[WATTY'S 2024 SHORTLIST] Seventeen-year-old, popular Athlete, Ontario Hackman struggles with identity, and the fact he may be facing something deeper-rooted than the surface, and when fellow gay boy, Nathaniel Ericson comes along, out and about, with his rainbow bracelets, and his shameless crush on the Popular Athlete, and begins experiencing torment at the hands of his peers, Ontario realizes just how much easier it is to stay hidden. But everyone knows, What's done in the dark will always come to the light - In the gilded halls of his high school, seventeen-year-old Ontario Hackman is the epitome of perfection-a star athlete, a charismatic leader, and the heartthrob of every party. But beneath the surface of his flawless facade lies a turmoil of uncertainty and hidden desires. When Nathaniel Ericson, openly gay and unapologetically himself, arrives with rainbow bracelets and an unabashed crush on Ontario, it sets off a chain reaction that shatters the delicate balance of Ontario's carefully curated life. As Nathaniel faces relentless bullying at the hands of his peers, Ontario is forced to confront the shadowed corners of his own identity. The conflict between staying hidden in the comfort of his popularity and embracing his true self becomes a battleground for Ontario's soul. As their worlds collide and intertwine, Ontario and Nathaniel must navigate the tumultuous waters of love, acceptance, and self-discovery. [Word count: 45k) #1 in mentallyunstable out of 3.97k (July 4th, 2024, 10:39 AM)

[WATTYS 2024 SHORTLIST] When a troubled young man named Jake Featherstone enrols at a mysterious and isolated college that has had a recent murder take place, he soon finds himself becoming involved with the friends of the victim and with the killer still at large, perhaps the next victim in line.

[WATTYS 2024 SHORTLIST] Lucan Thurst, an alchemist shackled to his obsessions, seeks the unattainable: immortality. In the heart of Burnell Academy he toils away--pieces of himself lost until the line between human and other is blurred beyond recognition. Meanwhile, long-time friend and scientific rival, River Kim, believes death is not the body's end, and a heart stopped may yet beat again. Nearing the completion of his medical degree, River intends to prove immortality lies not in elixirs but in the resilience of flesh. As their friendship fractures around them, the two men must learn to work together in order to achieve their goal. Both keen on being the first to alter the course of medical science. Both utilizing one another's secrets to their own advantage. But, when those secrets are whispered into the dark, Lucan and River will learn a harrowing truth: it is the dark that always listens. For fans of dark academia: Frankenstein, The Secret History, The Haunting of Bly Manor

2025 WATTYS Honorable Mention * * * Academia is a different beast all together when a university is run by werewolves and your new dean is a literal Alpha. * * * At twenty-five, Barlow Milligan is looking forward to starting her first job after grad school as an Assistant Professor at the prestigious Packard University. Little does she count on the quaint, upstate New York school being controlled by two rival packs of werewolves. Luckily, the secretive factions have made peace, at least for now, through the promised union of Clayton Ward, Alpha of Allegheny pack and Gemma Calhoun, daughter of the leader of Black River pack. That is, until Clayton sets his sights on making newcomer Barlow his Luna, instead. But Barlow doesn't know how to control her wolf, nor has she ever been in a pack outside of her family before. Can she learn to fit in and more importantly, can she avoid being the cause of an all-out pack war? * * * A Packard University Novel: Season ONE. Found exclusively only on WATTPAD. (c) 2024-25

When a mafia princess's life is threatened, she is forced to accept the help of a bodyguard-the emotionally damaged underboss of a crime family, her ex-boyfriend. Standalone in the Sons of Sin series *** Eva and Reaper were once in love and full of hope. Their relationship came to a dramatic end when the pressure of Eva's political engagement to Reaper's best friend-Torin-became too much. Upon miscarrying their unborn child, Eva turned to Reaper for support, only to be let down when he used alcohol as a coping mechanism. A year later, the two cannot be in the same room as each other without hurling abuse. But when an unknown threat attempts to take Eva's life, Reaper is assigned as her bodyguard. Eva is determined to make him quit and he is just as determined to hang on. But beneath the hostility are unresolved feelings and profound wounds that they'll have to move past to figure out who's trying to kill Eva and why. Content warnings: The story contains references to and depictions of alcoholism and miscarriage that may be upsetting for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

[2024 WATTY WINNER][18+] When global pop sensation, Maisie Rhodes, accidentally reveals her love songs are about someone close to her, she agrees to fake-date her best friend, August, to keep the truth buried. But with six weeks of pretending and nine years of unspoken feelings between them, she's forced to choose between protecting their friendship or risking everything for the one person she's never stopped wanting.

At age six, Pullman Grier was abducted by a monster. Held deep underground in the Ontario wilderness, he and four other children laboured for years, scrounging for the creature's food, until the day the impossible happened: Pull slew the monster. Three children crawled out of the cold earth and made the long, bleak trek back to civilization. Now an adult in frozen Winnipeg, Pull scrapes by on a minimum-wage job, a stomach destroyed by childhood malnutrition and a grim sense of humour. The only good thing in his life is an online group that uses image recognition to search for victims of human traffickers and return them home. Then, a local boy vanishes. Unable to find help, the boy's desperate father approaches Pull's group. Only Pull sees the calling card of the monster that took him sixteen years prior. The monster that is supposedly lying dead and buried in the Canadian wilderness. Knowing the thing that stole his childhood could still be abducting children and that more will be taken if he fails, Pull scours secrets buried in his old prison. Secrets that have lurked in the darkness just beyond the firelight for all of human history.

"Watty 2024 Shortlisted" Ethan Blackwood, a high-profile socialite, proposes an arrangement to Lily Evans, a normal girl struggling to care for her ill mother. Initially, there is a cold exchange of benefits, but their relationship evolves as Ethan's unexpected tenderness reveals deeper emotions. Despite betrayals and challenges, they navigate their complex feelings, culminating in sincere love. Ethan's confession of his true feelings leads to their engagement and a new life together. Overcoming their pasts, they build a future filled with love, trust, and resilience, proving that true love can thrive against all odds.

After the shock reveal that Imogen's pregnant with Jude's child, their relationship is left rocky. But as they're pulled closer by baby scans and a surprise family holiday, could the spark between them reignite? Season 2 of The Mechanic *** After the truth about Imogen's pregnancy is revealed in the worst way possible, her world comes crashing down. Her hopes in tatters, she doesn't believe Jude will show for the first baby scan weeks later. But then she locks eyes with him striding through the hospital door, and everything changes. Jude looks worse for wear, but he's ready to work together for the baby. And Imogen's ready to try to rebuild what's broken between them. Then Jude's mother catches wind of the pregnancy and invites them on a family holiday abroad, and suddenly, they're thrown together headfirst. Still on rocky footing, things intensify when they find themselves sharing not only a room, but one bed. It's impossible to deny the attraction, and soon, their connection heats up. But what will happen when they exchange holiday bliss for real life back in London? Can their relationship flourish, or will old faces from the past threaten to derail everything? WARNING: This story contains depictions of abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

*WATTYS 2024 SHORTLISTED* Ellie did the 'True Love' thing and it left her heartbroken. Now her dreams are smaller: win a BAFTA, convince her mother she's okay, and don't kill her infuriating colleague Nas. And definitely don't kiss him. 'I am suddenly aware of his hand on my waist. Has he always been this tall? Has he always smelled of smoke and cloves and warmth? My brain is collapsing. All it can think is NAS IS TOUCHING ME. His lips are coming down... Or mine are coming up... Does he want to kiss me? Even worse, do I want him to?' FEATURED BY: @Ambassadors - Diverse Fiction (February 2025) @Romance - Slow Burn (December 2024) @Romance - Workplace (June 2024) @ChickLit - Self-Discovery (May 2024) @Project Athena - Author Spotlight (July 2024) @Contemporary Lit - Contemporary DiverseLit (September 2024) @Newly Written Books - Roses Are Red (October 2024) @Project Athena - Women's Fiction ChickLit (July 2024) @AstaniaCommunity - Love is Love (June 2024) @8ChapterChallenge - 8CC March-April (May 2024)