of Leisure in London.” I like to think it has a nice ring to it.

Other than working part-time in an Italian wine and cheese restaurant, I'll be as free as a bird to enjoy myself. (And yes, there is such a thing as a wine and cheese restaurant – this is the kind of job an arts graduate can expect to get nowadays, by the way, and the higher end of the spectrum at that.)

Anyway, I'm what you would call a perennial student. I love to study and research a topic that excites me until I can't keep my eyes open and fall asleep, more often than not at my study desk. Basically, I'm a bit of a nerd. I also have a secret desire to sing on stage, but I’ve never told anyone about it. I don’t want to be a super-famous pop star like Beyoncé, mind. It’s just something that I want to do, if only once. A bucket-list item, if you will.

“So anyway,” says Sasha. “Robert came to my place last night to lick his wounds. Oh, God, Lana, you should have seen the pathetic state he made, two great big black eyes on him.”

I snicker down the line. “Damn, I'm so annoyed I missed it. He would have hated to have me witness him all beaten up.”

“I know!” she laughs.

Sasha understands that Robert and I have always been at loggerheads. She also knows that her brother's an arsehole, but since he's family she has to love him anyway. The weird thing is, I haven't laid eyes on the guy more than a handful of times in the six years since he moved to London to work for his dad's agency, and yet my hostility still remains. I suppose that just goes to show how intensely we hated one another. Not to mention the fact that Sasha always seems to have some new scandal to tell me about him, so it's almost like he's continually present in my life even though he isn't. It's a strange sort of torture.

When I was a teenager, I was skinny as can be. Top that off with braces and a head of starkly red hair, and there were endless ways in which Robert could make me feel like shit. I've since filled out and lost the braces. I've also come to learn that although red hair can turn you into a pariah as a child, it's actually something that people envy you for when you get older.

“Anyway, enough about my prick of a brother. Are you all set for the big trip next week?” Sasha asks.

I plonk down onto my bed and let out a long sigh. “Yeah, Mum and Gran are making a fuss over me going, which is annoying, but all the arrangements have been made.”

I live in a house of women: me, my sister Alison, my mum Fiona, and my grandmother Penny. Both my mother and my grandmother are extremely protective of me. I think they imagine me to be far more fragile than I actually am. That's what happens when you're the short one in a family of especially tall people. You get labelled as the baby. Alison is only sixteen, and already she towers over me.

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Read Online Books/Novels:

The Nature of Cruelty

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

English

1489578897

Lana Sweeney, Robert Phillips

L.H. Cosway Books