The Song of the Thrush (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms Book 9) / Christine Pope

A slip of the lip lands her up to her elbows in hot water…and up to her heart in love.

Many call Marenna Sedren free-spirited. Some opine she’s spoiled. But none in Silverhold can say she is mean-spirited…on purpose. She truly didn’t intend to insult Lord Sedassa, the only prospective suitor who’s ever made her heart skip a beat.

It’s true that Crown Princess Lyarris’ rejection drove the duke into two years’ self-exile. But the moment his long-unshaven beard brushes Marenna’s hand, an ill-timed comparison to a thrush’s nest bursts from her wayward lips — and his sparkling blue eyes turn to ice.

On her furious father’s order, Marenna finds herself wed to the very next man to cross the threshold: a tall, handsome, itinerant worker with barely a penny to his name. Worse, Corin Blackstone’s final destination is Marric’s Rest, Lord Sedassa’s massive estate.

Desperate to avoid the duke’s notice, Marenna fumbles toward becoming a proper peasant wife, while Corin’s hungry gaze makes her wish he would give her more than sweet, sensual kisses. But there’s a secret hiding behind his warm, brown eyes. When she discovers the truth, it could restore her freedom…if that’s what her heart chooses.

The Tales of the Latter Kingdom series can be enjoyed as standalones. They are listed here in chronological order:

All Fall Down
Binding Spell
Ashes of Roses
One Thousand Nights
Threads of Gold
Dragon Rose
The Wolf of Harrow Hall
Moon Dance
The Song of the Thrush