After living the enchanting life of a princess, Akane is tossing her tiara aside for her one true love! Playing the part of a servant to the inner palace is the only chance she'll have to see her beloved Aogi, a guard who remains confined with the palace walls. But scrubbing pots and pans won't bring her any closer to her boyfriend, so these star-crossed lovers will have to break all the old rules, and maybe make a few new ones of their own!--Cover....

Twenty-nine-year-old chef Katie runs a restaurant called Seconds; it's successful, but she dreams of starting a restaurant of which she can be part-owner. Katie is frustrated in her love life, having lost her boyfriend, Max, and construction of the new restaurant is moving slowly, with many setbacks and added expenses. In a desperate state, Katie discovers the house spirit of Seconds, a crouching sprite who lives off scraps who unwillingly gives her...

It is eight years after Colleen Cavanaugh's home world was invaded by the Derichets, a tyrannical alien race bent on exploiting the planet's mineral resources. Most of her family died in the war, and she now lives alone in the city.