An arranged marriage with a doomed fae king. A court of shadows and secrets, where falling in love can be lethal. To broker peace between two fae kingdoms, I agree to marry the king of Evergorne Court, a union built on duty, not desire. I'm doomed to a life without love. 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 Warnings: blood, injuries, taking of a life, violence, class systems, poverty, hunger, grief, mourning the loss of a prior love, references to childhood trauma.