Starvists

a new novel series by Dianna Berrian

They say never mix business with pleasure.
Maybe they were right…

Manhattan — the notorious concrete jungle of refugee dreamers trying to weave their way through cold cynics and rude expectations to take their shot at making it. For Julianna Leyva, taking her shot means putting everything on the line to open up her own art gallery in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Ambition landed her in the corporate office of the Museum of Modern Art, but fate brought her Derrick Hayes, an external affairs liaison and heir to an architectural dynasty who has spent his life searching for meaning in his work. The whirlwinds of romance whoosh them into a relationship that quickly adjoins with a business partnership when Derrick offers to fund Julianna’s gallery dream. Accepting his money feels like a betrayal to all of her hard work, but in her state of financial turmoil, there’s no way she can say no.

Suddenly, her life feels like an eerie dream come true - the perfect man, her dream gallery space, and he just so happens to have a brother who is an aspiring photographer that they can feature on opening night? Things are falling into place too easily and too fast. It’s starting to feel like she’s cheating at life.

Karma seems to catch up when she finally meets Maddox, Derrick’s brother and Julianna’s college boyfriend. He ghosted her six years ago, and it still haunts her, but her gallery is on the line. To save face, she pretends not to know him, a deception Maddox seems more than happy to play along with. But for how long? And is it worth jeopardizing everything just to keep their secret?