NINA Becoming the queen of a country is not part of Nina’s otherwise perfect ten-year plan. She may have graduated at the top of her linguistics program, but everything quickly unravels after that—and her cheating boyfriend is only the start. When the spontaneous family trip to Maldana turns out to be not so spontaneous after all, Nina’s father reveals that her long-deceased mother was actually the queen, and the Court wants her to ascend the throne. Yes, her. A hardheaded people-pleaser with an unhealthy obsession with french fries. She’s given the summer to decide if she wants to be the queen, to live her Roman Holiday fantasy and explore this quaint island and all its beauty—including her surly bodyguard whose empty eyes she’s determined to fill. WESLEY Wesley’s worth in organized crime was defined by how many lives he took. Haunted by the good man he once was, he narrowly escapes his life of death and darkness. He’s determined to rebuild his life and accepts his first ethical job in years: protect a secret princess whose sole mission is to irritate him. No matter how much he tries to keep his head down, Nina—the most stubborn genius he’s ever met—finds a way to lift his chin and show him that life has more joy and light than he thought. But when his mistakes come looking for revenge, Wesley must find a way to control his darkness without letting it poison his light.