Thrusting into the spotlight this week is the newly released BRIDE OF ASH & DUST by Meredith Hart! Featuring tension so thick you can cut it with a knife, let’s read on!

Bride of Ash & Dust
Book one in the Snake & Crown series

Published: April 10th, 2026

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Features
*Arranged marriage
*Forced proximity
*Political intrigue
*He falls first… and harder
*Morally gray MMC
*They meet on their wedding day
*Sleeping in the same bed… but not touching
*Emotional support weapons

Princess Lilias has one day to pack her life into trunks before her wedding to a man she's never met. They call him the Snake of Vsenrog: assassin, spy, and the foster son of a ruthless king. Everyone tells her to be terrified. They're right. But not for the reasons they think.

Because Zarek isn't cruel. He's careful. He sleeps with daggers strapped to his body but refuses to touch her when she's drunk. He climbs through windows but asks permission before his fingers brush her thigh. He walks through palaces and slums like he owns them, but avoids their bedchamber. Keeping her safe, he claims, means keeping his distance.
And Lilias learns that the worst torture isn't fear. It's wanting.

But when their honeymoon tour becomes a trap, staying apart is no longer an option. As Vsenrog's armies gather, Lilias and Zarek realize their forced marriage might be the opening move in a war neither of them saw coming. And in a palace where mirrors are windows and lovers are spies, falling in love isn't romantic. It's a weapon.
And someone's waiting to use it against them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raised by wolves in the mountains of Colorado, Meredith Hart traveled the world to seek her fortune, fell in love with a half-elf ranger, and now lives in a cabin deep in the Maine woods where she writes steamy fantasy romance with snarky, reluctant heroes and the warrior women who love them. She also writes Loki-inspired paranormal romance under the pen name Samantha MacLeod.

Learn more about Hart at https://writermeredithhart.com/

And follow her on Instagram and TikTok @writermeredithhart

Bound by the Sky (Aether & Industry Book 1)

Release Date: January 28, 2026

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Featuring
⦁ Sky pirate romantasy
⦁ Steampunk world
⦁ Found family
⦁ Morally grey MMC
⦁ Touch her and die
⦁ Dual POV
⦁ Forbidden romance
⦁ Treasure Planet vibes

The sky brought them together.
The storm could tear them apart.

While pirate ships and floating cities soar overhead, Amaya Sinclair’s feet are planted on the ground. But when a violent tragedy results in her abduction by a villainous Sky Lord, her once-clear path vanishes underfoot. In its place, she finds a beautiful, unforgiving world that challenges everything she believes about herself and her future.

William Lexington has spent over a decade carving out a space for himself among the clouds, at the cost of his identity and ideals. When a twist of fate lands Amaya on his airship, he writes her off as a pretty inconvenience—until he realizes she’s the only thing standing between his monstrous former mentor and a brutal new era.

Caught in a fight to live on their own terms, Amaya and Will’s growing connection calls every priority into question. As the enemy’s looming shadow darkens, their race to control forces best left untouched reveals that much more than their lives are at stake.
Welcome aboard the Maelstrom. Enjoy the view—and don’t get killed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Megan G. Elisabeth has spent most of her life obsessing over stories and exploring the many different ways they can be told. Her passion for storytelling has led her to pursue disciplines like dance, theater, music, screenwriting, and design, but books and the written word are her deepest love—especially when they contain a dash of whimsy. When not writing, Megan loves experimenting with mixed-media crafts, adding to her book collection, and generally avoiding the outdoors. She lives in Virginia, where she works in humanitarian aid marketing and communications.

Follow Megan on Instagram @megwritesalot

Tag: Romantic fantasy

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Bride of Ash & Dust by Meredith Hart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Bound by the Sky by Megan G. Elisabeth

ABOUT THE AUTHOR