Black Hollow Series by J.L. Beck – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Black Hollow Series by J.L. Beck – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:04:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Black Hollow Series by J.L. Beck – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Branded and Broken (Black Hollow #2) Read Online J.L. Beck http://www.ilovenovels.com/branded-and-broken-black-hollow-2-read-online-j-l-beck Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:04:29 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/branded-and-broken-black-hollow-2-read-online-j-l-beck Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Dark, Taboo Authors: J.L. Beck Series: Black Hollow Series by J.L. Beck
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Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 120186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)

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They say the truth will set you free.
Mine didn’t. It gutted me.
One day, I’m the Bishop family disappointment. Next, I’m heir to the enemy's dynasty.
Confused and angry I’m thrust into a new life, where I’m expected to become the monster my father spent years crafting. But I don’t even know who I am, or who I want to be, and if I have to hurt, then everyone around me will too.
There’s one person who refuses to break, who refuses to deal with my crap.
Allie Porter.
My enemy. The girl raised by the mother I never had—perfect, untouchable, infuriating.
She meets my fire with her own, and it pisses me off almost as much as it pulls me in.
I want her and despise her in the same breath, which is why I keep my distance.
Until the night I save her life.
Now she’s indebted to me, and if she wants to survive she’ll do what I say.
But taming the little filly is nothing like I expected.
The closer we get, the more her truths tear through my assumptions.
She’s not the pampered princess I tried to hate— she’s a survivor. A fighter. A girl drowning in the same darkness I carry. It's then somewhere between hate and obsession, the truth becomes undeniable: I’ll burn this dynasty to ash before I let someone else claim what’s mine

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

Chapter 1

Allie

“Suppose she just left town and decided she didn’t want to tell anyone?”

I roll my eyes at the lazy theory thrown at me by our esteemed sheriff. Go figure.

How many times do I have to repeat myself? Saintlyn James wouldn’t simply disappear, not even for an hour—let alone days. I grit my teeth against the need to bite back at this bastard.

“You know Saint. Everyone in town knows her. She wouldn’t just leave. That’s not who she is, and even if she did leave, where would she go? Her father is here. I’m here now. Her entire life is here.” He can’t actually expect me to go along with this—this lie.

I guess he does since he merely shrugs. The movement makes me drop my gaze to the badge on the front of his khaki shirt. It gleams in the overhead fluorescent light. What a load of shit. The man wearing that badge should genuinely care about every person in his jurisdiction, yet he barely stops short of yawning in my face.

“The truth is, we all think we know someone. Then they do something wild and shocking, and suddenly, everyone starts actin’ like they never knew them at all. Maybe you don’t really know Saint. Maybe none of us do. People disappear all the time. Sometimes there isn’t a reason. They just take their possessions and go.”

I would laugh at the thought of Saint doing something so out of character if his indifference didn’t make my blood boil. Men like him shouldn’t be in positions of power. Clenching my hand into a tight fist, I slam it on his desk. “I’ve told you numerous times already. She didn’t run away. Something happened to her! Can’t you see that?”

The glares of the other two officers in the room burn into my back. Sure, I’m making a scene, but I want answers, and playing nice only gets you so far. Playing nice is what Saint does. Not me.

He sighs, long and slow. “Listen, I know you care about Saint, but I can only do so much. There was no forced entry at the pastor’s house, and no apparent struggle. We have nothing to lead us to believe that she was taken anywhere or that anything malicious happened.”

I don’t understand how that’s possible. Saint wouldn’t disappear without a word, not on me. Especially me. I mean, yeah, I’ve been away at college, but we’re still best friends. Distance doesn’t change that.

“I don’t understand.” I shake my head, trying to figure out this puzzle. They watched my best friend grow up. They know Saint’s father, and that she lost her mom not all that long ago.

Are they blind? Or just avoiding the truth?

How can they not see how out of character this is for her?

It’s already been almost a week.

Six awful days since I went to Saint’s house to catch up when I got home from college, only to find her gone. The front door had been unlocked, and while Sheriff Tanner was right—it didn’t look like there had been any struggle—the baking supplies she was using were still on the counter, along with a bowl of cookie dough. It was like one second she was there and the next... gone. No text. No note. Nothing.

“I’m sure she’ll turn up.”

I narrow my eyes. “Turn up? Turn up? She’s not a missing pet. She’s a human who disappeared without a word to anyone, and y’all are acting like it’s no big deal.”

Sheriff Tanner sighs again. “That’s not true. We’re doing what we can based on the information and evidence we have.”

“I don’t understand. You’re a police officer, and someone is missing. Shouldn’t you be putting up flyers? Asking people to help look for her? Why are you sitting here doing nothing?” It feels like I’m begging him to do his damn job, and I shouldn’t have to.

Every time I think of Saint, this sick dread threatens to consume me. I should be doing more, asking more questions. I have to do more.

“We’ve asked questions and run surveillance. The best thing to do is wait and see if anyone calls to report somethin’.” Tanner’s features soften. It’s almost like he’s capable of feeling remorse, but he’s not fooling me. He doesn’t really care. He’s pretending. The way he always pretends to a person’s face when they bring him a problem he either can’t or won’t handle. “If I hear anything at all, you’ll be my first call, but making a scene won’t help.”

There’s an ache in my jaw from how hard I clench my mouth shut. Then I can’t. “No, you’re right, but I bet if I had a different last name, you’d be out there looking for her. The only thing that motivates you is money and a fucking order from a Bishop.”

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Sinner and Saint (Black Hollow #1) Read Online J.L. Beck http://www.ilovenovels.com/sinner-and-saint-black-hollow-1-read-online-j-l-beck Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:03:54 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/sinner-and-saint-black-hollow-1-read-online-j-l-beck Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Dark Authors: J.L. Beck Series: Black Hollow Series by J.L. Beck
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Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 141556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 708(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)

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I’ve always been the good girl. The preacher’s daughter. The town’s saint. The one who never strays from the rules.

Until one reckless night changes everything.

Calder Bishop is the monster I’ve been warned about my entire life. Heir to the most feared family in Black Hollow Creek. Rancher by day, enforcer by night. His touch carries ruin, his name carries blood, and his gaze makes my prayers falter.

When I stumble into Bishop business, Calder is left with a end my life or claim it. Killing me would be mercy. Keeping me could start a war.

But Calder Bishop has never been a merciful man. And if there’s one thing he wants, it’s me—all to himself.

Now I’m trapped in his world of violence and vengeance, my innocence colliding with his sin. I search for a way out but there is none. Only Calder. It’s when he claims me—branding me with his soul—I learn the the only thing more dangerous than a Bishop’s wrath . . . is his love.

**This is book one in the series and is a complete standalone with a happily ever after. Certain scenes within this book may be triggering to some listeners. Please review the trigger list at the beginning of the book before listening.**

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

Prologue

SAINT

“Happy birthday to me,” I whisper to myself as I sit on the edge of the bed. I’m officially an adult. Eighteen. The age when everything is supposed to change, or at least that’s what I’ve been told. That might be the case for everyone else, but not me.

When I wake up tomorrow morning, everything will be the same. I’ll still be the God-fearing daughter of a preacher, trapped beneath expectations that will never disappear. Always smiling on command, always stepping up when called, yet never once asked what I want.

Saint by name, saint by nature.

Of course, thinking that, guilt leaks into my chest. It’s a heavy weight. My life is good. I’m content. Happy. Cared for and loved. To think the way I am is selfish and ungodly. To feel bad for myself when I have everything makes no sense.

Before I can sink deeper into my thoughts, a pebble taps the glass of my window.

No, this is my birthday. If I can be selfish on any day, it’s today. So I shove back the shame I’ve built into my freaking personality and prepare to have a fun night out with my best friend. Pasting a smile on my lips, I push off the bed and walk over to the window. I already know who I’ll find standing there. Allie. She’s the only one reckless enough to throw rocks at Pastor James’s house.

I pull open the curtain and peer outside, and just like I knew she would be, Allie stands there staring up at me. She’s grinning in the middle of the yard, her arm cocked back with another stone in her hand.

“Let me in, birthday girl! I have a surprise,” she shouts.

I press my index finger against my lips to tell her to be quiet, and I slip downstairs to open the door, careful not to wake Dad.

Allie barrels inside, her usually wild copper hair styled perfectly. She’s wearing a crop top that clings to her curves, and a pair of skintight jeans that I would never be brave enough to wear. One look at her face and I know she’s up to no good. Her green eyes sparkle with mischief, and a promise of chaos that’s soon to come.

Allie and I are opposites in every way.

She’s bold where I’m quiet, and reckless where I’m cautious. I suppose it’s what makes us such good friends.

“What kind of surprise?” I whisper.

Her grin widens as she pulls a pink bottle from the bag slung across her body. “The liquid kind. And after this, we’re going to The Rusty Nail.”

My stomach drops out beneath me. That’s the most popular bar in Black Hollow Creek. Showing up there would get me in all kinds of trouble if my father found out. What if someone recognizes me? What if they tell my dad? He’ll ground me for life. “Allie⁠—”

“None of that. I will not accept your excuses tonight. We’re doing something for you. Something that Saint, the preacher’s daughter, wouldn’t do. Something normal.”

Can she read my mind, too? I’ve never been able to talk about wanting to be seen, really seen as me—not just as Pastor James’s daughter.

The older I get, the bigger the urge is to be more, to do more.

The reminder and the feeling in my gut drive my choice. But first, I have to shove this shame back into a closet in my brain.

I don’t think. I act.

I grab the bottle, bring it to my lips, and take a long gulp. The liquid burns a path of fire down my throat, and I pull it away from my mouth, sputtering and hacking. Lord, have mercy.

“Are you sure that isn’t lighter fluid?” I ask, still trying to swallow against the burn.

She shrugs. “I don’t think so, but then again, I didn’t really read the label. Just grabbed it out of my mom’s bar and left.” Figures. Allie’s been stealing alcohol from her mom since she was thirteen. And every single time, she tries to drag me into her trouble.

“So what’s it going to be?” Allie juts her hip out.

I’ve already decided. “We can go for one hour. That’s it.”

Allie squeals and then wraps her arms around me. “Yes! I’m so glad you’re letting me corrupt you. And who knows—maybe Calder will be there.”

Warmth creeps into my cheeks. “Stop. Be quiet, or we’ll wake my father.”

Allie shakes her head and laughs. “I’m never going to stop. You’ve had a crush on this man for over a year now. Don’t you think it’s time you made a move?”

“Maybe, but I’m not like you, Allie. I don’t just see something I want and take it.”

Even if I were like her, there’s no way Calder and I could ever be together. Calder is the oldest son of the most feared family in Black Hollow Creek—the Bishops.

I only met him officially for the first time a little over a year ago when I fell off a horse and broke my wrist during the harvest festival. Calder saw it and helped.

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