Apparently, ruining your own wedding in front of every Great House is “reckless.” In my defense, Marcus Hale brought another woman first. He called it strategy. The Council called it stability. My own House called it necessary.

Talia has spent years loving her best friend, asking for nothing more than the place she's always had in his life. But when family expectations corner Cassian into proposing a temporary marriage, she's suddenly offered everything she's ever wanted, just not for the reasons she dreamed of. They know exactly how their story is supposed to begin. It's everything after that refuses to follow the script. And when pretending starts to feel dangerously real, Talia must decide whether finally choosing her heart is worth risking the one relationship she's never been able to live without.