Böcker av Jeffe Kennedy

"In icy Dasnaria, rival realm to the Twelve Kingdoms, a woman's role is to give pleasure, produce heirs, and question nothing. But a plot to overthrow the emperor depends on the fate of his eldest daughter. And the treachery at its heart will change more than one carefully limited life... Princess Jenna has been raised in supreme luxury--and ignorance. Within the sweet-scented, golden confines of the palace seraglio, she's never seen the sun, or a man, or even learned her numbers. But she's been schooled enough in the paths to a woman's power. When her betrothal is announced, she's ready to begin the machinations that her mother promises will take Jenna from ornament to queen. But the man named as Jenna's husband is no innocent to be cozened or prince to charm. He's a monster in human form, and the horrors of life under his thumb are clear within moments of her wedding vows. If Jenna is to live, she must somehow break free--and for one born to a soft prison, the way to cold, hard freedom will be a dangerous path indeed"--Page [4] of cover.

A Lonely Road Stella has always been one to count her blessings. Empath, sorceress, shapeshifter, and healer, she's grateful for the gifts the goddess of shadows has bestowed upon her. Yes, she's sensitive to emotions and can't bear to be in large crowds for long. And yes, that means she'll never be able to take a lover as she's unable to withstand physical contact with anyone but her twin brother. Certainly now that he's found his true love, she feels more alone than ever. None of it haunts her, however, like the vision of the lonely tower where her life path ends. An Unrequited Love Jakral Konyngrr is a man of simple tastes: good whiskey, some coin in his pocket, and a fine blade in his hand. Though he's no prince, not a shapeshifter, and not blessed with any magic, he's happy in his skin. And yet he seems doomed to live the life of a hero from a tragic ballad, because the only woman he's ever wanted barely knows he's alive. As much as Jak longs for Stella, he's resigned himself to being forever in the background. At least he can guard her back. A Quest to Stop a Monster But now Jak and Stella have been thrown together-along with a mismatched group of shifters, warriors, and sorceress friends-chasing and attempting to avert magic rifts that release monsters into their world. Worse, the strange intelligence behind the bizarre and deadly attacks seems to have developed a fascination for Stella. Battling for their lives and the good of the realm, they must fight-and perhaps love-together to alter the course of the future before it's too late.

Their love makes them stronger together... Unless the world rips them apartJadren El-Adrel knows he's a mess. He's a cobbled-together monster pretending to be a wizard, still unable to master the magic that makes him pretty much immortal and is useless for anything else. Though he's tried to learn to work with his familiar, Seliah, he's still terrified to discover what might happen if he gives himself full access to the depths of her powerful magic. Some questions should never be answered.Seliah Phel got her happy ever after. Jadren loves her; they're together in a safe and beautiful place; and they're finally learning to work together as wizard and familiar. But even she must recognize that Jadren continues to stew in his black moods, brooding that only worsens when he receives a missive from home, his horrible family demanding the unthinkable: that they both return to House El-Adrel.As the denizens of House Phel fight an increasingly pitched battle against the enemies determined to destroy them forever, Jadren and Selly fight their own war-against the past and to overcome their own failings. To become truly stronger together.

A Broken HeartPrincess Salena Nakoa KauPo thought she was over her broken heart. She'd put her first love and childhood sweetheart, Rhyian, firmly in the past where he belonged. His bitter betrayal of her was locked away deep inside, along with her foolishly innocent hopes and dreams. Now Lena has been thrust together with him, the prince of shadows, the one man she could never resist, on a mission to save the world from a terrible cataclysm. Worse, Rhyian refuses to believe her when she says there's no hope for them. An Irresistible LongingRhyian is rather accustomed to being a failure. Goddesses know, he's not magical enough for his sorcerous mother and not alpha enough for his father, the King of Annfwn. It hasn't helped that he's spent the last seven years trying to drown his sorrows-and to forget the one woman he ever loved, whose heart he carelessly shattered in a moment of weakness. Rhy knows he has to change to win back Lena's trust, but how? A Love That Can't DieAs Lena and Rhy struggle to overcome the wounds of the past, they and their friends approach the final confrontation with the strange intelligence intent on rending apart the very fabric of their world. And it looks like it will come down to the pair of them to strike the final blow.But only if they can build a new trust on the bitter past.

Amber Dolors has it bad for her boss. Tall, dark, and smexy, the man has a way of giving orders that… Well, she just melts inside. Even though he's older and getting involved at work isn't smart, especially in her very first job, Amber can't help fantasizing about the delicious Alec, with his English accent and commanding ways. What if he's the one she's been looking for, the man who can initiate her into those dreamy, sensual games she's only read about?Alexander Knight has obviously noticed his hot young assistant. Amber is as adorably nubile as she is whip-smart. But he hasn't risen to the peak of his profession by indulging himself. Integrity and self-discipline are what he lives by-and those don't allow for seducing a sweet, young co-worker who's likely far too innocent for him. Still, he can't help fantasizing about what he'd do to her, especially when she bends over his desk just so…When the simmering, repressed passion between Amber and Alec breaks free, they're both caught up in the tide of longing-and in sating their fierce desires. But they can't forget that they're engaged in a dangerous dance, one that can't be kept secret forever.

Faerie, the land of blood, magic, and betrayal... At last, the fae lord, Rogue, has won everything. He has me in his home, his bed, and I'm desperately in love with him despite my best efforts and better judgment. Did I mention I'm pregnant? As our child grows inside me, the one I'm pledged to give to him, I still have no idea what will happen after the birth. Though Rogue is attentive in every way a woman could wish for, bringing me delirious pleasure and gifts beyond price, he still won't-or can't-tell me what game he's playing. Or what the viciously sadistic Queen Titania has to do with our many bargains. I'm most afraid that, if he betrays us, I'll never be able to forgive him. Even though I can't stop loving him. As war threatens everything we've built, as my body swells with the enchanted pregnancy, I become more certain with every day that the true enemy lurks within our castle walls. And that the man I've vowed eternal commitment to, may be the last person I can trust...

Celestina Sala is so far underwater, she can't remember what it's like to breathe. Grief-stricken by her identical twin's death, parenting her orphaned nieces, abandoned by the husband who never wanted to raise children, in debt past her eyeballs, and now just one more laid-off landscape-designer in drought-stricken Los Angeles-it's all Celestina can do to get through the day. Running into her former wealthy-and devastatingly attractive-client, Ryan Black, when she looks and feels her worst is just the cherry on the crap sundae her life has become.When Ryan offers Celestina a way to pay off her debt, by submitting to whatever he asks of her, she's appalled. And tempted.His colleagues and competitors describe Ryan as ruthless in business. It's true. And that no-holds-barred attitude is how he built himself from less than nothing to the immense wealth he enjoys today. So, when he has the opportunity to finally get his hands on Celestina's voluptuous body, Ryan employs every enticement at his disposal. He's wanted her for years-and respected the fact that she wasn't available-and now that she's practically dropped into his lap, he's taking advantage of the opportunity. He'll play fair, however, offering her a contract where she can choose, down to the tiniest details, what she's willing to let him do to her, for what price.He plans to pay very well to be able to indulge his darkest desires with her.

Game designer Emily Bartwell is in hiding. Fleeing online trolls that ruined her career, marriage, and life-pretty much in that exact order-she's made a new life on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest. Yes, it's lonely, but she has her online community for company. And she has her work: Labyrinth, a wildly popular role-playing game, one she's created under the male alias, Phoenix.When sexy writer, Fox Mullins, rents the beach house next door, however, he entices Emily out of her isolation. Flirting, teasing, igniting desires she'd forgotten she had, Fox tempts Emily into playing games of a very different sort-ones where he makes the rules. Fox is delighted by his luck in discovering his gorgeous, single neighbor's simmeringly passionate nature under her oh-so-private exterior. Playing with her, pushing the lovely Emily's boundaries, gives him relief from the painstaking, frustrating task of tracking the brilliant gamer, Phoenix-and discovering his elusive prey's true identity. Exposing Phoenix will be the biggest scoop of his career as an undercover tech reporter.As Fox and Emily push the limits of intimacy, they discover that their fling is leading to something much deeper. They're both keeping secrets that could devastate the other, but which of them will win the game in the end?

It's holiday time at Convocation Academy, but best friends Han and Iliana are finding it hard to celebrate. As a familiar, Iliana is facing her assignment to a life of servitude to a wizard, very soon. And Han… despite being tested by the oracle daily, he is still uncategorized. As Iliana and Han face being separated forever, they at last find the courage-or desperation-to break the rules and acknowledge their deeper feelings for each other. But it will take more than true love to save them from the laws of the Convocation…

He left to save her from herself... But who will save him from her? When Lady Seliah Phel wakes from a drugged sleep to find herself abandoned by her newly bonded wizard, she vows revenge--and to hunt him down. Tracking him through the familiar wilds of the marshlands of her home is the easy part; learning to use her nascent magical skills is something else entirely. So is facing the vast, uncaring society of the Convocation in a time of brewing war.

One does not break an oath to the fae…But I am getting much better at finding and exploiting the loopholes. I may have promised the ruthlessly sensual fae lord, Rogue, that he can sire my firstborn child-but I never said when. And I'm not giving into his will-eroding attempts to seduce me until he tells me what will happen to my child.Which he refuses to do.So, I'm holding out against his allure, no matter how he tantalizes me, because the one way to protect my child is to make sure they're never born. Unfortunately, Rogue is as wily as he is persistent, and soon I find myself in more bargains-I must give him a kiss every day and sleep by his side at night. Even as I travel through Faerie, perfecting my sorceress skills and seeking the answers to the questions Rogue won't-or can't-answer, he is constantly by my side, working his way through my defenses.He refuses to let me go. Most terrifying of all, I'm finding I don't want him to…

Be careful what you wish for…. When I walked out on my awful boyfriend, wishing to be somewhere-anywhere-else, I never expected to wake up in Faerie. And, as a scientist, I find it even harder to believe that I now seem to be a sorceress.A pretty crappy sorceress, it turns out, because every thought that crosses my mind becomes suddenly and frighteningly real-including the black dog that has long haunted my nightmares. Now I'm a captive, a pawn for the fae lord, Rogue, and the feral and treacherous Faerie court, all vying to control me and the vast powers I don't understand. Worse, Rogue, the closest thing I have to a friend in this place, is intent on seducing me. He's the most beautiful man I've ever seen, enthralling, tempting, and lethally dangerous. He's as devastatingly clever as he is alluring, and he tricks me into promising him my firstborn child, which he intends to sire… I don't dare give into him. I may not have the willpower to resist him. He's my only protection against those who would destroy me Unless I can learn to use my magic.

Spy, manipulator, traitor… He might be her only salvation.Lady Seliah Phel can't escape feeling like she's one of those fairytale princesses awakened from a long slumber-except that her life is no romantic story and there's no happy ending in sight. Though she has her magic and she's been rescued from the depths of madness that consumed her since adolescence, Selly finds that the years she lost aren't so easily recovered. Everyone treats her like the child they remember. To prove something-perhaps only to herself-she's recklessly volunteered to stave off a host of monsters with only the enigmatically alluring, cuttingly sarcastic, and probably deceitful wizard Jadren El-Adrel for company.Jadren isn't the heroic type. In fact, he's not much of anything. Relentlessly groomed into a shadow of a man by his sadistic mother, he's the perfect spy and tool, with no real will of his own. When he's stranded in the wilderness with Seliah Phel, he figures the outcome is immaterial. Live or die, it's all the same to him. But Seliah is a different story and she isn't like anyone else. Though he reminds himself she's basically a child in a woman's body, he finds it increasingly difficult to resist her artless charms and relentless curiosity.As their predicament goes from dire to disastrous, Jadren realizes his many failures have jeopardized Selly's future, perhaps her very life. Far from home and trapped without resources, Selly has only Jadren to rely upon-the one person she can't possibly trust. There seems no possibility of rescue from their friends and family back home at House Phel, so Jadren and Selly must work together to survive… if they can.

His Darkness, Her Brightness… Together They Defy the WorldLord Gabriel Phel at last holds his dream in his grasp-and faces losing everything. He's finally won the love of his wife, familiar, and mother of his child, and she offers him a heartfelt commitment he can truly believe in. Together they're building a true house, one with a growing family of friends and allies that can help them stand against their enemies. And he's learning to master his magic, to use it as the powerful tool and weapon it should be. But old and new enemies array themselves to take it all away.Lady Veronica, now fully of House Phel, is doing her best to embrace happiness. After all, she has her hands full managing her mercurial and powerful wizard as he navigates taking his place as the head of their house, and with learning her own extraordinary ability. But she fears whatever peace they win won't last long. When their enemies inevitably strike-including, perhaps, her own father-they must be ready to defend all they hold precious. It doesn't help that her idealistic husband insists on making foolishly noble decisions that put them at even greater risk, nor that she loves him all the more for it.As Nic and Gabriel struggle to put their household in order, giving ill-advised safe harbor to Nic's runaway sister and risking their lives to save Gabriel's sister's sanity, their enemies draw the noose tighter on their well laid plans. When the unthinkable occurs, it's up to both of them to trust in the nascent, unknown magic they've woven together.

"As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Lia will do anything to keep her people free--and her secrets safe--from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father's, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it's up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor's bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world--a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own"--Provided by publisher.

Just beyond the reach of the Twelve Kingdoms, avarice, violence, strategy, and revenge clash around a survivor who could upset the balance of power all across the map . . . Once Ivariel thought elephants were fairy tales to amuse children. But her ice-encased childhood in Dasnaria's imperial seraglio was lacking in freedom and justice. With a new name and an assumed identity as a warrior priestess of Danu, the woman once called Princess Jenna is now a fraud and a fugitive. But as she learns the ways of the beasts and hones new uses for her dancer's strength, she moves one day further from the memory of her brutal husband. Safe in hot, healing Nyambura, Ivariel holds a good man at arm's length and trains for the day she'll be hunted again. She knows it's coming. She's not truly safe, not when her mind clouds with killing rage at unpredictable moments. Not when patient Ochieng's dreams of a family frighten her to her bones. But it still comes as a shock to Ivariel when long-peaceful Nyambura comes under attack. Until her new people look to their warrior priestess and her elephants to lead them . . .

Once she was known as Jenna, Imperial Princess of Dasnaria, schooled in graceful dance and comely submission. Until the man her parents married her off to almost killed her with his brutality. Now, all she knows is that the ship she's boarded is bound away from her vicious homeland. The warrior woman aboard says Jenna's skill in dancing might translate into a more lethal ability. Danu's fighter priestesses will take her in, disguise her as one of their own--and allow her to keep her silence. But it's only a matter of time until Jenna's monster of a husband hunts her down. Her best chance to stay hidden is to hire out as bodyguard to a caravan traveling to a far-off land, home to beasts and people so unfamiliar they seem like part of a fairy tale. But her supposed prowess in combat is a fraud. And sooner or later, Jenna's flight will end in battle--or betrayal.

Lord Gabriel Phel wants one thing: to rebuild the shattered fortunes of his people and restore his ruined house to its former station in the Convocation's highest tiers of elegant society. Fortunately, through a wild chance of birth, he was born with powerful wizard magic, the first in his family in generations. If he can obtain a familiar to amplify his magic, a highborn daughter he can marry, to be mother to his children, he'll be that much closer to saving his family. With her by his side, he can ascend to such a position of power in the Convocation that he can destroy it forever.Lady Veronica Elal, captive in her tower, has only one way out. To her bitter disappointment, she will never be a wizard. Instead, through a twist of fate, and despite her expensive Convocation Academy education, Nic is doomed to be a familiar like her mother. Forced to participate in the Betrothal Trials, she receives a wizard suitor for one night each month. Whichever man impregnates her will bond her to them forever. With no choice but to serve the one who wins her, Nic has one hope for control over her life: a wizard she can manipulate.Gabriel Phel seems like the perfect choice for Nic's gambit-he's desperate and untutored in wizardry-but within moments of meeting him, she feels the bonds of magic tying them together. Afraid of losing her will to the compelling wizard who touches her heart like no other, Nic does the unthinkable: she runs. Pregnant and alone, Nic eludes monstrous hunters, searching for a safe haven. But when Gabriel catches up to her, their adventure has only begun.