It took Henry VIII 28 years, three wives, and a break with Rome before he secured a legitimate male heir. Yet he already had the illegitimate Henry Fitzroy. Fitzroy was born in 1519 after the King's affair with Elizabeth Blount. He was the only illegitimate offspring ever acknowledged by Henry VIII, and Cardinal Wolsey was even one of his Godparents. So just how close did he come to being Henry IX?
“Wow. C. E. Murphy is good. Court intrigue in an alternate Elizabethan-era fantasy world: realpolitik with the sex included.” –Kate Elliott, author of Crown of Stars In a world where religion has ripped apart the old order, Belinda Primrose is the queen’s secret weapon. The unacknowledged daughter of Lorraine, the first queen to sit on the Aulunian throne, Belinda has been trained as a spy since the age of twelve by her father, Lorraine’s lover and spymaster. Cunning and alluring, fluent in languages and able to take on any persona, Belinda can infiltrate the glittering courts of Echon where her mother’s enemies conspire. She can seduce at will and kill if she must. But Belinda’s spying takes a new twist when her witchlight appears. Now Belinda’s powers are unlike anything Lorraine could have imagined. They can turn an obedient daughter into a rival who understands that anything can be hers, including the wickedly sensual Javier, whose throne Lorraine both covets and fears. But Javier is also witchbreed, a man whose ability rivals Belinda’s own . . . and can be just as dangerous. Amid court intrigue and magic, loyalty and love can lead to more daring passions, as Belinda discovers that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. “C. E. Murphy vividly reimagines Renaissance Europe as a world both familiar and strange. Filled with intrigue and betrayal, her story is a chess game with six of seven sides, and I look forward to seeing what the next moves are.” –Marie Brennan, author of Warrior and Witch From the Trade Paperback edition.
Reyes O'Bannon lives a fairly quiet life, despite his role as the King's secretary. His days are filled with appointments, paperwork, and avoiding the romantic attentions of Kinnaird, the Duke of Keyes; attentions that become harder to ignore with each passing day... Then the Kingdom is attacked, and the nature and location of the attacks make it painfully clear there is a traitor in their midst. The attacks are further compounded by the sudden arrival of a man who claims to have a legitimate claim on the throne, a bastard prince who knows things from the King's past that no one else could know. As the problems increase, both within the palace and across the Kingdom, Reyes can only watch as Kinnaird is sent out to unravel the mystery and the King begins to fall apart.
She has a dragon, and she’s not afraid to use it. Nellie Dreessen is a kitchen maid in the palace of Regent Bernard of Saardam. She has worked for two kings and two regents, has seen two royal families murdered through magic, has seen ghosts and demons, and kept her head down like a good girl. On her fiftieth birthday, she receives her late father’s diary, which describes a magical item that is so evil, it needs to be kept in the church crypt: a box that contains dragon. Problem is, someone has stolen the box. Regent Bernard holds a banquet for his eldest son’s sixteenth birthday. Distinguished guests come from far and wide. Because she knows what the box looks like, Nellie discovers it in a nobleman's luggage. Removing the box from a thief’s room is not stealing, right? Not if you intend to return it to the rightful owner: the church. But someone poisons the nobleman, and everyone in the kitchen is a suspect. Nellie's friend in the church advises Nellie to flee with the dragon box. The Regent is on a mission to stamp out magic, and Nellie plans to do what she does best: keep her head down and hide. Problem is, the dragon has other ideas. A dark epic fantasy with an older female "midlife" protagonist. This book will appeal to readers of Robin Hobb, Sarah J. Maas and Trudi Canavan.
Dive into this enemies to lovers, roommates to lovers royal romance! I’d kill anyone who hurt her… even if that means forcing myself to stay away. A year ago I found out I was a long lost prince. But with one lie, that’s all been undone. Prince or pauper, I’m not going to stop fighting for my woman. She may be the only thing I can count on right now. I'll never stop fighting for her...no matter the stakes. I never meant to get in so deep with my roommate—but that doesn’t excuse what I did. I wanted to show her I was worthy of her. I wanted to give her everything. And most of all, I wanted to keep her safe. The thought of something happening to her makes me see red, makes me want to burn the world down to protect my love. But all she saw was the bastard. There’s more at stake than heartbreak. My life is in danger. Which means I can’t go back to Bryna. And I’m not the only one with secrets. (This is Book 2 in the Royals Undone duet.) Books in the Winston Isles Royal Saga! Cheeky Royal Cheeky King Royal Bastard Bastard Prince Royal Tease Teasing the Princess Protecting the Heiress Tempting the Heiress Return of the Prince To Love a Prince Bodyguard to the Billionaire The Billionaire's Secret London Royal London Soul Royal Playboy Playboy's Heart Topics: contemporary romance, romantic comedy, royal romance, billionaire romance, billionaire, series, romantic comedy series, comedy, comedy series, interracial romance, funny romance, laugh romance, modern romance, urban romance, new york, new york romance, wealthy, USA today, USA today bestseller, Prince romance, neighbor romance, best friends to lovers romance, city romance, smart romance, undercover bodyguard, neighbors romance, roommate romance, something funny to read, best friends in romance, brothers, Kinds, royalty, lighthearted romance, light romance, hot romance, nana malone, nana malone romance, proposal, proposal romance, engagement, engagement romance, free ebook, freebie, free book, free reads, free romance novel, free romance book, free billionaire book, romantic comedy books free, romance books free, billionaire romance for adults, billionaire romance books, contemporary romance free, funny romance, funny romance free, funny books free, comedy books free, rom com, hilarious, romance series, romance series, romance books, beach reads, new adult, college, funny, female, stories, sensual, sensual romance, alpha male, dominant male, hot guy, racy, billionaire romance free, sexy, heartwarming, heart-warming, family, love, love books, kissing books, emotional journey, contemporary, contemporary romance, romance series, long series, long romance series, wealthy hero, wealthy heroes, sassy, captivating romance, hot, hot romance, forbidden love, sparks, loyalty, swoon, mystery, action adventure romance, romantic suspense, suspense romance, action scene romance, action adventure romance. If you love, Carrie Anne Ryan, Geneva Lee, Laurelin Paige, Skye Warren, Rachel Van Dyken, Louise Bay, Jessica Hawkings, KA Linde, Vi Keeland, Karina Halle, Moica Murphy, then Royal Bastard is for you.
Dive into this enemies to lovers, roommates to lovers, royal romance! The second I saw her, I knew she was trouble… the kind I like most. Don’t cause an incident, they said. Don’t forget who you are. As if I could. A newfound prince, sure, but I’m still a conman at heart. And I’m nowhere near ready to say goodbye to the good times. So when my brother, the king, asks me to look after a diplomat’s daughter, I can’t say no fast enough. That aspect of my new life holds no appeal. That is, until I see her climbing out of a window with her dress tucked into her thong. She might just be my kind of girl after all. Messy. Adventurous. Feisty. Impossible to get out of my head. And that was before she became my accidental roommate. I just thought I'd mix business with pleasure...I didn’t plan to lose control of my heart. If only I can convince Bryna I’m not a total bastard. (This is Book 1 in the Royals Undone duet. Bryna and Lucas’s story continues in Bastard Prince) Other books in the Winston Isles Royal Saga Cheeky Royal Cheeky King Royal Bastard Bastard Prince Royal Tease Teasing the Princess Protecting the Heiress Tempting the Heiress Return of the Prince To Love a Prince Bodyguard to the Billionaire The Billionaire's Secret London Royal London Soul Royal Playboy Playboy's Heart Topics: contemporary romance, royal romance, black heroines, romantic comedy, royal romance, billionaire romance, billionaire, series, romantic comedy series, comedy, comedy series, interracial romance, funny romance, laugh romance, modern romance, urban romance, new york, new york romance, wealthy, USA today, USA today bestseller, Prince romance, neighbor romance, best friends to lovers romance, city romance, smart romance, undercover bodyguard, neighbors romance, roommate romance, something funny to read, best friends in romance, brothers, Kinds, royalty, lighthearted romance, light romance, hot romance, nana malone, nana malone romance, proposal, proposal romance, engagement, engagement romance, free ebook, freebie, free book, free reads, free romance novel, free romance book, free billionaire book, romantic comedy books free, romance books free, billionaire romance for adults, billionaire romance books, contemporary romance free, funny romance, funny romance free, funny books free, comedy books free, rom com, hilarious, romance series, romance series, romance books, beach reads, new adult, college, funny, female, stories, sensual, sensual romance, alpha male, dominant male, hot guy, racy, billionaire romance free, sexy, heartwarming, heart-warming, family, love, love books, kissing books, emotional journey, contemporary, contemporary romance, romance series, long series, long romance series, wealthy hero, wealthy heroes, sassy, captivating romance, hot, hot romance, forbidden love, sparks, loyalty, swoon, mystery, action adventure romance, romantic suspense, suspense romance, action scene romance, bwwm romance, romantic thriller, interracial romance If you love Karina Halle, Geneva Lee, The Swedish Prince, Nora Flite, Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland, Geneva Lee, max Monroe, Charlotte Byrd, M. Malone, Louise Bay, Monica Murphy, and Skye Warren, then Cheeky King is for you!
Anurag Anand is a Banking Professional from the city of dreams, Mumbai. His passion for writing is an offshoot of one of his favorite pastimes – cuddling up with an interesting book and embarking on a voyage of fantasy, severing all ties with the world around. His other bestselling titles under the banner of Srishti Publishers include: Reality Bites: A not to innocent love story, and The Quest for Nothing: Where love and deceit are on a collision path
Only seven minutes younger than Rolencia's heir, Byren has never hungered for the throne. He laughs when a seer predicts that he will kill his twin. But the royal heir resents Byren's growing popularity. Across the land the untamed magic of the gods wells up out of the earth's heart. It sends exotic creatures to stalk the wintry nights and it twists men's minds, granting them terrible visions. Those so touched are sent to the Abbey to control their gift, or die. At King Rolen's court enemies plot to take his throne, even as secrets within his own household threaten to tear his family apart. Political intrigue and magic combine in this explosive first book in an exciting new fantasy trilogy.
BOOK ONE IN THE BROKEN EMPIRE TRILOGY “Prince of Thorns deserves attention as the work of an iconoclast who seems determined to turn that familiar thing, Medievalesque Fantasy Trilogy, entirely on its head.”—Locus When he was nine, he watched as his mother and brother were killed before him. By the time he was thirteen, he was the leader of a band of bloodthirsty thugs. By fifteen, he intends to be king... It’s time for Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath to return to the castle he turned his back on, to take what’s rightfully his. Since the day he hung pinned on the thorns of a briar patch and watched Count Renar’s men slaughter his mother and young brother, Jorg has been driven to vent his rage. Life and death are no more than a game to him—and he has nothing left to lose. But treachery awaits him in his father’s castle. Treachery and dark magic. No matter how fierce his will, can one young man conquer enemies with power beyond his imagining?
From bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries comes the first dazzling novel in the sexy Royal Brotherhood series. Bound together by the royal father who denied them, the three half brothers form a pact to help each other achieve their every desire...including the women of their dreams. Miss Katherine Merivale is desperate to make a respectable match—if only her childhood sweetheart would propose! Until he does, she can't touch the fortune she's inherited. So the last thing she needs is notorious rogue Alec Black putting her proposed marriage at risk with his distracting, smoldering gaze and moonlit kisses. Alec, the Earl of Iversley—and one of three bastard sons of the Prince of Wales—is secretly searching for an heiress bride to pay his debts. Fiery Katherine seems the answer to his prayers, and her passionate response to his practiced seduction soon assures him that she is his. But Alec knows Katherine is looking for a love-match, and he wonders...what will happen when she discovers his deception?
