1813.
London.
...
Eighteen-year-old Sofia May, a peasant girl and immigrant, has been handed over to the Bennet family as a servant. She should feel lucky, right? but luck has little to do with what awaits her.
Destined to inherit the crown of England, Prince Francis Bennet, soon to be king, and bound to an arranged marriage, was not a man one could ever afford to displease. Young, clever, and fiercely determined, twenty-one-year-old Francis was arrogant, commanding, and put simply; disrespectful. He would never relent until he obtained what he desired. And what did he desire? Power. Absolute control. The throne of England as his own.
Yet fate had other plans. A commoner could not be with a prince; or so the world said. But what if love dared to defy law and duty? What if the struggle to be together tested them to the brink of ruin.. or death?
This is a tale of passion and peril, of forbidden love tested by betrayal, loss, and the relentless cruelty of circumstance. One between King Francis and Sofia May, his servant, and yet perhaps something far more.
•••
He was the only one who ever called me May.
No one had ever called me just May.
"May," he said.
"It's Sofia," I spat, sharp as a whip.
He chuckled softly.
"I find it amusing that you think I care," he said. "I may call you what I please. And so, you shall be May. Just May. Understood?" He smirked, green eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
I loathed him.
God, who did he think he was?
"Of course, my lord. If that pleases you." I forced a smile, hiding the fire I felt rising within me.
•••
"I cannot have you, Sofia May. I am wrong for you," he confessed, his voice low, restrained, yet trembling just enough that I knew the truth lay beneath.
"No. No, you are just right for me," I whispered. "I believe that. Don't you?"
"I... I do," he admitted, each word a struggle, his eyes betraying the turmoil he refused to name.
{Mature
In which two ex-step-siblings reconnect after just about blowing up their family the first time around...
Three years ago, Maddie fell hard for Jacob Isaacs, the smartest boy in her school. The only problem was this: Her dad had quite literally gotten engaged to his mother. The two tried to dampen the flames of their burgeoning attraction for each other but not before they got caught and were the talk of the town for months.
After the fall out, Maddie moved away to try and start her life over and not be known as the girl who got caught doing it with her 'brother' at prom. She hasn't seen her family in ages and intends to keep things that way.
Jacob, on the other hand, has worked hard to accomplish everything he's ever dreamed of. He's stayed close to home, done exceptionally well at school, and is adored by just about everyone who meets him. There's only one problem: There's a Maddie-shaped hole where his heart used to be. But no matter how hard he tries to reach out and find her, he can't. She won't let him. He let her down and gave up on them when she needed him most. And she's not ready to forgive and forget.
But then Maddie's dad passes and she's forced to come home for his funeral. It should be a quick visit. She intends to make it one. But Jacob has other plans. He let his girl slip through his fingers once and he won't let that happen again. So now he has to convince her to give him one more chance. After all, they're not related to each other anymore.