Inconvenient Marriage

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Annaliese

In Harmony Heights, there’s no such thing as a choice. At least, not when your family has ties to the Order of the Owed.

I always knew that there was a fine line between being one of the Offering and one of the Used. When the time came for the society to decide where I’d land, one tiny mistake means that I’ll never be more than a mistress… unless I find a husband first.

I’m desperate. To save my family’s position in the city—to save my sister—I need to belong to one of the Owed. I’ll do anything, even sell myself to the highest bidder. All he has to do is sign on the dotted line and I’ll be the best fake wife he could ever imagine, with all the perks and none of the commitment.

Sebastien Reynolds is the perfect man for the job. With a devil-may-care attitude and a disdain for being descended from one of the founding families of the Order, if all I have to do is share a house—and a bed—with him, I’ll do it.

I’ll do anything. Anything, but fall in love again…

Sebastien

I had an out. As the second-born son of a founding family, only my brother needed to take an Offering, have a kid, and try to continue the Reynolds name.

As Harmony Height’s biggest screw-up, I always knew that the best I could hope for was settling down with someone outside of the Order, having my fun with the Used, or simply accept that it’ll just be me, my bike, and a long drive out of the oppressive city that thinks it can tame me.

I sure as hell wasn’t going to marry one of the pristine, untouched women given only to the men who deserve them... but when Annaliese Crawford walked into an Order bar, her head held high, her eyes desperate, I would’ve killed every single guy in there to be the one she chose as her fake husband.

She asked for a year.

I already know I won’t settle for less than forever.

I had an out… but I don’t want it anymore.

I want Annaliese—and nothing will stop me from keeping her.

- a secret society that has its own laws and plays outside of any rules

- explicit sex scenes without any protection (and no pregnancy or scares, though Plan B is referenced)

- liberal use of the ‘my wife’ trope

- so many f-bombs because Sebastien reeeeally likes the word ‘fuck’

- on-page murder

-  off-page murder (including a staged suicide)

-  DV/grooming (from the antagonist)

- blackmail

- blood play

- orgasm denial

-  dubcon

- primal chase

- minor choking/hand necklace

- knives

- smoking

- drinking

- allusions to sex work (approved mistresses for the Order’s members)

- mentions of stalking/tracking/breaking and entering by the hero.