My Fake Bad Boyfriend


Book Description

Wanted: one very bad boyfriend for the holidays I don't just need a fake boyfriend. I need the worst fake boyfriend in the world. Someone who'll get my family off my back about my perpetually single state. Someone so awful they'll beg me to never bring another man home again. Gabe promised he was up to the task, but by the time we've said hello to the parents and dropped our bags in my childhood bedroom, I've learned that he's a little too good at being bad. We have so much fun, in fact, that I start to forget it’s all for show. By the time Christmas Eve rolls around, Gabe’s the only thing I want to unwrap. And if I do, I’m afraid he’ll be the gift I never want to return. My Fake Bad Boyfriend is a hot standalone holiday novella that's sweet as a candy cane, funny as Elf, and spicy as fireball whiskey in your hot chocolate. Treat yourself to a laugh-out-loud holiday romance!




What Was I Thinking?


Book Description

The stories you are about to read are true. Often hilarious and always relatable, they all describe the moment when good sense and simple self-respect triumph over the human need to be loved—or, at least, the need to be with a particular man. The relationship may not last beyond lunch, or it may linger for weeks, months, or even years. But inside, you know: it's over. What Was I Thinking?58 Bad Boyfriend Stories includes contributions from: Francesca Lia Block Bonnie Bruckheimer Cindy Chupack Kate Coe Melinda Culea Carrie Fisher Wendy Hammers Nicole Hollander Maira Kalman Lisa Napoli Lynn Snowden Picket Mimi Pond Rachel Resnick Penny Stallings Laurie Winer Amy Wruble Whether the story is funny, sad, poignant, sweet, or just plain psychotic—we bet you can't read just one.




Bad Boyfriends


Book Description

This book is a practical guide to using the science of attachment and relationships to find the right life partner. If you were brought up in the Western world, you've been trained on fairy tales of love and relationships that are misleading at best, and at worst have you making mistake after mistake in starting relationships with the wrong kinds of people who will waste your time and keep you from finding a loyal partner. Science has the answer! Or at least a guide to save you the time and effort of discovering for yourself how many wrong types of romantic partners there are. Reading this book will help you recognize the signs of some of the syndromes that prevent people from being good partners. We'll go through those syndromes and point out some of the signs. Those little red flags you sometimes notice when you are getting to know someone? Often they speak loud and clear once you understand the types, and you can decide immediately to run away or approach with caution those who show them. If you're young and just starting to look for a partner, good news-the world is swarming with well-adjusted, charming matches for you, if you know how to recognize them. The bad news: you are inexperienced and you may not recognize the right type of person when you date them. Many people expect to experience an immediate sense of excitement, an overwhelming rush of attraction, and to fall in love rapidly and equally with someone who feels the same. This rarely happens, and when it does it usually ends badly! And expecting it will cause you to let go of people who are steady, loving, and attentive, if you had given them a chance. So once you've identified someone who makes you laugh, answers your messages, and is there for you when you want them, don't make the mistake of tossing them aside for the merely good-looking, sexy, or intriguing stranger. If you're older, bad news: while you were spending time and effort on relationships you were hoping would turn out better, or even happily nestled in a good relationship or two, most of the secure, reliable, sane people in your age group got paired off. They're married or happily enfamilied, and most of the people your age in the dating pool are tragically unable to form a good long-term relationship. You should always ask yourself, "why is this one still available?"-there may be a good answer (recently widowed or left a long-term relationship), or it may be that this person has just been extraordinarily unlucky in having over twenty short relationships in twenty years (to cite one case!) But it's far more likely you have met someone with a problematic attachment style. As you age past 40, the percentage of the dating pool that is able to form a secure, stable relationship drops to less than 30%[1]; and since it can take months of dating to understand why Mr. or Ms. SeemsNice is really the future ex-partner from Hell, being able to recognize the difficult types will help you recognize them faster and move on to the next. This book outlines the basics (which might be all you need), and points you toward more resources if you want to understand more about your problem partner. If you're wondering if the guy or girl you've been hanging out with might not be quite right, this is the place to match those little red flags you've noticed with known bad types. And by getting out fast, you can avoid emotional damage and wasted time, and get going on finding someone who's really right for you. Study all of the bad types and you'll detect them before even getting involved. Or you could be one of the few people who recognizes their own problems in one of these types. There are study materials and plans of action for you, too. If you've had lots of relationships and they all seem to go wrong, the common factor is you! Your task is to make yourself into a better partner - a goal that even the most evolved of us can always work toward.




How to Be a BAD Boyfriend


Book Description

Have you ever wondered if you’re involved in a bad relationship? In How to Be a BAD Boyfriend,“The Girlfriends” give you specific examples of what to look for; many are humorous and others are downright nasty. Presenting more than 170 indicators of bad boyfriend behavior, this humorous look at men and dating provides an opportunity to not only double-check the status of your relationships but to laugh out loud. Based on a host of past experiences with bad boyfriends, the “tips” in this guide will help you take a closer look at the guy you’re with. In relating these experiences, the girlfriends realize that they are not alone and that you also may have a story to share. If you would like to submit your own “bad boyfriend” experiences, check out the form at the end of this book. How many examples of “bad boyfriend” behavior can you detect in your own relationship? The Girlfriends A simple discussion about relationships between two friends turned into a humorous, six-hour road trip that will never be forgotten. We knew we needed to share our insights and put a positive spin on some less than appropriate behaviors. Thus How to Be a Bad Boyfriend was launched.




Glitterland


Book Description

From the acclaimed author of BOYFRIEND MATERIAL comes a deeply emotional romance about heartbreak, hope, and learning to love against all the odds. Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on hope, happiness, and—most of all—himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people's expectations. Then a chance encounter throws him into the path of Essex-born Darian Taylor. Flashy and loud, radiant and full of life, Darian couldn't be more different...and yet he makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it's like to step beyond the boundaries of his anxiety. But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can no longer see a way out. Can a man who doesn't trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can someone who doesn't believe in happiness ever fight for his own? Alexis Hall's iconic Glitterland has been revised and expanded, with extensive bonus content and a stunning new cover by Elizabeth Turner Stokes. Bonus content includes: Author Annotations: Alexis Hall's insights and commentary threaded through the novel Shadowland: a brand new scene exploring Niall and Max's complex relationship The Glass Menagerie: an entertaining look at an in-universe Rik Glass novel A Letter from the Author discussing the experience of writing Glitterland Darian's Nanny Dot's Cottage Pie and Aftermath, brought together from the original release




World's Worst Boyfriend


Book Description

A romantic comedy adventureFletcher is the "World's Worst Boyfriend" and I have the trophy to prove it-along with the consolation gift card I've already spent.Entering him into the anonymous contest was cathartic and it's obvious I need to end this farce of a relationship; so I do.Too bad I'm still comparing every man I meet to Fletcher. Too bad I can't get him out of my mind-or my house for that matter with the way he's always stopping by to 'fix' something. And it's especially too bad that I'm learning not everything is as it seems and that maybe, just maybe, Fletcher had a good reason for his actions. (Although the moldy laundry has no justification.) What's a girl to do? He says he'll explain everything soon. But am I ready to face that explanation? What if he's not the worst-what if I am? A romantic comedy adventure to make you laugh out loud!




Turn Around Bright Eyes


Book Description

Once upon a time I was falling apart. Now I'm always falling in love. Pick up the microphone. When Rob Sheffield moved to New York City in the summer of 2001, he was a young widower trying to start a new life in a new town. Behind, in the past, was his life as a happily married rock critic, with a wife he adored, and a massive collection of mix tapes that captured their life together. And then, in a flash, all he had left were the tapes. Beyoncé , Bowie, Bon Jovi, Benatar . . . One night, some friends dragged him to a karaoke bar in the West Village. A night out was a rare occasion for Rob back then. Turn around Somehow, that night in a karaoke bar turned into many nights, in many karaoke bars. Karaoke became a way out, a way to escape the past, a way to be someone else if only for the span of a three-minute song. Discovering the sublime ridiculousness of karaoke, despite the fact that he couldn't carry a tune, he began to find his voice. Turn around And then the unexpected happened. A voice on the radio got Rob's attention. The voice came attached to a woman who was unlike anyone he'd ever met before. A woman who could name every constellation in the sky, and every Depeche Mode B side. A woman who could belt out a mean Bonnie Tyler. Bright Eyes Turn Around Bright Eyes is an emotional journey of hilarity and heartbreak with a karaoke soundtrack. It's a story about finding the courage to move on, clearing your throat, and letting it rip. It's a story about navi- gating your way through adult romance. And it's a story about how songs get tangled up in our deepest emotions, evoking memories of the past while inspiring hope for the future.




Bad Boyfriend


Book Description

Kelsey Scott was done with men. She certainly didn’t want anything to do with Tanner—the only man who had ever managed to weasel his way into her heart. And by typical male progression, the only man to break it. But then she and Tanner were paired up as bridesmaid and groomsman at her brother's wedding, and suddenly, she found it hard to remember all her steadfast rules. Found it hard to remember her broken heart. Because she was falling for Tanner all over again.




How to Be an Adult in Relationships


Book Description

This beloved book has touched hundreds of thousands of lives with its profound and actionable advice. Retaining the core message of becoming more mindful in our relationships, this edition includes new and revised material that addresses how we live and love today. A new preface touches on David Richo’s experience with the book over time and outlines the key updates, including attention to online dating and modern communication styles as well as new perspectives on anger and ending relationships. “Most people think of love as a feeling,” says Richo, “but love is not so much a feeling as a way of being present.” How to Be an Adult in Relationships explores five hallmarks of mindful loving and how they play a key role in our relationships. Adult love is based on a mutual commitment to what Richo calls the “five A’s”: attention, acceptance, appreciation, affection, and allowing. Brimming with practical exercises for couples and singles, How to Be an Adult in Relationships offers heartening insights into a lifelong journey of love. Topics include: • Becoming conscious of our relationship patterns and how they relate to childhood • Recognizing and attracting someone who can show adult love • Understanding the phases relationships go through • Creating and maintaining healthy boundaries • Overcoming fears of abandonment and engulfment • Expressing anger and other emotions in adult and loving ways • Surviving break-ups with our self-esteem intact • Understanding love as a spiritual journey




Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus


Book Description

Popular marriage counselor and seminar leader John Gray provides a unique, practical and proven way for men and women to communicate and relate better by acknowledging the differences between them. Once upon a time Martians and Venusians met, fell in love, and had happy relationships together because they respected and accepted their differences. Then they came to earth and amnesia set in: they forgot they were from different planets. Using this metaphor to illustrate the commonly occurring conflicts between men and women, Gray explains how these differences can come between the sexes and prohibit mutually fulfilling loving relationships. Based on years of successful counseling of couples, he gives advice on how to counteract these differences in communication styles, emotional needs and modes of behavior to promote a greater understanding between individual partners. Gray shows how men and women react differently in conversation and how their relationships are affected by male intimacy cycles ("get close", "back off"), and female self-esteem fluctuations ("I'm okay", "I'm not okay"). He encourages readers to accept the other gender's particular way of expressing love, and helps men and women learn how to fulfill each other's emotional needs. With practical suggestions on how to reduce conflict, crucial information on how to interpret a partner's behavior and methods for preventing emotional "trash from the past" from invading new relationships, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is a valuable tool for couples who want to develop deeper and more satisfying relationships with their partners.