House of Bane and Blood (Vows of Vengeance Duet #1)

Staff Pick Details

[Kelly] This felt so fresh and new, while familiar enough to not be overwhelming.

The move into love happened a bit too quickly, and some of the mythology was glossed over. But I’m a sucker for a marriage of convenience and a slow burn romance, and I thoroughly enjoyed both main characters.

Book Summary

After the death of my father, I vowed that if I ever met a member of the Attano family, I’d kill them. Instead, I married one.

Magic, smoke, and steam swirl in the air. High in their mansions, the ruling cartels play games of blood and secrets, while monsters lurk in the alleyways below.

Once I was the most powerful heiress in this city. Then the Attanos killed my father and left my family’s business empire in ruins. I’ll do whatever it takes to get it back…

So when the man who destroyed my world offers to pay our debts—in exchange for my hand in marriage—I have no choice but to accept.

Nicolai Attano is everything I was raised to hate. Arrogant, heartless and devastatingly handsome, he leads a group of criminals with lethal magical abilities.

I know I can’t trust him, but Nicolai claims his offer is strictly business—if I help him find the serial killer who stalks the streets on his side of the city, he will release me from our contract. As we plunge into an underworld of magic and forbidden desires, I can’t deny the attraction drawing me to my new husband... or the thrilling power I feel whenever he’s around.

Can I hunt down a killer and escape with my life, before the most dangerous man in the city steals my heart?