Forbidden Queen

1415: The jewel in the French crown, Katherine de Valois, is waiting under lock and key for King Henry V. While he's been slaughtering her kinsmen in Agincourt, Katherine has been praying for marriage to save her from her misery. But the brutal King is one of war. It is her crown he wants not her innocent love. For Katherine, a pawn in a ruthless political game, England is a lion's den of greed, avarice and mistrust. And when the magnificent King leaves her widowed at twenty-one she is a prize ripe for the taking. Her heart is on her sleeve, her young son the future monarch, and her hand in marriage worth a kingdom. This is a deadly game; one the Dowager Queen must learn fast. The players Duke of Gloucester, Edmund Beaufort and Owen Tudor are circling. Who will have her? Who will stop her? Who will ruin her?

An innocent pawn A kingdom without a king A new dynasty will reign… 1415. The jewel in the French crown, Katherine de Valois, is waiting under lock and key for King Henry V. While he's been slaughtering her kinsmen in Agincourt, Katherine has been praying for marriage to save her from her misery. But the brutal king wants her crown, not her innocent love. For Katherine, England is a lion's den of greed, avarice and mistrust. And when she is widowed at twenty-one, she becomes a prize ripe for the taking—her young son the future monarch, her hand in marriage worth a kingdom. This is a deadly political game, one the dowager queen must learn fast. The players—the Duke of Gloucester, Edmund Beaufort and Owen Tudor—are circling. Who will have her? Who will ruin her? This is the story of Katherine de Valois. "Anne O'Brien has joined the exclusive club of excellent historical novelists." —Sunday Express "An absolutely gripping tale that is both superbly written and meticulously researched." —The Sun

Her power is forbidden. But she's next in line for the throne. When Princess Kalleah is born with a forbidden magic power, her mother takes her into hiding to keep her safe. Now, at eighteen, she is back to claim her throne. People with Kalleah's deadly power aren't allowed into the city of Baylore, let alone the palace. If she is to rule, her people will need to overcome centuries of prejudice against the forbidden races. But the timing for her return could not be worse. Baylore was once a haven for the magic races that were persecuted and killed in other lands. Now, a small but dangerous group calling themselves Truthbringers have stirred up public sentiment against all magic--not just the forbidden races. If Kalleah can't claim her rightful place on the throne, the once-peaceful city of Baylore will fall to chaos. Hatred and bigotry threaten to overthrow everything Baylore once stood for. But as she seeks support in her bid for the throne, she faces enemies at every turn. Can Kalleah win the throne and hold Baylore together? Or have the Truthbringers already sown the seeds of discontent too deep?

Long ago the world fell into twilight, when the great empires of old consumed each other in sorcerous cataclysms. In the south the Star Towers fell, swallowed by the sea, while the black glaciers descended upon the northern holdfasts, entombing the cities of Min-Ceruth in ice and sorcery. Then from the ancient empire of Menekar the paladins of Ama came, putting every surviving sorcerer to the sword and cleansing their taint from the land for the radiant glory of their lord. The pulse of magic slowed, fading like the heartbeat of a dying man. But after a thousand years it has begun to quicken again. In a small fishing village a boy with strange powers comes of age . . . A young queen rises in the west, fanning the long-smoldering embers of magic into a blaze once more . . . Something of great importance is stolen - or freed - from the mysterious Empire of Swords and Flowers . . . And the immortals who survived the ancient cataclysms bestir themselves, casting about for why the world is suddenly changing . . .

From Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Vivian Wood comes a new royalty-best friend’s little sister-billionaire romance. Fans of Ruthless Reign by Aleatha Romig, Twisted Games by Ana Huang, and Cheeky Royal by Nana Malone will love this book. A princess whose rebellious nature has landed her in big trouble. The older brother’s incredibly sexy best friend who is tasked with watching her. An isolated cabin where he takes her that only has one bed. Princess Annika, known for her strong-willed and rebellious nature, finds herself in hot water again, caught by the paparazzi in a scandalous situation. In an effort to keep her out of the public eye, the royal family assigns Erik, her brother's best friend and a powerful bodyguard, to be her protector. Annika is devastated when she learns that she will be isolated with Erik in a remote cabin during the dead of winter. As they settle into the cabin, sparks fly between the princess and the brooding bodyguard. Annika's fiery temper and Erik's undeniable attraction to her create a tension that's hard to resist. Despite knowing that it's against his duty and loyalty to his best friend, Erik finds himself drawn to Annika in ways he never expected. Annika, on the other hand, is determined to break free from her royal constraints and find her own path. But the closer she gets to Erik, the more complicated her feelings become. Caught between her boundless desire for freedom and her sense of duty as a royal, Annika must navigate the treacherous waters of forbidden love. As their passion intensifies, secrets are revealed, and the fairy tale romance between a princess and a commoner grows hotter. Will Annika and Erik succumb to their feelings, risking everything they know for a chance at true love? Or will their loyalty to their royal obligations keep them apart? His Forbidden Princess is a tantalizing tale of forbidden love, simmering passion, and the complexities of duty and honor. If you're a fan of fairy tale romances with a twist, this standalone novel will captivate you with its rich and powerful characters, regal settings, and a love that defies all boundaries. Get ready to be swept away in this off-limits standalone story with a sizzling twist! Other Books In This Series: The Wicked Prince, Royal Fake Fiancé, The Royal Rebel Keywords: queen, princess, rich, wealthy, powerful, prince, king, royal, royalty, heir, inherit, regal, strong-willed, bound by duty, honor, freedom, love, dreams, abdicate, political marriage, protector, bodyguard, kingdom, realm, destroy, fairy tale, happily ever after, Cinderella, off limits, commoner Similar Books: Ruthless Reign by Aleatha Romig, Twisted Games by Ana Huang, Cheeky Royal by Nana Malone, Royally F*cked by Lexie Timms, Broken Prince by Theodora Taylor, Ruthless King by Meghan March, The Prince's Playbook by Pamela Dumond, The Billionaire's Princess by Ava Ryan, The Royal Arrangement by Jeana E. Mann, and The Bossy Prince by Lili Valente

One evening in 1588, just weeks after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, two young men landed in secret on a beach in Norfolk, England. They were Jesuit priests, Englishmen, and their aim was to achieve by force of argument what the Armada had failed to do by force of arms: return England to the Catholic Church. Eighteen years later their mission had been shattered by the actions of the Gunpowder Plotters -- a small group of terrorists who famously tried to destroy the Houses of Parliament -- for the Jesuits were accused of having designed "that most horrid and hellish conspiracy." In an unusual turn of events, the future of every Catholic they had hoped to save would soon come to depend on the silence of one Oxford carpenter, a man being tortured in the Tower of London for building priest holes, those bunkers in which the Catholic clergy hid from English authorities. Using contemporary documents, Alice Hogge's brilliant new book pieces together a deadly game of cat-and-mouse between priests and government spies, as Queen Elizabeth and her ministers fought to defend the state, and English Catholics fought to defend their souls. It follows the priests -- God's Secret Agents -- from their schooling on the Continent, through their perilous return journeys and their lonely lives in hiding, to the scaffold, where a gruesome death awaited them. To their government they were traitors; to their fellow Catholics they were glorious martyrs. It was a distinction that the Gunpowder Plot would put to the test. Ultimately God's Secret Agents is the story of men who would die for their cause undone by men who would kill for it.

Cruel beetle fashionista, Lucretia Cutter, is at large with her yellow ladybird spies - and she has a devious plan. Darkus, Virginia and Bertolt are determined to stop her, but Darkus's dad is dead set against their involvement. Hope rests on Novak, Lucretia's daughter and a Hollywood actress, but the beetle diva is always one scuttle ahead ...

She's lost everything-her throne, her home, and nearly her life. But her people still need her. When Kalleah flees for her life, leaving the throne to her enemy, she's not about to go into hiding. Her country is in trouble. Itrea's oldest enemy is back, poised to conquer the country that long defied them, and no one else realizes it. Unless Kalleah can raise an army of her own, her country will be taken without a fight. Larkhaven is where she will bide her time and gather support-but the coastal city is not the safe retreat she expects. Enemies have overrun Larkhaven, and they are silencing all who speak out against them. If Kalleah is to save her country, she must start with reclaiming Larkhaven. But her time is running out. Enemy reinforcements are on their way, and as soon as they arrive, the city is lost. War is coming, and Itrea is poised to fall. The chances of success are too slim-Kalleah's people are badly outnumbered and untrained. But Kalleah will not give up without a fight.

No one knows I'm possessed by evil... Everyone thinks that I'm a hero... that I've driven the darkness from the land. What they don't know is that I've driven it into myself. I'm fighting a curse that will lead to the death of all I love. Fortunately, my Fated Mate Iain senses something is wrong. When he learns about the curse, he vows to help. We must delve deep into the dangerous mysteries of my past in hopes of finding a cure. But as the darkness tries to drive a wedge between us, I don't know if our relationship will survive. Or if any of us will.

When Brisnay discovers that she is a part of a fantasy world and meets Nickolaus, her miserable life takes a turn for the better. A world where anything is possible becomes her refuge and sparks fly between her and Nickolaus. Just when she thinks she knows everything about the realm she was thrust into, she uncovers shocking truths that rattle her to the core. Betrayal. Hate. Envy. Deceit. Vengeance. Retribution. These are some of the things that Brisnay must face to fight a powerful, unknown enemy who is out to destroy her and strip her of the powers she's rightfully inherited. Brisnay realizes that she has no choice but to take a stand and must get revenge by fighting for the right to love.