MandaLyn's Rec of the Week: 5/30 - 6/5

This Changes Things by TheUnderStudy

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6478252/1/This_Changes_Things

Review by MandaLyn

Rating: M
Genre: Tragedy/Romance, Vamp
Characters: Emmett/Bella

Summary: When you're in love, you always think it's going to last forever. Yet when a twist in fate changes things, can you recover and pull yourself from the darkness. Rate M for language, graphic scenes, and sexual content.

This Changes Things just topped my list of favorite vampire fics. TheUnderStudy weaves an amazing tale here beginning with that self-sacrificing trip to the ballet studio before twisting off into a captivating adventure complete with one of the most interesting and feisty versions of Bella I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. This vampire Bella is tough and while her shield is her power the same as always, TheUnderStudy does some interesting things with it that keep you interested and guessing what she’ll do next.

“When she was burning I promised to protect her. I would not let her down. Since she changed, I began to feel really different...I keep getting these weird vibes. I got another odd feeling bringing her the bear when we went hunting. I was filled with pride and the strong need to protect and care for her. It felt good to do this and her rewarding smile would have me doing it again.”

Emmett is wonderful and as fun as always, making you laugh and showing you another perspective on events. Dee and Dazz are two really cool original characters begging for a spin-off. Rosalie gets a lot of attention as she plays out her pivotal role in this tale. Carlisle and Esme, Jasper and Alice, the Denali coven, and Peter and Charlotte also feature and, with the exception of a few interesting twists, are fairly true to canon. The Volturi, along with a new original character to their number, complete the story nicely.

Laughter and tears and a desire to keep reading until you’re done make this completed fic a great read. Take on the adventure and enjoy this new twist on Twilight that will leave you begging for more.

SammieLynnsMom Rec of the Week: 5/30 - 6/5

Strawberry Wine by Kas90

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6607018/1/Strawberry_Wine

Review by SammieLynnsMom

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama, AH
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: When Bella goes back to NC to help her sick uncle, she runs into the boy who she fell in love with when she was 17. But what exactly happened that summer? Will they ever get their HEA? What stays with us more-our 1st love or 1st heartbreak?

2010:

It's sad how usually our first love and our first heartbreak coincide with each other. Young, pure emotions shattered by the realities of life. It's not fair how we scar the emotions of our first romance with the pain of its ending.

Our first love is supposed to be a monumental movement, a transition of sorts between the innocence of childhood and the demands of being an adult.

But I wondered, as I made my way back to the place where it all began, what really stuck with us more? Was the heart shaped by the cracks of past broken relationships, or was it formed delicately by those who have showed us love?

In a fandom with well over one-hundred thousand stories, it’s becoming increasingly harder to stumble on newer stories that hit you like a breath of fresh air. The ‘Fic-Gods’ had never been nicer than when they opened their vaults and threw the first chapter of Strawberry Wine, by kas90, at me. I was so shocked to have a story to read that is written in a non-traditional format, which I hadn't seen before, that I literally could not put down. As of chapter ten, the story contains five chapters from the year 1987 and five from 2010. What kas90 has done so well is weave a story around the past and present, where even with the years alternating every chapter, the readers feel as if the story is always moving forward.

It’s the year 1987, and Bella’s hippie mother, Renee, has met her man and wants to hit the road for a while. Instead of dragging Bella like a third wheel, the Ohio resident packs up and goes to North Carolina for the summer. That is where we’re first introduced to Uncle Charlie, a southern man that is wiser than he is old. Eighteen-year-old Edward is cocky, confident, and knows exactly where his life is going. And, Bella, the young, self-assured realist gives the summer all she has, but, like most things, knows it’ll eventually end and she’ll go back to Ohio when it’s over.

With the paralleling future, some inferences can be made. We know Edward and Bella do not stay in contact with each other after 1987, but, at this point, we don’t know why. It is also very obvious they still feel a strong connection to each other that continues to pull them together in the present day chapters. When Bella returns to North Carolina in 2010, to take care of the now sick Uncle Charlie, she meets back up with Edward, who is in the middle of a divorce and has two children. Bella, who is also divorced, is having to face the reality of the life she thought she had. Truths revealed and old wounds resurface when these two come together at first, but frankly, I’m really excited to see how this story ends, and how Edward and Bella end up together. Kas90 has promised a happily-ever-after, and I trust her to give these characters one.

The story has left off with Edward and Bella acknowledging that they’ve both made a lot of mistakes in the past, not only with each other, but also in their lives after their summer together, and I’m waiting on the edge of my seat anticipating how they start to fix their bad choices.

One Shot of the Week: 5/23 - 5/29

Revolving Door by SammieLynnsMom

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6403024/1/Revolving_Door

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort, AH
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: The ER at Forks Hospital appear to be a revolving door of the same patients. What happens when Dr. Edward Masen realizes why the object of his desire is part of that circle? And what will be Dr. Cullens fate once he does?

Writer Submitted Fic: 5/23 - 5/29

Isabella Swan by verucasin

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6221051/1/Isabella_Swan

Review by anonymouslysufferingfromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama, AH
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: All Human. OOC. A model striving to reach a goal that was once her mother's. A young prodigy that has everything and is unwilling for change to happen. The attraction is there. Will it be enough

This week’s author submitted fic, starts off with our favorite couple in bed together. Never a bad thing in my book.

Bella is a model and college student that is following her mother’s dream. She hasn’t had the easiest life. Her mother is gone and Bella and her half sister Rosalie have a very estranged relationship with their father Charlie.

Edward is the rich and youngest son of the socially elite Cullen’s. He has been born and bred to take over as CEO of the family’s very lucrative company, and there are many expectations set that he needs to live up to. Problem is, Carlisle does not approve of his son’s choice of girl friend.

After overhearing an argument between Edward and Carlisle about Edward’s poor choice in women, and not hearing any real defense of herself from Edward, Bella ends their relationship.

"And don't you think she's with you because you're a Cullen?" he asked, and I gasped at the worst of his insults.

He thought I was after their money. That shit was fucking funny. I would even have laughed with him on that one, if only those words he uttered didn't cut through me like shattered glass. I didn't even know who he was when I had that one-night stand with Edward a couple of months ago. That he was a Cullen or that the Cullen's were scions of a multi-billion dollar empire was lost on me, and frankly speaking I didn't really care.

"Isabella earns her own money." I heard Edward say, but his voice had a different edge to it, one that I couldn't quite figure out. But what was clear to me was the doubt he was clearly having already. My heart broke because it felt like he was betraying me with his father.

"What, 10 million a year? Less?" Carlisle mocked in a voice that I was really starting to hate. "Edward, that amount is just the cost that we spend on our combined birthdays. Don't you see, she could most likely be just after your money."

I wanted to barge in and confront him or slap his face for insinuating I was a gold digger; but I stayed put, trying to rein in my anger. I waited for Edward to say something but he didn't, there was only silence.

Oh my god, he truly believes him!

After several months, Edward finally realizes what he feels for Bella is more than just lust and he can’t live with out her. He starts on a plan to win her back but Bella doesn’t make it too easy on him. Of course, he also has to fight his family on this which, the Carlisle in this story may be one of the most stubborn I have ever encountered.

"I fucked up," he said regretfully. "I shouldn't have let you go."

I closed my eyes, relishing in his words because this was what I wanted to hear from him. Now that he said it, however, I knew it wasn't enough anymore. They were just words, and because it was from him, they were without merit. There was nothing in his actions these past few months that said he meant any of those sweet things he said to me when we were still dating.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." His voice was hoarse, and I almost felt sorry for him—almost, but not quite.

"Edward," I started. "I can't do this again." I was waving my finger between us. I wasn't willing to give us another try, not before he was sure what he really wanted and could stand up to that decision.

His hand on my wrist tightened and his expression changed. My jumbled nerves didn't allow me to ponder about him or his feelings further, but I was aware that I had hurt him in some way with what I said. The funny thing was I knew he didn't need me. He was Edward Cullen. He needed no one but himself. I was a chase, a bunny to catch on the hunt, the one that got away, and he needed to prove he could and would get whatever he wanted.

"Bella," he muttered. "I know I'm a fucking asshole…"

"No, you're a spoiled rich prick," I quickly added, interrupting him. His lips pursed before his jaw clenched.

"Yes," he agreed reluctantly. "I'm going to change. I'm going to try." His expression was pleading, and I wanted to give in. "Give me a chance. You have to!" He was still holding my wrist and his grip was getting painful.

"No," I said determined. I loved him the way he was, but I needed for him to prove he wanted me just the way I was, and not the way his father or the rest of his family wanted me to be.

The story is 18 chapters in with a predicted 3-4 left, Bella struggles with a lot in this story and Edward really does help her through it. The dynamic between Rose and Bella is a fierce protectiveness, and Charlie is different then you would ever expect of him and even Esme will surprise you a few times. While the story is pretty heavy at times, Emmett adds his usual humor when we need it. The story is dubbed, Romance/Drama, and while the drama is there, I wouldn’t classify it as angst. I am sure that there is a HEA for everyone involved, and I think that Edward and Bella are well on the way there now.

New Fic of the Week: 5/23 - 5/29

Love in Idleness by twanza

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6960328/1/Love_In_Idleness

Review by fnoslvrvlvo4lif

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama, AH
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Bella Swan meets the perfect boy during her junior year, but when she finds out he's a freshman, and an evil mastermind, all hell breaks lose.

So...you move to a new school, you meet this cute guy and then the unthinkable happens, you find out the guy is two years younger than you?! Oh no?! What is a girl to do?! It's OK for a guy to be into an older woman, but not so much for a girl to be into a younger guy.

Edward and Bella don't talk too much at first, but a sudden change of events alters all that, which leaves Edward coming to Bella's window, but never actually stepping foot into her room. They talk about anything and everything and quickly become very good friends. Edward wants to be with Bella, but her reaction to him is always pointing out that he is much younger than him by saying the infamous, 'maybe when you're older'. Oh, how that pisses him off when she says that.

This is such a cute story and I'm loving it so far. The last chapter left me wanting more and looking forward to the next update. Here is a taste of what you’re missing...

"Did he try anything?" Edward repeated. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he liked to take the direct course to information whenever possible.

Bella smirked in what he took as a condescending manner. "None of your business," she said blithely as she rested her cheek on her arms, and read: "A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing." The new words popped up just as Mote slammed face first on to the floor. Bella laughed.

"I would have if I were him." Edward didn't beat around the bush, and he wanted her to know he wasn't a little kid, which was the category she filed him under whenever the topic of his obvious affection came up.

"Would what?" Bella only half listened to him as Mote's flailing cartwheel brought about: "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" That was an obvious line to have chosen, she thought, but it was very Edward, so she let it go. "Thank you for fixing my phone." She said softly and smiled.

"And you would have liked it." Edward's confidence was really quite shocking.

"Liked what?" Bella didn't want to stop playing with her phone, nor did she want to get into this with Edward, but she pulled herself away from her phone to listen to his answer."

"Liked it if I tried something." Edward wanted to climb through the window and try something right now, despite the fact that her hair was a rat's nest and she had black smudges under her eyes.

"Doubtful." Bella was of two minds about this, and was shocked at his nerve, but gave herself away by turning red. He looked very serious on the tree, framed by her window.

"So?" Edward needed an answer, even though he was fairly certain he knew.

"So what? Bella retreated to the age-old strategy of buying time by pretending not to understand what he was talking about.

"Did he try anything?" Edward was nothing if not relentless.

"End of conversation," she said, knowing that this line of inquiry was leading nowhere good.

"Can I ask one question?" he asked, because dogged determinism was one of the traits they shared.

"Maybe." Bella felt like humoring him, at the same time that she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Did you kiss him?" Edward hated to be obvious, but it had been the topmost thing on his mind all night.

Tyler had gone in for the obligatory kiss at the end of the night. It hadn't been bad. It hadn't been good. 

Mostly she had concentrated on the fur of his upper lip and the fact that his lips weren't open as much as they were flat and dry. Mostly it had been a press more than an actual kiss, and really, if she thought about it, which she wasn't really inclined to do, it had been all his doing.

"He kissed me, but I didn't kiss him." Bella liked to be specific, as well as honest.

"A kiss needs two people." Edward's curiosity was driven as much by logic as it was by hormones, but he grasped what she meant. "Have you ever kissed anyone?"

As the child of Charlie Swan who, even in the face of the most wily criminals and lawyers, liked to tell it like it was, Bella felt there was every benefit in keeping the conversation matter-of-fact. "No. Not yet."

"Me neither." He was sure this wasn't a surprise, but it was a relief to say it.

So go read Love in Idleness. You won’t regret it. **wink wink**

Banner by JaimeArkin

Completed Fic of the Week: 5/23 - 5/29

True Companion by bellamarie117

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6876336/1/True_Companion

Review by anonymouslysufferingfromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Romance, AH
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Bella Swan always believed in happily ever afters.When she marries her high school sweetheart & starts her own wedding business, she thinks she's living her dream.Then it all comes crashing down.Can a handsome photographer help her believe in love again?

First I have to say, I am really excited about this week’s fic, I love bellamarie117, she truly is one of my favorite FF author’s of all time. I loved her first story Take the Ice, I mean it was a masterpiece.

So on to the main event, True Companion, is a great short story. It is completed and six chapters long. I know that we have read stories where Bella is a wedding planner, but I promise you, this one is different. The first difference is that Edward is not the groom!

That’s right, in this wedding planner story, Bella is the wedding planner who always believed in the fairytale, and Edward is the photographer, to make sure that she gets to live it.

Bella is a planner. She does everything right, meets her first love, Jasper, in high school. They date, fall in love, are each other’s first everything’s. They go to college, get engaged, and get married; everything should be perfect, right? Bella and Jasper face normal newlywed issues, like money and no time for one another, but those are easy problems to work through until Bella arrives home one day to a distraught Jasper asking for a divorce because he has met someone. I am sure we can all figure out who it is too.

But still, I always thought we were just going through a rough spot, that things would get better. He was still my best friend and the love of my life.
 
Or so I thought.
 
I came home one evening after running a rehearsal for that upcoming weekend to find Jasper sitting in the dark at the kitchen table, his head buried in his hands. When he looked up at me, there was so much pain in those gorgeous eyes. He looked haunted.

Experiencing this life-changing event is hard on Bella, it would be hard on anyone, but add to it that it is Bella’s job to make sure that the brides she works for have perfect weddings. It makes it very hard not to become a cynic.

We meet Bella a year after her divorce, as she is in the midst of wedding day hell with a true Bridezilla, Lauren Mallory, having a breakdown about her hair.

"Alright, Lauren, let's just take a deep breath," I said in a soothing voice. "We'll get this all worked out."

"There's nothing to work out! I'm the bride, it's my day and I want the fucking stylist that I paid for!" Lauren screamed, towering over me as she continued to poke at my chest.

Bella finds that the one true bright spot to an otherwise crappy day is the top photographer in the area. While she has worked with the genius that is Edward Cullen before she has never seen him in the same light as she does on this day.

Shoving my hands into the pockets of my navy cotton dress, I played with the case of my phone while I crossed over toward him. As I stepped through the grass, the cool blades tickling my feet through the gaps in my flat sandals, my stomach started anxiously churning again.

Weird.

I shook it off as nerves. It was a huge wedding, after all, one of the biggest I'd taken on since starting up my business. It was understandable that I'd have a tougher time keeping my cool than normal. Still, I couldn't ignore the feeling entirely, nor the fact that the can-can line started up the moment I spotted Edward Cullen.

Bella, the consummate planner, spends the day facing crisis after crisis as her Bridezilla drives her literally to drink. While through it all, a casual smile from Edward seems to make it all seem better as he becomes the one bright spot in her day.

While I strolled around the room, keeping a lookout for anything that went awry, I found my gaze drifting back to the vendor table far more than necessary. Edward was sitting with his assistant and my team, shoveling down his meal while keeping everyone laughing with some sort of funny anecdote. More than anything I wanted to go sit and just listen to him talk, to hear the words that went with the expressions playing across his face and the gestures of his hands.

As the day finally ends, Bella finds herself talking to the man who just may be able to restore her belief in the fairytale she always wished she had.

"Do you think you'd ever want to get married again?" he asked. His eyes darting up to mine, wide with shock, and he quickly looked away while he tried to backtrack. He obviously hadn't meant to ask that question. "Just, uh, generally speaking. Someday."

"I'd like to think so," I responded after considering the question. "You're right; I'm not a cynic. There's still that little girl inside of me who believes in fairy tale endings. I'm not ready to give up on her completely yet."

This one is a quick 6 chapters, but you will love it from beginning to end. We get some important flashbacks mixed in with the wedding from hell, always in the perfect spot. As always bellamarie117 does a great job with the overall writing and context of the story. If I had to complain about anything it would be that I wish it was longer, but honestly, it covered everything it needed to and there is a hint that we could possibly get a future-shot later on. I do hope that you will read and enjoy this one as much as I did, and don’t forget to leave a review!

WIP of the Week: 5/23 - 5/29

Rosebud by Arabella's

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6806825/1/Rosebud

Review by JaimeArkin

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Mystery, AH
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Millionaire Edward fell quickly for small town Bella, and their dreamy romance soon led to wedding bells. When their new marriage is about to fall apart, Bella goes missing. Edward is determined to search for her, but does Bella want to be found? AU-Human

When my co-collaborator, phoebes.promise, rec’d Rosebud to me I was immediately hooked on this creative, mysterious story. Arabella’s intriguing storytelling and unique plot leaves you breathless and anxious for more.

From the open we learn Edward Cullen’s wife is missing, however there are no leads, no answers. We agonize along with our hero as he painfully wonders and worries...

Thank you, Steve...In more somber news, the wife of prominent millionaire Edward Cullen has been reported missing. Twenty-year-old Isabella Cullen was last seen at the couple's Seattle estate on Saturday night.

An anonymous source with ties to Isabella told us that marital problems and even talks of divorce had recently been going on between the newlyweds. However, our source stressed that it was not Isabella Cullen who initiated these talks. What is most alarming is the fact that no luggage or possessions seem to have been taken from the house upon Isabella's departure. Only her black Audi convertible is missing. Police are trying to determine whether heartbreak is the cause of the sudden fleeing, or if something more sinister is at work. If anyone is aware of Isabella's whereabouts, please call police or Channel -

I flick off the TV, carelessly sliding the remote across the hardwood floor.

My disheveled hair is pulled roughly as one thought repeats inside my pounding head.

Oh, my Isabella...where are you?

Through a series of flashbacks and present point of view, we quickly learn of a timeless, whirlwind romance. Edward is a handsome millionaire, Bella is the beautiful waitress he falls in love with. But as the story moves forward we realize something has gone very wrong. They are in the midst of a divorce but we aren't privy yet to the nature of the trouble as they still appear obviously, deeply in love...

"Why won't you take your share?" he asks quietly, sounding offended. He has not moved from the entryway, and I have barely breathed.

"Are you trying to hurt me? Villainize me? I just don't understand."

"No..." I murmur disbelievingly. How can he think that?

"I didn't earn any of that money, Edward. I didn't buy this house. You should keep it."

"I want you to have it. I'd never be able to live with myself if I left you with nothing."

I glare at him.

"Oh I get it. Poor Bella, right?" I ask mockingly, my voice picking up volume. My elevated height from the steps must be giving me an added boost of confidence.

"Poor wrong-side-of-the-tracks, diner fucking Bella! Well fuck you, Cullen! I don't want your charity."

I have always tried to hide my swearing and other unladylike traits from him, but there really is no point now. Edward doesn't try to mask the shock on his face as he silently stares at me in wonder. When he finally snaps out of his stupor, he walks over to where I've crumpled myself on the stairs. The polished surface of the stone step is cold against my skin, like most of the house.

"Please just talk to me," he pleads above me. I look down at my buffed fingernails so I can avoid his towering form. I can't stand his soft, gentle tone. I'd rather he yelled at me. He's never yelled at me.

"There's nothing to say," I mumble, my previous strength completely absent. It's a complete lie. We could probably write a book with all the things we need to tell each other. But I won't let myself feel guilty. If he really wanted to talk, he would not have hired the intermediaries tonight. "Please just go."

He hesitates, then I stare at his shined, brown leather shoes as he walks to the door. From my low viewpoint, I can see that the sun is still shining when he opens it. It makes me angry. The sun doesn't deserve to shine when my world is falling apart.

Edward's feet have paused at the doorway, waiting. He's still here. I finally force myself to look up. His hair is a mess of auburn, as if a thousand hands have run through it within the last minute.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

My voice refuses to work.

I'm sorry, too,I try to show.

I love you, his eyes say.

I love you more.

Edward shuffles his Italian leather against the hardwood. Emerald irises are still glowing into mine.

Don't ask me to leave.

I already did.

Arabella's captures the emotions of her characters brilliantly and with very few words. The mystery surrounding Bella's disappearance is so captivating. Is it possible she left of her own accord or was she forced... by someone, somehow? Edward is convinced of the latter...

"I found Benny in our room, and I don't think she would willingly leave without him. Her father gave this to her."

"Maybe Isabella just forgot to bring him, in her rush?" he guesses tiredly. He doesn't understand.

"No!" I exclaim, holding Benny up with my left arm. My frustration is being fed by my shattered nerves, my shattered reality.

"She loves this fucking bear. She wouldn't just leave him behind. I knew that she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. Maybe this means that she didn't want to go. Maybe - "

My favorite fics leave me thinking and feeling, they pull me, they intrigue me with their plot. Rosebud by Arabella's does all of that and more. It is a creatively told story, well written, leaving a solid mystery for us to piece and solve. The updates are wonderfully consistent and at only 12 chapters, you don't want to miss a clue to this fabulous mystery...

One Shot of the Week: 5/16 - 5/22

The Cliff by Raum

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6921947/1/TheCliff

Rating: M
Genre: Drama/Tragedy

Summary: "O is for originality, C is for creativity" CONTEST WINNER! "The most important person of her life is not going to come back. She's going to jump off a cliff. A young woman in her darkest moment."

Writer Submitted Fic: 5/16 - 5/22

Sometimes by Pingvingirl

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6123416/1/Sometimes

Review by Dragonfly336

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Sometimes things don't happen the way they should. And sometimes the things you'd swear are meant to be don't happen at all. AH/AU

Sometimes things don't happen the way they should. And sometimes the things you'd swear are meant to be don't happen at all.

This is the opening line to Sometimes by Pingvingirl. We first meet Bella in a hotel in Seattle, enjoying a day of solitude before she has to go home to Forks for the holidays. She has been in NY working for the parent company of the magazine she works for, Pacific NW. She revels in her solitude in the restaurant.

And so she didn't notice the man watching her as she chomped happily on her bear claw. She didn't see his eyebrows lift as he looked at her, hadn't noticed him push his messy bronze hair back as he stared, almost in amusement as she poured the coffee into her cup with inexplicable delight. She was far too busy feeling pleased with herself. If her hands had been free, she'd almost have been tempted to clap like a performing seal.

We are soon introduced to Edward as he offers to pay for Bella’s pastry. She is reluctant at first but when Edward knows her name, she relents. Bella moved to Forks at the end of her senior year but, unlike Twilight, she wasn’t acquainted with the Cullen’s.

She didn't know why he bothered to add that, even if he did know they'd graduated in the same year. He probably was aware of that- there were no secrets in Forks and every piece of gossip- especially one as juicy as the daughter of the Chief of Police suddenly arriving for the end of her senior year hadn't passed anyone by. But she nodded anyway, blushing as she tried to remember if she'd ever even spoken to Alice. Probably not- it had been easier to agree with Jessica when she'd said Alice was really weird- and there had definitely been something creepy about her boyfriend, Jasper. She knew Edward existed, but she knew she'd never met him. She'd remember if she had.

Edward is a photographer and is at the hotel because he walked in on his girlfriend cheating on him. He’s biding his time for her to pack her stuff and move out. Seeing as they are both alone, Edward invites Bella for dinner where they decide to drive to Forks together the next day.  As Edward drops Bella off, we find out that Bella has a boyfriend, Jacob, whom she failed to mention to Edward. Although, it appears that their relationship isn’t perfect in Bella's eyes.

Jacob barely waited until the door was closed before he pulled her back into his arms, back into the too-hot, smothering embrace. This time he let her retreat just enough that he could kiss her, though that felt forced and awkward too. Maybe that was to be expected after ten weeks apart, she thought as she tried to respond to him. Or maybe the absence meant that she should have been ready to throw herself into his arms and not let go.

She is confused, because it seems that she had feelings that Edward has evoked in her that she can’t exactly pinpoint.

As for the blushing and the weird reaction to him- maybe it was some kind of holiday virus. Something she'd picked up from the re-circulated air on her flight from New York. Or- since she had to concede it had mostly manifested itself around Edward- maybe it had been an allergy of some kind after all. Or maybe it was just plain exhaustion.

This story is told in the third person POV, which is very difficult to get right. Pingvingirl does get it right though. The story flows well and it is nice to get the back and forth of what they are thinking, without switching POV’s. She also brings elements in from Twilight but reshapes them to fit an AH story. So the ultimate question is, will the boy get the girl? Well, you will have to come and find out. At just 11 chapters in, now is the perfect time to start!

New Fic of the Week: 5/16 - 5/22

The Elusive Mr. Cullen by dariachenowith

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6972004/1/The_Elusive_Mr_Cullen

Review by Les16

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Bella is a high class escort, Edward her newest client. They soon realize that there's more between them than great sex and witty conversations. While Bella doesn't believe in fairy tales, her life seems to be turning into one fast. Or is it? AH/OOC

At only 4 chapters in, I have to say this story, The Elusive Mr. Cullen, more than lives up to its name. When I was asked to read this story for this week's review, I have to admit, I did an embarrassingly giddy happy dance. If you've read some of dariachenowith's other amazing works, you surely understand why. She is incredibly talented, with a unique way of approaching even the most taboo of topics with class and wit, and The Elusive Mr. Cullen, thus far, is no different.

dariachenowith writes complex, multilayered characters and she tells you that up front. Her Bella and Edward aren't your typical Twilight fare, so be ready for that going in, but also be prepared to be find yourselves involved in what makes them tick right from the get go. Case in point - the very first line of the story:

Women are complicated. Men are easy. I prefer easy. That's why I'm a whore.

Bella Swan in The Elusive Mr. Cullen, is indeed a whore. A high-class one to be sure and she's not the least bit embarrassed about what she does either. dariachenowith's Bella is refreshingly bold and confident and as honest as she can be considering her line of work. I love that. She's learned from the best seeing as Rose is her Madam and there is definitely a love/hate relationship there that I can't wait to see more of.

We meet Mr. Cullen in Chapter 2 and the chemistry between the two is immediately apparent.

He's in his mid-thirties, tall, trim, attractive, very easy on the eye, but it's his obvious confidence that draws me in. I like men who know what they want, and it only takes a second to see that he is definitely one of them.

Of course, if you're like me, the very first question that pops into your head is why on Earth does someone like him need the services of someone like Bella? During their introduction it is also apparent that there is a connection there, and on a level that goes beneath the sexual, though there is no doubting that either. Especially because after the preliminary introductions are over, Edward asks for Bella to masturbate in front of him. A request she is most willing to fulfill.

"Why don't you show me how you like to be touched? I want to watch you make yourself come right here in front of me on the table."

"Now we're talking," I whisper, then extricate myself from him.

If you have any question about Bella's confidence in herself, don't.

I have one rule, mostly to myself – I don't fake. I love sex, or else I wouldn't do my job. When a client wants me to come for him, I do.

The rest of their first night proceeds much the same way, after he takes her to dinner where they engage in adult, sometimes flirty conversation. This is going to be an interesting match to be sure and I'm dying to see where dariachenowith takes this story. So far it has the perfect blend of strong characters, brilliant dialogue, a bit of intrigue, and some very hot, steamy lemons. Give The Elusive Mr. Cullen a try. Knowing her other work, this one is going to be every bit as good, and as a bonus she's updating on Tuesdays and Fridays, so hurry and read. You have plenty of time to catch up!

Completed Fic of the Week: 5/16 - 5/22

My Brother's Wife by mostly a lurker

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6338343/1/My_Brothers_Wife

Review by AnonymouslySufferingfromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Tragedy/Romance
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Homesteading on the prairie in 1864 is austere, beautiful, and deadly. Can Edward and Bella survive the hardships and flourish? AU/AH EPOV Originally an entry in the Age of Edward contest, now revised and expanded.

My Brother’s Wife is a short 3 chapter story about Edward, mostly, and the trials he faces after moving his family West. The story begins with Edward married to pregnant Alice, they have already have 3 children, Bea, Mattie and Sam. After tragedy strikes and they lose Bea to an accident, Alice and Sam become ill and don’t survive. Losing the love of his life and his children has been hard on Edward. He and 9 year old Mattie make a visit to his brother’s land only to find that his brother Emmett, and 3 of his children dead also.

After making a promise to Emmett that if anything ever happened to him he would take care of his wife Bella and their children, Edward immediately feels responsible for them. Unfortunately mix that with a very stubborn Bella who has always clashed with Edward and you have a whole lot of frustration.

"I know, Bella," I said in a voice meant to calm her. "I've wanted to talk to you about that very thing. If we're going to survive this winter, we have to work together."

"We don't need your help. We can do just fine on our own, thank you very much."

"That's not what I was saying..."

"I don't want to hear it. I've said my piece and I'm going home. You are not welcome on our property."

"But, Bella, I promised Emmett..."

"Don't you ever speak his name to me again. Do you hear me? I've had to put up with you all these years because you were his brother, but now he's gone and I don't ever want to see your face darken my door. Goodbye, Edward." She whirled and started back the direction she'd come.

"But, Bella..."

She whirled back and glared at me fiercely. "Goodbye, Edward," she hissed, and left me standing there on my own with my mouth open.

Emmett, need your help here. She's your wife. I know I promised, but she's forbidden my help. What do you want me to do now?

In answer, the heavens opened up and rain spilled from the sky.

After several months Thomas, Bella’s equally stubborn but very loyal son seeks out his Uncle Edward in order to help his sick mother, who has been refusing his help.

Edward and Thomas journey in the snow to save Bella and bring her back to Edward’s home where he and Mattie can take care of her better.

This story provides us a look at a very unique Bella; she is a very proud, very stubborn woman who is very angry that her husband has left her alone. She was very deeply in love with Emmett and it takes her time to come to terms with his death, hoping at one point to die herself.

Edward however is a bit more timid then we are used to seeing him, he too has a stubborn streak and eventually has to out stubborn our fair Bella.

"You have caused me to lose my temper and shout at my daughter. Get back in bed. This minute!"

 

"And if I don't?"

"I will put you there forcibly."

"You would hold me here against my will."

"I would, and I will," I said moving towards where she stood against the wall, clinging to my coat. Thomas came in the door at that moment.

"Thomas. We're leaving. Right now. Help me." She reached for him, but before she could touch him, I bent forward, grasped her waist, and threw her over my shoulder. I turned and bypassed the cot by the hearth, carrying her to my bed in the corner. I threw her down on the corn husk mattress none too gently. Her eyes blazed into mine with defiance and surprising strength. She moved as if to rise again, and I held her down by her shoulder.

"Thomas, bring me the rope, son."

While the story is dubbed Tragedy/Romance, mostly a lurker does a good job at throwing in a few humorous parts here and there, as well as some flashbacks, that help us to better understand the way things are/were. My Brother’s Wife, does give us a HEA, once our Bella and Edward both get their stubbornness under control we see them become the couple we all know and love.

WIP of the Week: 5/16 - 5/22

Going Under for the Third Time by busymommy

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6355663/1/Going_Under_for_the_Third_Time

Review by Agrutle

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Romance
Characters: Jasper/Bella

Summary: Jasper is a surf bum trying to escape his past, Bella is a graduate student trying to find her future. Will a chance meeting during a surf tournament pull them under for the last time? AH/AU/non-Canon/ rated M for lemons, language, themes

Starting this story I almost instantly fell for this Jasper. He is a surfer, swoon!! Now, he’s not without his demons but he is laid back and easy going. Emmett is his best friend and they travel all around with the surfing circuit. Jasper has decided that he is going to go back to school in Virginia. While there we meet Edward, Emmett’s cousin, who recently became a professor at the same school Jasper is enrolled in to attend. Together the boys find a house to live in and become roommates and eventually friends.

Red…Orange…Flickering…Devouring…

The fire burned out of control. The little red convertible was enveloped in flames and the firemen's efforts were ineffective. I tried to move closer, but someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back. The heat from the fire hung in the air, as stifling as the billowing smoke that choked out the light from the moon. The flames grew higher, licking at the drought-dry trees that the car had careened into. A second fire hose was directed at the dried grass and timber, in an effort to prevent the wildfire that was building. I screamed her name, over and over, as the police officers tried to convince my mind what my heart already knew. Maria was gone and I had killed her.

Jasper is plagued by nightmares, as he tries to start a normal life. School, friends, but all of that doesn’t leave room for a girlfriend, right? Meeting Bella has made him rethink all of that. When he meets her he doesn’t know what to say so he does nothing. He thinks he has blown his chance, but being attacked by another surfer with a grudge causes him to see that she does have feelings for him, and they act on it.

Unable to help myself, I leaned down and brushed a light kiss across her lips. "Good morning, beautiful." I whispered against them.

"It wasn't a dream brought on by too much alcohol, was it?' she asked, her eyelids drifting shut again as she placed a hand over her mouth to hide a yawn.

Chuckling, I brushed her sleep-tousled hair away from her face. "Depends on what you remember."

"I…" she began, sliding up to lean closer, "remember…" she placed a hand on my cheek and one on the sofa arm to brace herself, "this." And she pressed her lips to mine, nipping my bottom lip and opening to my tongue as I teased across the bow in her top lip. Deepening the kiss, I pulled her closer, but winced again at the pain that shot through my body. Feeling my body tense up, Bella reluctantly pulled away.

After all that he is feeling he knows it’s too much for him to handle. He wants to get better and with the help of his new friends and Bella, I hope he can do it. This author has a great way of explaining the surroundings so that you can see it all in your mind like a movie playing. We have only hit the tip of the iceberg on this story and I know that there is so much more to come. Come get in the water while it’s warm. I’m sure Surfersper will welcome you with open arms; maybe even take you for a ride on his surfboard.

One Shot of the Week: 5/9 - 5/15

Ornamental Faith by TwireaderAbi

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6597595/1/

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Horror
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Edward's tortured soul hurts all that much more deeply on the most sacred of all holidays. Who will he take with him as he paves the road to Hell with the best intentions? O/S Winner in the Nightmare Before Christmas Contest. M for violence&sexual content

Writer Submitted Fic: 5/9 - 5/15

Once Bitten, Twice Shy by CereuleanBlue

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5698597/1/Once_Bitten_Twice_Shy

Reviewed by AnonomouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: AU, Bella x Edward, Bella was taken by James and held captive for weeks. She returns home with a special gift. Who was her mysterious savior and what is the cause of her new powers? Will she find the answers she needs in her new home in Forks?

As the summary states Once Bitten, Twice Shy is a totally different Twilight universe where a 17 year old Bella, who hasn’t even met our favorite of the Cullen’s yet, is kidnapped and held captive by James and his cohorts for a month. He treats her as if she is his pet and she is repeatedly bitten and abused. Rescued by someone who she thinks is an angel, Bella has become unique. Not quite a vampire but not quite human she has to learn to live with gifts that she has been given and to trust what she has learned to fear.

After trying to stay in Phoenix with Renee for several months after being found in the desert, Bella decides she needs to get away from the place where it all began. Her memories of being tortured by James are too haunting and since Phoenix is where she met her captor, she decides to pay Charlie a visit in Forks. Bella who as we know tends to stick to her decisions once they are made, actually has no desire to return to Phoenix and decides to start back to school in Forks.

"Well, umm . . . Actually . . . I was wondering if well . . . You wouldn't mind if I kind of stayed here with you for awhile. I mean Mom is kind of busy back at home, and I promise I won't. . ." She spoke quickly, her words stumbling over each other like stones tumbling down a hill.

"Whoa, wait a minute. I don't know, Bella. What did your mom say?"

"I haven't talked to her about it yet." Bella looked down at her hands folded in her lap. She hadn't spoken a word to Renée about her plan to stay here with Charlie. She expected that debate to go about as well as a root canal.

In this story, Bella is fully aware of vampires and what they can do, she immediately knows what the Cullen’s are as soon as she sees them, but they are more then perplexed by her.

The door opened as another group of students entered the classroom. A breeze caught her scent and blew it toward Edward's waiting nostrils. His throat stung from the smell of the blood pulsing through her veins, but something in the scent wasn't right. It was different than that of any other human he had encountered before, almost as if it had been diluted with something strange. The smell drove him mad with curiosity.

First the silence, and now this? What is this Bella Swan?

She glanced around the room and caught his stare. He heard her heart begin to race when her eyes made contact with his. What was causing her to react this way? Did she know something?

Cereuleanblue does a good job at weaving in some of our favorite parts of Twilight but changing things up enough that we really don’t know what to expect. We have many of the same enemies but we lose a lot of the messiness. This is also a more skittish, and actually if it is at all possible, a shyer Bella but really she was held captive as a vampire’s pet for a month. This story also shows Bella as more mature, she doesn’t immediately fall head over heals for Edward, but she does know that she is very drawn to him. Of course, don’t worry, there is plenty of romance and Bella does finally figure out what she feels for our favorite Mr. Cullen.

As we watch Bella grow to trust the Cullen’s more and more and understand that not all vampires are bad we also get to watch her learn more about herself. She has some unexplained gifts from her time with James, like super human strength, speed and even the ability to hear others thoughts. Thankfully, Carlisle is around because he knows where and how to get answers when he needs them.

"Well? What do you know?"

Carlisle walked from his position at the foot of the bed to stand beside Bella. Edward stood planted in the same spot his eyes fixed on Bella's face as Carlisle began to speak.

"Before I answer you, I have one more question to ask."

"Go ahead."

"Have you ever tasted vampire blood?"

The question sent a shock through Bella's mind. How could he know? She sat silently afraid to answer him for a second and merely nodded without speaking. She looked at Edward's face, and the shock that resided there said more to her than any words would ever say. He almost looked afraid of her.

"Bella, this is a lot for even me to take in. I am going to tell you everything I know. I have already shared what I have learned with Edward. Do you mind Alice hearing as well?"

Bella’s battle with acceptance is only the beginning for her, as if surviving a month of torture with James wasn’t enough, she has to fight with herself to overcome her fears, she has to convince the wolves that she isn’t a threat to them, and she has to face the ones who were a part of James’ life before his demise.
Edward struggles with wanting to keep Bella safe and by his side at all times without smothering her or making her feel uncomfortable. When he realizes he is in love with her, his need to mate with her is hard to control. Pair that with a very independent Bella who thinks vampires are bad, and you have an interesting mix.

This is a great story that is different than other vampire tales and I think you will enjoy where this one will take you. You will notice that the end of this story brings a cliffie, however it is, of course, explained by cereuleanblue’s plans for a sequel.

New Fic of the Week: 5/9 - 5/15

Music of the Night by theladyingrey42

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6859831/1/The_Music_Of_The_Night

Review by Dragonfly336

Rating: M
Genre: Drama/Romance
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: He seeks atonement through music. She seeks solace in an unseen world behind the curtains of a stage. What they end up finding is each other. Written for JAustenLover and Durameter for FGB:Eclipse. AU / BxE.

Music of the Night is the new story by theladyingrey42. It is loosely based on The Phantom of the Opera, with each chapter title being one of the songs from the musical. The story starts off with a canon Edward, awakening in 1918 to his vampire life.

In 1918, Edward Masen wakes from a sleep of fire and ash, his eyes opening to stare up into a cold, golden gaze. For a moment, there is disorientation. Silence.

 And then the world is a cacophony of sound. Voices. Darkness. With his hands over his ears, Edward finds himself in a crouch in a corner of a room he doesn't know, the floor tiles cracking beneath his feet as he shifts. The golden eyes are in front of him again, one voice ringing out just slightly louder than the others. After a few moments that feel like hours, Edward realizes that this voice, alone amongst the hundreds waging war inside his skull, matches the motion of the lips before him.

The person behind the lips before him is Carlisle, taking on his role of Edward’s creator. Among all the wisdom that he bestows upon Edward about his new “unlife”, Carlisle also tells him that he should keep his human memories close in his first year so that he won’t forget his humanity. Carlisle brings a piano home and leaves it for an unsuspecting Edward, which sparks very vivid memories from his childhood and playing side by side with his mother.

The first note fills the room and his empty chest, but it is accompanied by a crack and the smell of fresh ivory as it is exposed to the air. The second is equally satisfying but more sour, the end distorted by a piece of wire stretching and then snapping. The third hears the breaking of a hammer and the obliteration of a key, and Edward is already relearning all over again that vampires cannot cry by the time his hands move automatically for a chord that he remembers his mother teaching him.

As the three keys depress at once, the entire front of the piano collapses, a host of wires surrendering en masse to the call of non-being, steel and wood all giving. With a dry sob, Edward looks at the destruction his monstrous hands have wrought through the blur of dry, unsatisfying sobs, his fist coming down on the top of the piano as he abruptly stands.

He flees back into the woods, leaving behind him the shattered ruins of the piano, and with it, the broken shards of his lost memory.

Of his love.

And of his humanity.

I love that theladyingrey shows him not being in control of his vampiric strength and lets us feel his frustration.


Some things are very true to canon in this story, such as Carlisle changing Esme and bringing her into their home while Edward feels abandoned by his companion. She does veer away, when Edward decides to break away from Carlisle and Esme, before Rosalie comes along, to succumb to his true vampiric nature.

Over the course of many years, Edward revels in killing humans to becoming loathsome of his true nature. Although, instead of returning to Carlisle and Esme, he finds his salvation in a small theater.

The steps that take him to the bench are silent and swift, and his unsteady breathing is calmed slightly when he manages to sit without incident, the wood failing to creak or to crack under his weight. Edward does not even dare to blink as he lifts a cold white hand to off-white keys, pressing down so subtly. So gently.

The warmth that moves through him at the resulting note is almost as powerful as that of the sun, and Edward exhales raggedly, unnecessarily, with the lifting of a weight that has hindered him for so long. A second soft, musical tone rings out, and then a third and a fourth. Stinging with venom, his eyes cloud and close as finally he dares to make a chord. And then another.

And before he knows it, lost in memories of his mother and of love and of home, Edward is playing. There are old songs and silly songs. Songs that haven't even been written, but which flow from his hands like water. 

Like blood.

And like blood, the music sustains him. Beneath the slowly rising notes, there is a silence he has never known, the thoughts and voices outside of the theatre slowly fading until it is just him and his memory.

Soon we meet Bella, an eleven year old girl who desperately wants to be part of the choir, but is rejected. Through a series of letdowns in her life, she becomes a shy, withdrawn girl who eventually moves to Forks for her senior year of high school. It is there that she decides to take another shot at her dream of being onstage, only to get laughed at by her peers.

 After leaving in tears, Angela Weber introduces Bella to the world of working behind the scenes. Eventually going to college to study theatre production and stage craft, she ends up with a job building sets and working backstage. It is there that she hears a beautiful voice belonging to a beautiful man with golden eyes.

Music of the Night is only three chapters in and theladyingrey does not disappoint. I have always admired her writing style and she goes above and beyond with this story. Please go read it and become swept away with Phantomward.

Banner by JaimeArkin

Completed Fic of the Week: 5/9 - 5/15

Forbidden Muse by Chocolate Lover 82

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6632922/1/Forbidden_Muse

Review by phoebes.promise

Rating: M
Genre: Drama/Romance
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: When Edward Cullen had to return home after two years in Italy, he never expected to find new inspiration in a woman that was off limits. AH, ExB. Originally written as an entry for the Pick a Pic Challenge

The title alone elicits shades of sensuality, of passion desperate to be realized… Forbidden Muse, the first and fabulous fic by Chocolate Lover 82 offers those themes and more. Beautifully written and vividly descriptive, it is a perfect short story to awaken the heart and senses.

Originally offered as a one shot for a contest, Forbidden Muse was thankfully extended to five full chapters, rich with narrative and varying points of view. Layered, fresh characterizations provide palpable emotions throughout. Edward is the quintessential, creative wayward son with an ache in his soul. He exists in stark contrast to his business minded, fiscally driven brother, Emmett. Though deeply connected to his mother, he’s stifled by his family’s manner and expectations.

The story opens as Edward is called home by an illness in the family. For peace and respite he frequents a public park with his sketchbook… one such afternoon visit deems fateful. He spots a beautiful, mysterious woman who will alter his being forever.

As much as I tried to sleep that night, the memory of that girl kept me from it. Finally, I gave up and went to look for my sketchbook. I sat all night drawing her; her lips, legs, her hands and never feeling satisfied with any of them. There was something that was missing from them … her eyes. I realized I never saw her eyes and that was what was missing from all of my sketches: A soul.

I could see more details of her face now; the color of her lips was a beautiful shade of cherry; the softness of her skin, the shape of her eyes, jaw, nose. Her cheeks were a little pink, maybe from the laughing with the little boy and the little rays of sun that illuminated her face from where she sat. When she turned to go back to reading her book, our eyes met for a moment and I finally got to see her. Truly her.

Life and love are never so perfectly poetic. Edward barrels heart first and head last into the moment of forbidden truth… He officially meets his Bella.

As they talked and laughed about things I neither knew nor cared about, I turned to meet Emmett's fiancée. When I saw her standing there, it felt like I was punched in the stomach. Standing there in a red dress, looking even more beautiful, was my 'Book Girl' and standing next to her was Emmett with an arm wrapped around her waist.

Realization hit me even stronger at that moment: 'Book Girl' was here and she was my brother's fiancée

A studio breathing creativity, sensuality and possibility becomes the setting for romantic discovery. Bella becomes Edward’s subject, his inspiration… his muse. A bond blooming under the worst of pretenses, yet so strong, it’s impossible to deny…

From Bella…

“Your skin is so soft. I've tried to get it right in my paintings, but I'm never satisfied with the way it turns out. Feeling it against my skin tonight, I realize that'll never happen." He was looking at his hand as it caressed my skin with such amazement, as if it was the first time he had ever touched me. Like I wasn't even real and would disappear at any second. I hated that he had reasons to actually believe this.

Reality looms, the secret lovers must confess if they want to move from the darkness. Disappointing and breaking hearts all around is painful, but necessary. In an intensely palpable scene, the truth surfaces…

I looked around the room and took notice of this beautiful table, the delicate china, a wedding gift for Esme and Carlisle, and the silverware that accompanied it. The remnants of the delicious meal we had been eating until a few moments ago were still on our plates and I could still smell the scents of the food in the air. Everything looked the same as it did every time we had been there eating with Esme and Carlisle, yet there was this intense feeling of loss in the air oppressing my chest. Was this my last time in their company? I wanted to commit everything to memory, not just the things that surrounded me, but the moments we had spent there, the talks, the jokes, the laughs. All gone now.

I turned to Edward and saw him gazing at the door, tears in his eyes, with such intensity, as if through force of will, he could make her appear to tell him all was forgotten or at least forgiven. I could feel his pain at Esme's words and at that moment there were no words to tell him that could make it better, not even telling him that I loved him, not after this.

So I just squeezed the hand that, through it all, hadn't let go of mine and brought the other one to his heart, while resting my head on his shoulder. It was the only way that I knew to tell him I was there for him and that I loved him at that moment without overwhelming him.

Brothers battle ego and past demons as Emmett comes to grip with losing his fiancée. But Edward and Bella wage through the together, growing closer and dreaming of the future.

Our road had been far from perfect, handled in a way that hurt people we cared about deeply. Relationships that we probably could never mend completely again, at least not to the way they were before, but we were willing to wait for however long it took. In the end, I could truly say that it was a price we were willing to pay again, if it meant we could be together like this.

Even with the consequences of our actions, we were now facing a new future, one full of possibilities. It was exciting and scary and one that I knew I wanted to face with him by my side.

Edward often said that I was his muse, forbidden at the beginning, but one that inspired his life and brought him back to life again after years of darkness. He said that I was his light. And in him, I found life again as well. I had been sleeping for so long, just existing. He showed me that I didn't have to settle, that I was worth more than I was getting.

In the end, we were the sparkle that had been missing in each other's lives and hearts and I couldn't wait to see where that would lead us. What kind of new colors and light we would create together.

Brushes and strokes, shades and hues, peppermint and paint, Forbidden Muse stirs the senses as deeply as it ignites the heart. Weaving gorgeous imagery throughout a sensual, love story, Chocolate Lover 82 creates a textured journey of a sensitive artist and his beautiful muse…

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WIP of the Week: 5/9 - 5/15

Breach by Catastrophia

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6771746/1/Breach

Review by Obsmama

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Overworked lawyer Bella Swan gets help in the form of new hire lawyer Edward Cullen. Weber & Weber has a strict non fraternization policy. What Weber & Weber doesn't know won't hurt them. Rated M for some hot hard Lemons and language. AU/AH

Have you ever been told not to touch something and then all you wanted to do was touch it? Well so have Bella and Edward in the story Breach by Catastrohia. The thing they have been told not to touch is one another. So what do two smart lawyers do when the firm they work for has a strict non fraternization policy?

He was a cocky son of a bitch a lot of the time. I eyed him sideways, trying not to give myself away. After most people had left he had taken his suit jacket off, loosened his tie, popped the top buttons of his shirt open, and rolled up the sleeves. Why, oh why, did he have to look like that just feet away from me?

"With all of the times you have said 'fuck' tonight I think I know what you really want, what you need."

"Oh really? What is it that I need?" I asked, getting more pissed off and turned on at the same time. That couldn't be good.

"Cock. You need a fucking hard cock in your pussy."

Holy. Fuck. Did he just say what I think he just said? Sure did. My eyes were wide as my jaw dropped.

"Oh, and you are an expert on what my pussy needs?"

"Yes. And it fucking needs a cock in it."

"And what makes you think this?" I tried to keep my voice steady, but it wasn't working. He was right.

"I can tell."

"Well, fucking finish so I can go home and get off with Bob. He might not be flesh and blood, but he gets the job done."

His eyes darkened as I gave him the vision of me playing with my pussy and shoving a vibrating dildo in and out. Hell, the image was turning me on.

I didn't quite remember how we got here, but in a split second we went from arguing to me being pushed up against the wall. His hands pinned my arms to the hard surface and a shuddered breath escaped me. I licked my lips, my body lighting up at his aggressiveness. I watched his eyes darken before his face moved next to mine.

"Does that turn you on?" he whispered in my ear, his lips tracing the shell. I resisted the urge to turn my head in order to find his lips. I desperately wanted to. To feel them against mine, to taste him. Mmm, all of the ways I wanted to taste him. My body betrayed me, bowing into his.

"My, my, aren't you a naughty girl panting for it. Tell me, Isabella, are you a dirty whore that likes to be fucked?" he asked, his voice was deeper and slightly rough, sending tingles throughout my body. I would fuck him in our office. I would do whatever he wanted if he would just touch me. I wanted him. I needed him to take me and something inside told me he was up to the task. He could bring me the pleasure I could never find with anyone else.

His hips rocked forward pushing his rock hard cock into my stomach. My body was on fire. I couldn't think, I couldn't speak. How was he doing this to me?

"Answer me," he demanded, his hands swiftly pulling my arms above my head. "Are you a dirty whore that likes to be fucked?"

I sucked in a ragged breath. "Yes," I whispered.

This is a wonderful example of the push and pull, the fighting of desire and the ultimate battle of wills that you find in these characters. The author is quick on her feet and delivers lemons that I have never seen in fic before. The anger, the need and the sheer desperation roll off the screen. This story is not for the faint of heart, it deals with some serious sexual situations but everything is integral to the story line. This is a great example of a smutty story delivering an intriguing plot. I am captivated at what has brought these characters to the place in their life that has broken them so much. I also can see the love that is building between them and at the core this is a story of redemption and healing. Only nine chapters in so far and we are beginning the journey to love. Will all the hiding and hurt be worth it in the end? I can’t wait to find out!

Why was he punishing? He was punishing me for attracting him and letting him do what he wanted to me. Punishing himself for wanting me and doing what he wanted to do to me. Punishing us for our breach.

One Shot of the Week: 5/2-5/8

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by twilly

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6133973/1/The_Claiming_of_Sleeping_Beauty

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Family
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Addoooorable. And smutty. When an overnight rain cools things down, Edward heats things back up, claiming his sleeping beauty. A lemony, zero angst, fluff ball oneshot from the HEA. Judges' pick for the My Precious Fandom: Whose L