The story begins at a dramatic moment: Tiberius, the brooding, battle-hardened hero, has just reclaimed his rightful throne after a decade-long coup. The castle is his once more, but peace is fragile. In a secret passage, he finds Guinevere, the daughter of the very family that ousted his own and orchestrated the death of his mother.

From this tense, loaded encounter springs a bold proposal—marriage. Tiberius, strategic and emotionally controlled, sees their union as the key to national unity. Guinevere, broken by a lifetime of emotional abuse from her power-hungry family, finds herself with few choices. Yet something in Tiberius—his strength, his quiet intensity—makes her feel safe for the first time in her life.

Their relationship starts as political, but the slow burn is rich with emotional tension and growing trust. What sets this romance apart is how well they communicate. Despite their painful pasts and baggage, they talk, listen, and work through their trauma together. There’s no manufactured drama—just two complex people learning to lean on each other.

The chemistry between them simmers with restrained heat, gradually turning into a passionate and affirming love story. Tiberius, in particular, stands out—a stoic yet deeply loyal hero whose sense of honor is matched by his capacity for love. Guinevere’s journey from fear and self-doubt to self-assurance is equally compelling.

Jackie Ashenden weaves a compelling enemies-to-lovers romance set in a fictional royal world, where vengeance meets vulnerability and duty blooms into love. This is an emotionally satisfying and beautifully written royal romance with high stakes, richly drawn characters, and a deeply earned happily-ever-after. If you love fairy-tale elements, emotional healing, and a powerfully protective hero, this one will hit the spot.

Good Strory. Tiberius fought and overturned the king of Kasimir who had taken over the kingdom from his father quite a few year ago. The Accorsi King had not been kind to his people or his daughter., Guinevere. Her brothers tormented her constantly, so she took to hiding in the walls. She knew all the secret passages and used them quite a bit. When Tiberius discovered her, he made her marry him, as he thought the people might accept him better if he married the young woman. What happened next is what the story is about. He thought he would only run a kingdom - she wanted to help him rule and grow to love her. She was tricky about getting her way with him and little by little he grew to love her (to his shock). The story was entertaining and I really enjoyed it

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

The H is a king who must unite his kingdom after a failed coup. He decides to marry his enemy’s daughter. The h had been mistreated by her entire family. And doesn’t know what to except from her new husband.

I received an ARC from net galley

I have been a fan of this author for many years, so when I see a new release, I grab it. Admittedly, I did not read the blurb, and found this to have a more fairytale-like approach to the storyline, which I don’t usually read. This is full of castles, reclaiming of a throne that was never meant to be lost, the heroine imprisoned by her family, etcetera, but the drama of the opposing families was entertaining.

Tiberius wasn’t expecting to find Guinevere hiding in a passageway, but decides to use her to his advantage. He convinces her to agree to marry him, to unite the country, and quell the unrest between the families. Based on her position, this makes sense, and their attraction and chemistry forms into a HEA, but not before they work through their personal issues. It was easy to enjoy this story, and I finished it quickly.
I recommend reading this, and others from this talented author.

My ARC was provided by Netgalley (thank you), and my thoughts are my own.

From forgotten, hidden daughter to Queen. Being Queen is better than being in a cell, right? Follow Guinevere Accorsi’s journey as she tries to find her way to her new husband’s heart. Newly crowned King of Kashmir, Tiberius Benedictus, doesn’t have time for anything other than the governance of his country. How can he love Guinevere when love of his country consumes him? Guinevere must find a way to love for the sake of both of their happinesses. I do enjoy books with happy endings!

This book does a good job of following a typical romance format. The tiny European country trope is a little forced in my opinion, but it works. The story line flows well.

I would encourage the author to write about Guinevere and Tiberius’s children’s lives and loves. I always like to read about the next generation. Thank you to Harlequin Romance Publishing for providing this book and selecting me to review it on NetGalley. These are all my own opinions. #netgalley #harlequinbooks #romance

This story reads almost like fantasy novel in the beginning, with. Larger-than-life man taking the ancestral throne away from the evil-doers, and marrying his arch-enemy’s daughter to unite the kingdom. This is no historical novel nor a fantasy novel. You’d have a hard time convincing a casual reader though. The secret passages help to provide that ambience!

The romance is somewhat hard to believe, but in a nice way. The way they fall for each other is also sweet.

Rating 3.5

Fairytale HP. Enemies to lovers theme. The hero had taken back his families rightful throne after a coup that took place about decade ago.. The heroine has lived inside the castle all her life. She had a horrible family that mistreated her, it was her family that instigated the coup.

Opening scene, Tiberius, the hero, has just taken the castle and throne back.

He finds the heroine (who is the daughter of enemy who ousted his family and killed his mother) hiding in secret a passage and confronts her.

He gets an of idea that could unitie his people, marriage to the heroine,Guinevere. He convinces her that it would settle the people's unrest and be good for the country to see the two families untied. She doesn't have many options and something about Tiberius gives her a sense of peace, so she agrees.

They both have family baggage and begin to slowly open up to each other. They are definetly drawn to each other and communicate well.

Their relationship evolves into great communication and partnership. Feelings grow and the chemistry is definitely there. They of course get their HEA. I like both the hero and heroine, but the hero's character was more to my liking.

It was well pace and written. Enjoyable read.