Princess Isolde de Lara is trained in combat, sleuths around enemy war camps, and enjoys the occasional nighttime stroll of killing zombie-like beings. Clair, knows her readers aren’t here for the maiden-to-maiden headless trope. USA Today bestselling author, Scarlett St. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. Enemies to lovers, forced marriage, and plot twists with a truly otherworldly femme fatale makes The Bridge Kingdom an engrossing read. Yes, the cover is divisive, but don’t let that stop you. The spice is a slow build with ample simmer - and by book two you don't even blink when an operation to stop an infected leg turns into a guilty, angsty bang. The world-building (poisonous jungles, pirates, misty islands, desolate deserts with hidden compounds) created by Jensen is lush and seductive, and the witty banter of dialogue doesn’t disappoint. Lara is more than willing to play her part, if only to save the starving people of Maridrina.

King Silas sends Lara to marry the new king of Ithicana, Aren Kertell, as part of an old peace treaty and to take control of the famous bridge of Ithicana, which makes or breaks a country due to trade routes - oh, and to kill her new husband. At five years old, she’s pulled out of the harem she was born into, along with many of her sisters, to be raised into a cunning and brutal assassin. Lara Veliant is a princess of Maridrina and one of the many daughters of the cruel King Silas. There are three books in The Bridge Kingdom series and the emotional investment readers have for the main characters is a testament to Jensen's ability to create sexy but flawed protagonists you can’t help but stan. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. There’s action, violence, political intrigue, vampires/gods/primals/shapeshifters, horrifying snake-filled zombies, and an Amarantha-esque queen to keep the action moving. The six-book series (four are presently out) builds in sexual content, and in the third book, readers finally get a scene that has been set up since book one. The series' female protagonist, Poppy, is introduced at the start of the series as “The Maiden” but becomes anything but by the final of book one. It’s as if “Under the Mountain Rhys” morphed into a Vlad-the-Impaler type vampire/god with a dark sense of humor and fetish for women wielding swords, but also extremely compassionate - fiction men are wild like that.

He’s twisted in the most deliciously depraved ways. If you’re looking for a male love interest that rivals Rhysand in debauchery, then enter Hawke. From Blood and Ash (FBAA) is one of the top recommended series to overcome your ACOTAR hangover - and for good reason.

Adrian x isolde