Crystal's Crucible

Logic governs science. Chaos governs love.

Crystal lives by the equation. As a dedicated researcher, she has spent years perfecting a life that excludes the messy variables of intimacy and family drama. After a string of disastrous relationships, she’s locked her heart behind a laboratory door, convinced she is finally safe.

Then she meets Adam Fairfax.

The chemistry is instantaneous, volatile, and entirely off-limits. As her lab manager, Adam is the one person who oversees her every move—and the only one who can dismantle her carefully constructed world with a single look. Crystal tells herself she can handle the heat of a professional attraction.

She is wrong.

As the magnetism between them crosses a dangerous line, a corporate conspiracy begins to tighten around their department. With a shadow war brewing in the halls of Aludel Pharma, Crystal must decide which of her own rules she is willing to sacrifice. In the heat of the moment, she is about to learn that some reactions
can’t be contained—and her life is in the crucible.

AVAILABLE NOW

About the Series: Crystal’s Crucible is the third instalment of the Phoebe Braddock Books. While each novel centres on a unique cast of characters, they are the creative works of Phoebe Braddock (introduced in I Heart Mr. Collins). For the best experience and to catch the subtle interconnections between the stories, reading in the recommended series order is encouraged.

• Book 1: I Heart Mr. Collins (The Origin)
• Book 2: From Prying Eyes (A standalone scandal)
• Book 3: Crystal’s Crucible (A standalone trial by fire)
• Book 4: Undeniably Wrong (A prequel to Book 3 with a cameo from Book 2)

 Content Warning:

Please be advised that Crystal’s Crucible is a gritty contemporary thriller containing themes that may be challenging for some readers, including:

• Complex Consent: Exploration of high-tension romantic dynamics where boundaries are blurred.
• Graphic Violence: Scenes depicting physical altercations and intense peril.
• Sexual Assault: This narrative includes a depiction of non-consensual encounter(s).
• Substance Use: Realistic depictions of drug use within a corporate or criminal context.
• Corporate Conspiracy: A central plot involving professional betrayal and dangerous secrets.
• Language & Content: Contains explicit sexual scenes and coarse language throughout.