I’ve never had to chase anyone. Girls come easy when you’re inked, famous, and born with a smile that spells trouble. I live loud. I play louder. But the night I crash into her, everything screeches to a halt. Seraphina Carmichael. All softness and secrets, wrapped in cotton dresses and whispered prayers. She’s asking for a way out. A fake marriage. No strings. Just escape. Sounds easy. But from the second I slip that ring on her finger, I know I’m screwed. Because nothing about her feels fake. For the first time in my life, I don’t want easy...I want real. She thinks I’m her rescue plan. But the truth is…she just might be mine.
Seraphina
My father says I was born cursed. That my mother’s sins live in my blood, in my red hair, in every breath I take. He says pain is purification. That obedience brings salvation. Now…he’s giving me to one of his faithful. A man with cruel hands and dark desires. A man who says he’ll break me to save me. Then I meet Trey Baker. Tattooed. Loud. Infamous. A warning in human form. The only person who sees me. I ask him to marry me...just on paper. But with him, nothing feels fake. Maybe salvation doesn’t come from above. Maybe it’s wrapped in ink, lit by fire, and whispered in the voice of a sinner who refuses to let me fall.
K E Taylor is a romance author with a passion for crafting swoon-worthy stories that tug at the heartstrings. Married for 15 years to her best friend, she’s the proud mother of five children, aged 11 to 22.
Her love for books knows no bounds—if it’s romance, she’s all in! When not immersed in writing or reading, K E Taylor enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Sprig and Honey, both named after fictional characters. Her grand-fur-baby, Feyre, a pampered miniature Weiner, who rules the household with her sassy attitude.
Dedicated to creating unforgettable characters and passionate tales, K E Taylor invites readers to dive into worlds full of love, heartache, and hope.
I’m not usually a dark romance reader but I loved the rest of the Burnt Ashes series and Trey Baker so I couldn’t wait to read his love story and KE Taylor & Lee Taylor blew me away again. There definitely are trigger warnings to be aware of for this book but the authors handle those sensitive topics with care. For much of the book, I was on the edge of my seat and I spent the rest of the time swooning over Trey and Seraphina’s love story. I hate to give it away but I feel I need to tell you that there is a cliffhanger and the conclusion of Trey’s love story is coming in 2026. Thank you to the authors for the opportunity to read this early.
The ending—just wow. The twists had my heart pounding, and that to be continued moment is going to be brutal to wait through. This book starts out weird and crazy in the best way, immediately pulling me in with its intensity, and somehow manages to end just as weird and crazy.
Fear is woven throughout Trey and Seraphina’s story, but their fears fall away when they are together. Their brokenness pulls them toward each other, creating a connection that grows intense and magnetic. Seraphina is described as a girl from “God,” according to her father, yet she is deeply damaged beneath that image. She may be pure, but her father is hiding a dark and ugly secret that casts a shadow over everything. Trey is damaged too, carrying his own dark and ugly secret—one that draws them even closer. He’s the bad boy type, but never when it comes to Seraphina.
Some parts of Trey and Seraphina’s story move a bit slowly, but the reader needs to keep going to fully feel the impact of the ending. Muse is well written and detailed, and it’s clear that K.E. Taylor put a lot of thought into crafting this dark romantic thriller. As book three in the Burnt Ashes series, it feels very different from the first two—and that difference makes it stand out in a powerful way.
This series keeps getting stronger. Dark, edgy, and gripping, Muse is an unexpected and intriguing shift from the first two books.. It's deeper and darker in so many ways.
The third book in the Burnt Ashes series, is a powerful look at redemption, faith, and hope, and the psychological and emotional fallout of childhood abuse and religious trauma. The story follows Trey Baker, a member of the Burnt Ashes band, who enters a marriage of convenience to rescue Seraphina Carmichael, a young woman he met at church, from an arranged match imposed by her father. What seems like the simplest solution quickly spirals into unforeseen danger and chaos.
Both Trey and Sera carry deep childhood scars, and their shared trauma shapes much of who they are. From the moment fate brought them together on that fateful church night, they recognized they needed one another to find healing and peace. Their struggles are raw and affecting, showing both vulnerability and the strength required to reclaim life from intense pain. Trey's inner monologue was insightful and hilarious, bringing a different tone to the story, making it funny yet not overshadowing the core aspect. Sera coming into herself and finding her own voice, getting the chance to make her own choices was truly heartwarming.
What makes Muse so compelling is its focus on love and acceptance and what it means to feel emotionally safe. It's a tragic, thought-provoking story that shines a light on an important issue while still delivering a warm, determined tale of hope. Muse blends romance, grit, and suspense into a devastatingly beautiful story, and ends in a suspenseful cliffhanger. I cannot wait to see what Book 2 holds.
No…no I can’t believe it ends on a Cliffhanger!! Wow, like I’m on the edge of my seat now for book 2 for Trey’s and Seraphina story.
Muse follows trey this time as he meets Sera, a young woman who is trapped in her father religious ways and before she in damned to a future and a hell of an arranged marriage she doesn’t want she runs, to the place that trey offered her as a safe haven months prior, and their story and relationship develops from there.
I loved Trey and sera they had both experienced pain and trauma, they are both broken and scared in their own way. But with each other, there is a connection, a bond right from the beginning, kind of like their souls knew they need each other to found peace.
The story as always is fantastic, love seeing all of the other brunt ashes characters popping up throughout the story, it was such an interesting and emotional read too.
Muse wrecked me - in the best way. That ending left me desperate for more!
🎸 Muse by K.E. Taylor (Burnt Ashes Series #3) is a fiery, high‑stakes romance that fuses rockstar swagger with tender vulnerability.
Trey’s wild energy collides with Seraphina’s quiet strength in a fake marriage that feels all too real. Their chemistry crackles, emotions run deep, and just when you think they’ve found their rhythm… that ending crashes in. I need more, now!
It’s a tale of chaos meeting calm, vows turning real, and two broken souls finding rescue in each other! ❤️
Don't normally read rock star type ones but this one just hits different. And my mistake was not knowing this was a cliffhanger usually I wait until they are all out. But I cant say I am disappointed this was a great read, I love Trey and Sera and the others too. Their story is definitely what songs are wrote about. Can't wait until the next book!
Colour me disappointed in this book. Never thought I would say too much sex but there was too much and storyline only really came to life at end with the dreaded wait for next book to see what happens. Argh! Shame. Trey and Sera’s romance could have been so much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Thank you for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!
WOW 🔥 When I tell you this has by far been my favorite book of the entire series I'm being so serious and its definitely because of our MMC 🥵 Not only will this man have you questioning your morals but also finding yourself getting lost in his silliness and stolen moments of tenderness.
🎸 Trey Baker is the dark and handsome guitarist for the Burnt Ashes Band. He's a rebel through and through. Tatted and pierced 👀 from head to toe. Despite Trey's Rebellious and "class clown" role he fills within the band, he actually has a past that is deeply rooted in trauma and @buse, and jumps at the opportunity to help a woman he sees in desperate need of help.
🤍 Enter Seraphina Carmichael, a beautiful and timid red head, who happens to be the the daughter of a controlling priest. When Trey meets Seraphina, he's instantly drawn to her and realizes she has been being physically and emotionally @bused by her father. Trey and Sera trauma bond quite quickly and I think it's one of the most touching aspects of the book. Soon after, the two of them form a "situationship" to help her out of an arranged marriage with a religious cult member. However, what starts as "a way out" quickly blossoms into a passion filled union neither Trey or Sera were ready for 🔥
QOTD: Would you marry someone if it meant saving their life?
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
Tropes you'll love:
🎸 Marriage of Convenience 🤍 Priests Daughter x Badboy 🎸 Found Family 🤍 Primal Play 🎸 Forbidden Romance
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Oh my heart! This series just keeps getting better. It's dark, edgy, and thrilling. A surprising and intriguing deviation from the tone of the first two books. Oh, and I just fell more in love with Trey! Move over, Logan and Mac, the Bakers have taken up the spot as my favorite in this series!
Muse is the third book in the Burnt Ashes Series, which is a harrowing exploration of redemption, faith, and hope, capturing the psychological and emotional turmoil experienced by those subjected to childhood abuse and religious trauma. The story follows Trey Baker, a member of the Burnt Ashes band, and his journey into a marriage of convenience to save Seraphina Carmichael, a young woman he met at a church, from her father's arranged marriage. Although this may have been the simplest course of action, neither of them is aware of the chaos and peril that lie ahead.
Trey and Sera commonly share experiences of trauma since childhood and have been deeply scarred for most of their lives. But when fate first brought them together on that fateful church night, they understood deep down that they needed each other to find their own redemption and serenity. Their characters are both poignant and raw, capturing the vulnerability and fortitude of people striving to reclaim their freedom from immense pain.
What makes Muse particularly compelling is its emphasis on love and acceptance. While it exposes the cruelty of patriarchal manipulation and religious abuse, it also showcases the journey toward healing and survival. Katie and Lee Taylor both crafted a tragic and thought-provoking plot that sheds light on an important issue, while also presenting a heartwarming story of determination, grit, and ultimately hope.
In summary, Muse is essentially a compelling story about hardships, resiliency, and, in the end, the transformational power of love, with an optimal harmony of romance, humor, and suspense. A must-read for everyone seeking character-driven, emotionally charged novels with a significant social message. I'm eager to see how Trey and Sera will ultimately get their HEA because this novel finishes on a suspenseful note.
Receiving a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was an honour, and I'm presenting my candid opinion based on my own experience. I am eternally grateful to Katie and Lee Taylor for entrusting me with reading this book beforehand.
This book was a total unputdownable! I was 100% invested from page 1 all through and through.
Sera feels trapped in the life she lives with her pastor father who is as evil as they can be. He has Sera's life all planned out, he has already chosen who she is to marry and when, lucky for Sera, she meets a god of a rockstar one night at the church and they get to talking and by the end when he's about to leave he gives her a card and tells her to use it if she ever needs to and she will be saved.
Trey is in a rock band and is reckless as can be. He never thought he would ever see Sera again but god has other plans and he ends up seeing her again. She proposes him to marry her so she won't have to follow through with her dad's plans. Trey, being a gentleman, accepts her proposal, to be her fake husband.
Both Sera and Trey start their fake journey and they seem to get along great. Sera wants to consummate the marriage even though that would make the marriage real, she is starting g to have strong feelings for Trey and he treats her like a queen, which makes her get even stronger feelings for him. Trey is also having foreign feelings for Sera, he's starting to realize that she consumes him wholly.
But there is still that feeling that something or someone is going to come tumbling down their perfect life.
Trey and Sera are each other's salvation. They both have darkness consuming them but when they're together they see a light. They are perfect for each other and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book with Trey and Sera!!
.... Well.... Where to start... this book has quite literally ripped out my heart stomped on it then put it back in with a kick to the jaw, in the best way possible.
Muse follows Seraphina she's been locked up for too long and when a dark haired, loud guitarist, Trey, turns up out of the blue she can't help but get lost in his green eyes, a marriage to help her get away, on paper only, but when things start to feel more real they cannot help but give in.
Holy moly this series just keeps on giving! And I am lapping it up as if I have never drank water before. I especially love that we get the internal voices from Trey throughout to see how his head is really working, and how damaged but absolutely precious he is.
And Sera she is just an absolute treasure, but she brings an aura of calm to out buy Trey that no one has been able to do before and its beautiful to read,
As always I make a comment on how as the third book in the series it brings the return of our favourites without taking the spotlight away from Trey and Sera.
I would highly recommend this book as well as the previous in the series, but be warned you will come out feeling battered and bruised in the best way. For fans of Rockstar Romances, Good Girl X Bad Boy, Marriage of Convenience, Pierced MMC, Trauma Bonding and Cliffhangers and some very delicious Spicy Goodness.
That ending - WOW. I will be staring at my wall for hours after feeling everything I just felt. Those last few chapters were insane in the best way possible. I feel absolutely feral for Mercy; I need the next book now! What an emotional rollercoaster and a beautiful journey. I can’t wait to see what happens next.