the Beast Beneath Thorn

Four hundred and twenty crowns. Seven days before total ruin. And a deadly bargain in a forest that eats desperate women. Liora Vale's life is measured in broken beams, thin broth, and unpaid debts. When a ruthless lender delivers a final notice threatening her home and her sick sister's future, Liora does the unthinkable: she crosses the back garden wall and enters the cursed Briar Wood. Deep within the dark trees stands the Briar Court-a place older than the crown, crueler than winter, and ruled by a beast with curved horns, sharp claws, and gold eyes full of warning. Aric Briar has spent a century isolated in his castle, bound by an ancient root-curse and surrounded by scheming fae nobility. He expects the desperate human woman who wanders onto his road to run. Instead, she lifts her chin, holds a dull pocketknife, and demands a bargain. The Terms: - Ninety days as his seasonal bride in name and court standing only.- Her family's massive debt paid in full and medicine provided before sunrise.- No touch, bodily claim, or sacrifice without her explicit consent.- At the turn of the season, she walks away free and unharmed. Posing as the terrifying monster lord's bride means surviving lethal court politics, deceptive fae illusions, and lethal forbidden chapels. But the deadliest threat of all isn't the court whispering in the shadows-it's the terrifyingly careful beast who holds her as if she were precious, and the dangerous temptation to give him her heart by choice. The Beast Beneath the Thorn is a full-length dark fantasy monster romance featuring a horned antihero, a sharp-tongued heroine who refuses to yield, forced proximity, touch-her-and-you-die energy, and a high-stakes fae court. It is Book One in the Monsters of the Briar Court series.