Kings of Ruin Series by Mia Garvey

I ran from lies. I fell into obsession. I grew up rich, but my life was far from stuck in an isolated community and selling lies from dawn till dusk. Our belief system could heal any disease, or so my father claimed, yet people died all around me. I realized I had to escape. I expected to live on the streets, penniless. Instead, I end up working for a man with just as much money and power as the cult I fled from... moreI ran from lies. I fell into obsession. I grew up rich, but my life was far from stuck in an isolated community and selling lies from dawn till dusk. Our belief system could heal any disease, or so my father claimed, yet people died all around me. I realized I had to escape. I expected to live on the streets, penniless. Instead, I end up working for a man with just as much money and power as the cult I fled from. It only takes one night to find out that he is obsessed with me—violently protective. I should run from him, seeing that his world is equally dangerous as the one I came from. But there’s something about him that pulls me closer the way he looks at me with those warm brown eyes, the way he teases me, makes me feel safe. And before I know it, I’m addicted to his touch, his attention, his everything. But he has no idea where I came from or the lengths my father will go to drag me back. ~. Savage Protection is book 1 of the Kings of Ruin series of interconnected standalones. Tropes include forbidden romance, golden retriever mmc, fmc on the run, touch her and die. No cheating. No cliffhanger. HEA. less

I always imagined I’d have the perfect wedding. What I didn’t expect was a bloody massacre. Now I’m locked in this labyrinth of a castle with my new husband. He’s reclusive and miserable. Worst of all, he has a list of rules, expecting me to sit quietly so I can play the role of his pretty little wife–but I'm not the type of person who can sit quietly. Obviously, I need to escape, but it’s risky. There are people I fear more than my husband within the walls of this castle... moreI always imagined I’d have the perfect wedding. What I didn’t expect was a bloody massacre. Now I’m locked in this labyrinth of a castle with my new husband. He’s reclusive and miserable. Worst of all, he has a list of rules, expecting me to sit quietly so I can play the role of his pretty little wife–but I'm not the type of person who can sit quietly. Obviously, I need to escape, but it’s risky. There are people I fear more than my husband within the walls of this castle. And as infuriating as he is, his obsession with keeping me safe borders on madness. So I do the only thing left: I pretend to fall in love with him, hoping to use his cold heart against him to get out of this place. But with every day that passes, every night we share together, and every rule I break; the line between pretending and reality blurs. And I’m no longer sure I want to escape. ~. Hollow Deception is Book 2 of the Kings of Ruin series, but this book can be read standalone. Tropes include arranged marriage, forced proximity, age gap. No cheating. No cliffhanger. HEA. less