Kings of Darkhaven Series by Marie Bellmere

The ruling alchemists of the Midwest, the Kings of Darkhaven, have nothing to fear from anyone or anything. Until their mothers give them an ultimatum of marrying or abdicating their thrones. The moment King Ronan’s mother decrees he must marry or abandon his throne, he knows exactly who will be his bride. The woman he’s been obsessed with since they met as children. The utterly brilliant and beautiful Reina . . . who despises his very existence. Minor issue, though... moreThe ruling alchemists of the Midwest, the Kings of Darkhaven, have nothing to fear from anyone or anything. Until their mothers give them an ultimatum of marrying or abdicating their thrones. The moment King Ronan’s mother decrees he must marry or abandon his throne, he knows exactly who will be his bride. The woman he’s been obsessed with since they met as children. The utterly brilliant and beautiful Reina . . . who despises his very existence. Minor issue, though. The bigger problem will be that she’s an elemental, and no alchemist will quietly accept a non-alchemist as their queen. But he’s not a King of Darkhaven for show. Power, intimidation, and, of course, proving to everyone that Reina is the superior choice is all that’s needed. Elementals are little better than servants to their alchemist overlords, and all King Ronan has done to Reina since they day they met is torment her. So why is he suddenly insisting she marry him? She may have pledged to both herself and to the Elemental Council of Darkhaven to do everything in her power to better the lives of elementals, but marrying one of the Kings of Darkhaven is asking a bit much to accomplish that goal. Especially if that king is Ronan. Unfortunately, ‘no’ isn’t a word King Ronan is very familiar with—at least, not if he’s not the one saying it—and he’s determined to have all of Reina, heart, soul, and body. And the more time she spends with him, the more difficult it is to remember why she hates all alchemists. Too bad powerful factions among both the alchemists and elementals would rather see the pair dead than ruling together. Dark Obsession is a no spice romantasy featuring enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, and a morally gray hero. While the books all take place in the Darkhaven territory, each book can be read as a standalone. less

Her new boss - the most powerful king on the continent - obsesses over whatever interests him. And she just fell into the ‘interest’ category. King Genesis’s world is little more than his alchemic experiments with occasional bouts of ruling when his grand advisor insists he must step in. Until his scheming mother quietly gets rid of his advisor and brings in a host of eligible alchemist women as candidates for his new one... moreHer new boss - the most powerful king on the continent - obsesses over whatever interests him. And she just fell into the ‘interest’ category. King Genesis’s world is little more than his alchemic experiments with occasional bouts of ruling when his grand advisor insists he must step in. Until his scheming mother quietly gets rid of his advisor and brings in a host of eligible alchemist women as candidates for his new one. He knows exactly what her game is and will not marry to placate her or anyone else in his province. Until one of the women catches his eye. No, more than that, his mind. Catalina knows she’s perfect on the surface. She’s beautiful, poised, and graceful. She’s the only heir of one of the highest ranking families in the province. She graduated at the top of her year from the academy, with nearly the highest scores ever seen. The big, dark secret? She’s not her family’s only child, but her father will never reveal the proof of her mother’s infidelity to the world, her elemental mixed blood little brother. Catalina’s only hope for freeing him from her father’s prison is to become King Genesis’s new grand advisor and gain the favor of the king. So she will gain that title. Except Catalina never counted on catching the king’s personal attention. Or that his obsessive nature with his experiments would transfer over to his interest in her. This might be perfect for her plan to protect her brother . . . except King Genesis is as unpredictable as he is brilliant and she cannot risk getting close to him that way, no matter how alluring he may be at times. Especially when the dowager learns of her brother and decides she’s unfit as a bride. Unfortunately, King Genesis disagrees, pitting Catalina - and the safety of her brother - between the two greatest political forces in the province. Dark Brilliance is a sizzling, no spice romance featuring court intrigue, a cunning heroine full of heart, and a morally gray hero with an obsessive streak. While the books all take place in the Darkhaven territory, each one can be read as a standalone. less

King Lucian has finally chosen his queen—and she has no say in the matter. King Lucian knows the entire province is waiting on him to announce a bride, but he is the perfect alchemist king in all respects and the most trusted King of Darkhaven. The matter of his queen is one area where he will not conform. It will be a woman he loves and admires, not one chosen for political gain. Enter in Seraphina. Quiet. Sweet. Compassionate... moreKing Lucian has finally chosen his queen—and she has no say in the matter. King Lucian knows the entire province is waiting on him to announce a bride, but he is the perfect alchemist king in all respects and the most trusted King of Darkhaven. The matter of his queen is one area where he will not conform. It will be a woman he loves and admires, not one chosen for political gain. Enter in Seraphina. Quiet. Sweet. Compassionate. And nothing more than a human baker, making her entirely unsuited for becoming queen in a land ruled by alchemists. Until he is injured and she reveals her true identity to heal him. She is an essence weaver—a race he believed no longer existed. And now all he can think about is how perfect she would be as his wife. How she is the only woman he wants as his wife. So she is he who will marry. As one of the few remaining members of a dying race, Seraphina has spent her life living quietly, doing her best to help others without revealing her abilities. Until she helps who she believes is a weak, gentle alchemist who turns out to be one of the terrifying Kings of Darkhaven. Who shortly after decrees she will marry him, thrusting her into the center of dangerous alchemist politics where no one but Lucian wants her marrying the king. Despite Seraphina’s desire to escape this engagement, the more she learns of Lucian, the more she discovers how gentle he is behind his dangerous persona as king. But can she survive the schemes of the alchemist nobles who want her gone? Dark Proposal is a no spice romantasy featuring a secret identity romance with a morally gray hero (Lucian may be the most just of the Kings of Darkhaven, but he’s still a King of Darkhaven). While the books all take place in the Darkhaven territory, each book can be read as a standalone. less