Fans of Game of Thrones and A Court of Thorns and Roses will fall in love with sweeping, epic Fantasy Romance by Elise Marion!
Sir Caden Maignart has been captured, beaten, locked in a dungeon, and wrongfully accused of kidnapping and oath-breaking. Determined to free himself and his men, and clear his besmirched name, Caden does not count on the willful nature of his captor, Lady Gwendolyn Toustain, the daughter of the man who was once his father’s mortal enemy. After several attempts at escape, the lady orders him bound and chained to a wall in her chambers—where he will remain under her personal guard at all times and kept from conspiring with his men. While the lady’s high-handedness infuriates him, Caden cannot deny that everything else about her drives him to distraction. Forced into close proximity with her, Caden soon finds it hard to remember his mission of escape.
When Lady Gwendolyn of House Toustain first lays eyes on her prisoner, one thing about him is abundantly clear: Sir Caden of Daleraia is a dangerous man. Yet, she must show him no fear. The captured band of knights from Daleraia are her only clue in the mystery surrounding the disappearance of House Toustain’s sons, and it falls to Lady Gwen to seek justice. Is this kidnapping merely the ploy of mercenaries out for a ransom? Or has Sir Caden acted on the order of the High Lord of Daleraia and broken the peace? As she searches for the answers, she never expects the surge of passion that ignites between herself and her prisoner. The longer he remains in her clutches, the more Gwen realizes that though she has him chained, she is the one who has been captured.
Caden Maignart must choose a wife and sire a son—a burden weighing heavily upon him as the firstborn son of a high lord. Weighing even more heavily is the notion of impending war, which has become a near certainty thanks to the volatile feud brewing between two families entrenched in hate. Caden knows that the key to mending things between their families lies in Lady Gwendolyn Toustain, the daughter of his family’s mortal enemies, but earning her trust will prove to be an uphill battle.
Gwen trusted Caden to help her convince his father that she was not the one who broke the peace between their two houses … a mistake that led to her becoming his prisoner. All hope is lost when it comes to forging peace between their houses; unless she relents and agrees to marry her captor. While passion and desire led her into Caden’s trap, Gwen is not certain she can bring herself to become his prisoner for life—in the bonds of holy matrimony.
Yet, the kingdom of Alemere is at stake, as are the lives of people they both love. Caden and Gwen will be forced to forge a path toward peace—not only within the realm, but within their complicated and volatile bond.
When the line becomes blurred between captor and captive, who will be the first to bend?
Peace between Daleraia and Dinasdale was hard won, achieved at a heavy cost. Yet, the alliance of two powerful families will hold the realm of Almere together, led by the example of Gwen and Caden Maignart, whose marriage marked the beginning of the treaty and resulting efforts to men a broken kingdom once again. Ravaged lands are being restored, tumultuous relationships have found firm footing, and two clans once torn asunder by war will discover common ground. All is well as the newly-wedded couple returns to Dilles Bothe to take up their seats as High Lord and Lady of Daleraia.
However, a foe they counted as defeated will rise again, putting at risk everything they have fought for. New alliances are made, with battle lines clearly drawn. A war they once thought avoidable now becomes inevitable. Prepared to fight to preserve the new alliance, Caden and Gwen will find themselves at the forefront as the entire kingdom turns to them for leadership. With everything and everyone important to them in peril, can they rise to the occasion and bring a war-torn realm back together once and for all?
Jarin knows he has done nothing to deserve Lynet’s love. A traitor and usurper, he has taken lives unjustly and committed treason against the realm. Yet, in Lynet he sees redemption and dares to hope he can become a better man. When a deadly plot against his family is uncovered, Jarin will face a choice between saving his own skin, or suffering the consequences of disobeying the terms of his banishment by returning home to set things right. Can the sullied knight atone for his sins and become worthy of forgiveness and love?
After a harrowing incident left her broken and hideously scarred, Lady Emery Calliot fully intended to avoid marriage. However, when her only living male relative and guardian signs her life away in a peace treaty, she is left with no other choice. Determined to keep her scars—both physical and internal—a secret, she seeks to place as much distance between herself and Leofred as possible. Yet, the more time she spends with her new husband, the harder hiding from him becomes. Emery will face a daunting decision: reveal her scars and the dark secret accompanying them to her husband and risk his disgust and scorn, or bare her secrets and find acceptance, love, and perhaps, the strength she needs to become whole again.
Achart never coveted his brother’s position, yet finds himself thrust into the role of lord after his death. Nevertheless, he is determined that one thing his brother had shall never be his … no matter how badly he might want her. His impending arranged marriage—sealed in a peace agreement with an enemy lord—cannot happen fast enough to suit him. If he is wed to another, he will not be tempted to claim the woman he has no right to desire or love. Achart will soon learn that even the ghost of his brother and a marriage of convenience could ever be enough to cleanse him of his need for Josaine.
A fiery dancer … When Esmeralda Amador steps into the king’s ballroom to perform for the prince’s twenty-fifth birthday, every eye in the room is upon her. One pair of eyes intrigues her most of all … those of Prince Damien, seeming to stare straight through to her soul. The two know nothing can ever come of their attraction; he is a prince, and she a Gypsy dancer. Yet, neither can seem to resist the passion that sparks when they are together, or the unmistakable call of destiny forcing their lives onto the same path.
However, love is not the only thing destiny has in store … With a deadly plot against the royal family surrounding him in danger and intrigue, Damien will face a decision he never thought he would have to make. Will he step up to claim a responsibility that should never have fallen to the third son? Or will he abandon it to risk all for love?
Previous published as The Third Son. Re-released in 2019 with all-new edits, content, cover, and title
When a devious plot against the royal family results in her husband’s death, Princess Isabelle Rothchester is left with a broken heart and an uncertain future. Only one year after his brutal murder, she has no choice but to choose a new husband and return to her own kingdom, taking her place as queen and repairing the war-torn land.
A wounded prince …
After a deadly scheme against his family leaves Prince Serge hovering on the edge of death, he awakens from a coma to find that his elder brother has died and his youngest brother has taken the throne in his stead. When it is suggested that Princess Isabelle take him as her husband, Serge begins to hope that all his secret dreams will now come true. He has secretly loved Isabelle his entire life, and the fact that she was promised to his brother has brought him no end of pain. Now, he has the chance to claim her for his own, hopefully earning her heart in the process.
An unexpected love and danger at every turn …
Despite the unexpected spark of desire between them, Isabelle resists the new path her heart is taking as she clings to her first husband’s memory. Can she let go of her past and learn to love Serge in return, or is she destined to a life tied to one man as she mourns the other?And in the midst of it all, the rebellion washing over Barony comes to a boiling point. Together, they must fight to save their kingdom … and in the process, each will unlock the hidden potential they never imagined they possessed, learning that they are truly stronger together.
With the war in Barony at an end, peace reigns. The lady knights have returned home, unchanged by new titles and lands. But with a rash of kidnappings spreading across the province, the warriors will find themselves torn apart by the machinations of a mad man.
Book 1: The Hellion Ava Longley, captain of the lady knights, never expected to become the target of a murderous madman. When a kidnapper is sent to abduct her, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to bring the mastermind to justice. To mercenary Julian Vincent, Lady Longley is no more than the means to an end. However, when sparks fly between them, Julian is faced with an impossible decision.
Book 2: Beloved After being sold into slavery by her king and washing up onto the shore of Cardenas, the friendless African Amazon, Mudiwa Akua, was taken in by Barony’s female soldier’s regiment. When her tranquil existence is disturbed and she finds herself on a ship bound for the exotic island of Martinique, Mudiwa faces certain death and possible enslavement for the second time in her life, dredging up ghosts of a past she’d long thought forgotten. When planter Isaac Prideux comes upon her, beaten and half-dead, he takes it upon himself to care for her. He never imagines doing so will shake up his monotonous life so completely.
Book 3: The Accidental Groom After the honored title of onna bugeisha begins to lose its power in Japan, Hanako Kiyomi sees no choice but to flee. But, when her deserted husband comes searching for her, she escapes him the only way she knows how: marriage to a stranger. Lord Garrick Overton has always admired the cool, stoic Hanako from afar. Marriage to the woman he’s desired for years seems like a good idea; until she proposes the marriage be in name only. As he sets out to win her heart, he faces not only a tough task but a begrudged man who will stop at nothing to win back what he has lost. Their courage will be tried. Their hearts will be put to the test. Can three headstrong women maintain their independent natures while surrendering to love?
A few months ago, Adrian was nothing more than the illegitimate son of a courtesan and a lord. After years of hard work, he’s finally saved enough to begin the modest but quiet life he’s always craved, hoping to leave the ghosts of his tormented past behind. When he sets eyes on the vivacious Gypsy woman dancing under the moonlight, Adrian knows that he has finally found the one who could make his dream of a happy future complete. But the strain of a responsibility he never wanted weighs heavily on him, as the demands of an estate left to him by his father press in on him from all sides. Can he survive trapped in a gilded cage he despises and still keep the heart of a woman who desires freedom above all else? With his vengeful half-brother bent on destroying everything he has inherited, Adrian will find keeping the balance between duty and love even more complicated.
Desmond Amador’s sister married the king of Cardenas, the son of a Gypsy dancer and a sailor became a titled lord with more wealth, land, and power than he could have ever hoped to possess. But, before long he discovered the true nature of both his adulterous wife and the gilded world of the royal court. Bitter and jaded after a public divorce, Desmond cultivates a reputation for himself as a conscienceless rake, one he wears as a badge of honor.
A desperate lady …
After the death of her father, Lady Anastasia Harden flees the only home she’s ever known to escape the clutches of her despicable cousin, who plans to force her into marrying him. When her escape goes awry, she finds herself penniless and without a friend in the world. Taking shelter within The Red Rose, a brothel catering to a wealthy and titled clientele, Anastasia faces a choice between working her fingers to the bone as a maid or earning wealth and comfort as the lover a dark lord.
A salacious offer will change everything…
Upon finding the enigmatic Ana working as a maid at The Red Rose, Desmond is determined to have her, and no price is too great. With an arrangement agreed upon, he thinks to indulge in a meaningless affair, but finds himself rapidly falling under Ana’s spell. As feelings of passion begin to develop into something more, he will be forced to acknowledge his growing love for her. Anastasia does not want to keep the truth of her past from Desmond, but the revelation would tear them apart. Yet, when that truth becomes a danger to them both, she is left with no choice but to reveal it all. Faced with the possibility of losing everything, Anastasia will learn that Desmond’s wild heart is not so easily captured, or tamed.
There’s just one problem. Alex enjoys being a bachelor and is in no rush to give up his lifestyle of freedom and debauchery. When his parents urge him to consider the eligible women attending an upcoming house party, he can think of nothing worse. That is, until he lays eyes on Lady Lucille Wakefield.
It’s been fifteen years since Alex last saw Lucille, and the annoying little girl he used to torment is now a woman…an infuriatingly high-handed shrew of a woman. Lucky for him, when his friends decide the lady is in need of a good debauching, he’s chosen as the man for the job.
Determined to win his bet by seducing her straight into bed, Alex pursues Lucille relentlessly. Too bad she’s not the least bit interested in him or his charms. Her family’s good name has been tarnished before, and she has no intention of risking it again for one night with a prince. However, when a sinister plot against the royal family puts her in harm’s way, she finds herself thrust right into Alex’s arms … and under his protection.
With both her reputation and heart on the line, can the roguish prince grow into the sort of man the reluctant lady deserves, or will Lucille keep her walls up, locking Alex out forever?
Ignoring the expectations of her status and sex, Princess Leila Rothchester has spent her life avoiding a future that requires her to marry for political gain. She would rather serve her country in a more active role. When her best friend goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Leila is determined to uncover the truth—a dangerous mission that will take her far from home and immerse her in a world of secrets and intrigue.
At the center of it all is Captain Warren Turner. A resident of a neighboring kingdom, he seems to play both sides of a brewing conflict, making Leila wonder where his loyalties lie. As Leila comes to know Warren, she begins to realize he isn’t what he seems. A man she thought of as her enemy becomes her ally, as well as the object of her desire—stoking to life feelings that Leila thought herself immune to.
As their mounting attraction blossoms into something more, Leila fights the inevitability of falling in love. After all, submitting to a husband will mean giving up her freedom, something she has vowed never to do.
However, as their mission puts them both in danger and pushes them closer together, Leila and Warren have no choice but to fight for their lives … as well as their love.