"A gripping romantic suspense... Blending emotional intensity with high-stakes tension." — CANREADS BOOK REVIEWS
"An engrossing, captivating romance novel!" — JF
Amy Beckett was the perfect accessory for her fiancé James Devlin's high-society life. Until she wasn't. James didn't just break her heart; he leveraged it. Leaving her homeless, drowning in debt, and silenced by his ultimatum. And when the ruthless billionaire Harold Bancroft threatens to evict her beloved café Maddy's Place, Amy realizes she is one step away from losing everything.
Matthew Warren is the Senior Counsel hired to make sure she does.
Matthew is the most ruthless lawyer in the state. He wins in the courtrooms and bleeds in the shadows, haunted by a past he can't litigate away. He doesn't do love and he certainly doesn't do feelings.
His world of cold logic meets a fire he can't extinguish.
Matthew's cool professionalism slips when he witnesses Amy's pain, and the way he looks at her suggests he knows exactly what it means to be broken. What begins as a forbidden alliance deepens into an all-consuming passion.
Amy must trust the man who plays by no rules.
Matthew must prove he's nothing like the men who came before him.
But as Amy fights to protect her future, the ghosts of the past refuse to stay buried, forcing her to decide:
Is she brave enough to survive?
Or is love just another lie?
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
Pages: 460
ISBN: 9781777687489
Publisher: Resilient Heart Press
Categories: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Legal Romance
Romance Tropes: Forbidden Alliance, Alpha Protector, Hurt/ Comfort, Found Family
An award-finalist author of high-stakes contemporary romance, Joelle Habbaki writes for the resilient heart. She is drawn to the fracture points in life. To those devastating moments where everything breaks. And she believes the hardest chapters often lead to the most beautiful beginnings.
Best known for her Page Turner Award-nominated St. Austell Duet (Shattered and Surrender) and her acclaimed standalone Love Lies, Joelle writes for readers who crave real characters and protective heroes. She builds deeply immersive, emotional worlds where the journey to a "happily ever after" is hard-won, wholly deserved, and love is the only thing that can put the pieces back together.
Joelle’s storytelling extends far beyond the written word. When she isn't writing her next emotional wrecking ball of a romance, this independent creator is designing her own cover art, directing cinematic book trailers, and producing bilingual music that streams across more than 25 global platforms. She doesn't just write stories. She builds complete, immersive experiences, pioneering a new era of limitless creative freedom.
Official Author Website
Top 3 Romance Finalist, Inaugural CANREADS Book Awards 2026
"A gripping romantic suspense... Blending emotional intensity with high-stakes tension, it explores power, survival, and the risks of love in a world where truth comes at a cost." —CANREADS Book Reviews
"Love Lies pulls readers into a whirlwind of betrayal and vulnerability... captivating, intricate, gritty, addictive, emotionally charged high-angst romantic suspense." —Suzana, Reader Review
"Joelle’s writing is far more comprehensive, with such complex character development and storyline engagement, than one usually finds in this genre. Love Lies truly engrossed me." —Jane, Reader Review
"I loved the FMC and her journey of finding love again after healing from past hurt. The MMC is complex and has some standout moments... The ending was very satisfying." —Anna, Reader Review
"Matthew Warren is the hero we didn't know we needed." —M. Girlies Book Club
"There is something beautiful about falling apart to come back stronger... the personal growth in this book is evidently clear." —A, Reader Review
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