First published 2025
Temperance Verus has reached twenty without experiencing her first kiss. Now she joins thirteen other women in an unusual competition for the prince's marriage proposal. Each contestant must partner with a basilisk to master the arts of seduction. Temperance draws Caspen, the Serpent King, as her trainer. Their lessons awaken abilities she never knew she possessed. As the competition progresses, Temperance finds herself drawn to both Caspen and the prince she's meant to win. The basilisks and humans harbor growing mistrust toward each other. Temperance discovers herself trapped between these opposing forces. She uncovers dark truths about the royal bloodline that threaten everything she believes. Her feelings for Caspen intensify even as her connection to the prince deepens. Temperance must choose between two worlds, knowing that abandoning either one could destroy her.
Genres: romance, fantasy, young-adult, fairy-tale-retellings
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers
528 pages · Paperback · Bloom Books
Content warnings: violence