An arranged marriage with a doomed fae king. A court of shadows and secrets, where falling in love can be lethal. After the tragic death of the man I adored, I vowed never to love again. To broker peace between two fae kingdoms, I agree to marry the king of Evergorne Court, a union built on duty, not desire.Onboard the king’s ship, I meet his bodyguard, Lore, a brooding shadow of a man who’s maddeningly arrogant and too handsome for his own good. He ignites something wild and dangerous inside me, something I must resist at all costs.My new husband, King Merrick, is equally stunning. He makes me laugh, and to my surprise, he makes me hope. He offers me kindness, a chance to heal my wounded soul, and he ignites feelings I thought had died with my lost love.Yet, beneath the intoxicating beauty of Evergorne Court, darkness festers. Secrets weave a web of intrigue, leaving me tangled in a treacherous game where trust is scarce, and desire is lethal.Love could be my fiercest weapon, or the very thing that tears me apart.Bride of Ashes, Book 1 in the M/F Kingdom of Shadow & Ruin Series, is full of steamy romance, gothic suspense, and secrets that will challenge everything Reyla thought she knew about the fae world—and herself. Expect arranged marriage, touch her and die, bodyguard, alpha hero, masked ball, fish out of water, forbidden love, enemies to lovers, royalty, and secrets tropes.Trigger blood, injuries, taking of a life, violence, class systems, poverty, hunger, grief, mourning the loss of a prior love, references to childhood trauma.