The Wraith King by Juliette Cross

This is a good one. There’s just enough of everything I like and not a whisper of things I truly detest. The plot, without spoilers:

Our FMC is a pretty light fae with a heart of gold who is thrown in a dungeon for the crime of trying to help her people. Enter our MMC, who is not as golden-hearted, but who has myriad other virtues which will become apparent in time. Things happen, they end up arrange married to prevent war. She is scared. He’s in love. There are allies and enemies and sometimes you don’t know which is which.

Things I like in this story are that our FMC has actual agency and is central to the plot. She moves the action forward and isn’t just someone that things happen to. She’s brave, she’s kind, she’s important. The MMC is big and dark, but also gentle and adoring and horrified at the idea that he could possibly hurt her in any way.

This novel is spicy, so if you’re exclusively a fade-to-black-girly, this might be a little bit much for you. However, if you are used to reading spice, this is mild.