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The Embrace of Betrayal
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26They are souls bound to be reborn, fated to find each other again and again.
They are mates.
And in her past life, she killed him.
Elara has carved out a life among pirates, hiding from a prophecy she refuses to fulfill. Instead of waiting for fate to claim her, she plots against the Light, a cult who hunts women with gifts of wielding mist.
Rylan has always known what he is and who he is meant to find. His soul has searched for her across lifetimes. When chance finally places Elara in his path, he surrenders to the pull of fate and follows her aboard a pirate ship, believing destiny has finally given him what he needs. That together, they are meant to change the world.
But Elara never wanted to bind herself in prophecy.
And some betrayals echo across lifetimes.
Trust, once broken, may cost them everything.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This story takes place 250 years after Breath of Mist.
The Breath of Mist trilogy does not have to be read first, in order to enjoy this adventure.
They are mates.
And in her past life, she killed him.
Elara has carved out a life among pirates, hiding from a prophecy she refuses to fulfill. Instead of waiting for fate to claim her, she plots against the Light, a cult who hunts women with gifts of wielding mist.
Rylan has always known what he is and who he is meant to find. His soul has searched for her across lifetimes. When chance finally places Elara in his path, he surrenders to the pull of fate and follows her aboard a pirate ship, believing destiny has finally given him what he needs. That together, they are meant to change the world.
But Elara never wanted to bind herself in prophecy.
And some betrayals echo across lifetimes.
Trust, once broken, may cost them everything.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This story takes place 250 years after Breath of Mist.
The Breath of Mist trilogy does not have to be read first, in order to enjoy this adventure.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 1, 2026
Embrace of Betrayal ARC read.
Elara is a pirate and a conjuror who has fought to hell and back to survive and remain hidden amongst the water and her crew. Rylan is elusive and mysterious, landing in the right spot at the right time. Now they’re forced to spend time with each other, fighting toward the same goal.. She him killed in a past life and their world has fought long and hard to keep them apart, but nothing can stand in the way of fated mates. Not a wrongfully and misinformed cult, not a long ago perceived prophecy, no amount of death, loss, or anything in between. Together, should they choose to finally give in, it’s said that they will destroy the world. But what if everyone was wrong and they can save it instead?
Elara is a pirate and a conjuror who has fought to hell and back to survive and remain hidden amongst the water and her crew. Rylan is elusive and mysterious, landing in the right spot at the right time. Now they’re forced to spend time with each other, fighting toward the same goal.. She him killed in a past life and their world has fought long and hard to keep them apart, but nothing can stand in the way of fated mates. Not a wrongfully and misinformed cult, not a long ago perceived prophecy, no amount of death, loss, or anything in between. Together, should they choose to finally give in, it’s said that they will destroy the world. But what if everyone was wrong and they can save it instead?
September 3, 2026
Are we really surprised this is a 5 ⭐️ read?
First thank you so much to the author for this ARC. I’m apart of her street team and after reading the Breath of Most trilogy I knew this book would not disappoint.
Rylan and Elara are destined to find each other in every life and in her last one? She killed him. If you’ve read the original trilogy then you can easily go into this knowing some spoilers (for obvious reasons… ie fated mates, a prophecy, etc..) but if you think you know how it’s going to go then you’re entirely wrong.
Leona always writes amazingly strong/powerful FMCs who truly can hold their own (which I love) while also letting them keep their softer sides (also love). We see that with Elara and everything she’s gone through. She hates the woman she was in her past life and the decisions that she made. She never wants to meet her fated mate and hides who she is from basically everyone.
Enter Rylan. Our MMC so full of secrets that I was going absolutely insane trying to figure him out 😅. This man is not afraid of Elara and is actually obsessed with trying to get her riled up so she’ll pull out one of her knives 🤣
If you loved Erik (BoM MMC) and pieces of Clause (Rylan’s past life) then you’ll be adding a new book boyfriend to your list because he is the perfect blend of those two.
I knew to expect twists and turns (because duh) but I did not see so many things coming! The betrayals were DEVASTATING and don’t even get me started on the last few chapters of this book. I cried, laughed and had my mind absolutely blown in that last 30 minutes to go on a full blown rant.
While the original trilogy was a slow burn that’s not the case for this one. It’s fast paced in the best ways!
Overall a phenomenal read and I can not wait for the next book!!
(PS if you loved Iver from the original series… you’ll be as happy as I was by that last little bit of information before the ending 🫣)
First thank you so much to the author for this ARC. I’m apart of her street team and after reading the Breath of Most trilogy I knew this book would not disappoint.
Rylan and Elara are destined to find each other in every life and in her last one? She killed him. If you’ve read the original trilogy then you can easily go into this knowing some spoilers (for obvious reasons… ie fated mates, a prophecy, etc..) but if you think you know how it’s going to go then you’re entirely wrong.
Leona always writes amazingly strong/powerful FMCs who truly can hold their own (which I love) while also letting them keep their softer sides (also love). We see that with Elara and everything she’s gone through. She hates the woman she was in her past life and the decisions that she made. She never wants to meet her fated mate and hides who she is from basically everyone.
Enter Rylan. Our MMC so full of secrets that I was going absolutely insane trying to figure him out 😅. This man is not afraid of Elara and is actually obsessed with trying to get her riled up so she’ll pull out one of her knives 🤣
If you loved Erik (BoM MMC) and pieces of Clause (Rylan’s past life) then you’ll be adding a new book boyfriend to your list because he is the perfect blend of those two.
I knew to expect twists and turns (because duh) but I did not see so many things coming! The betrayals were DEVASTATING and don’t even get me started on the last few chapters of this book. I cried, laughed and had my mind absolutely blown in that last 30 minutes to go on a full blown rant.
While the original trilogy was a slow burn that’s not the case for this one. It’s fast paced in the best ways!
Overall a phenomenal read and I can not wait for the next book!!
(PS if you loved Iver from the original series… you’ll be as happy as I was by that last little bit of information before the ending 🫣)
Review of advance copy received from Author
First and foremost I’d like to thank Leona Welch for the amazing opportunity to be an ARC reader for this book! Now to the review:
The Embrace of Betrayal was captivating, fast paced, exciting, and thrilling the entire time! From the very first page I was immediately hooked. The attention to details, the dialogue between each character, and the overall plot of the story was done so well! I could not put this book down! There were a few twists that took me by surprise but I was obsessed! This book had me giggling and kicking my feet from banter, to holding my breath with my heart racing from the intensity and suspense, to laughing over dialogue, to blushing over the delicious tension, to sobbing during a few moments (and when you read this book you will know the moments) and finally staring at my ceiling grieving that it was over.
As for main characters: Elara is confident, fierce, brave, kind, and loyal. Elara having the knowledge of knowing what her fate is supposed to be and wanting nothing to do with it was interesting in the best way. At the end of the day, it wasn’t that she “wanted nothing to do with it” it was that she wanted the choice and freedom to be her own self without the influence of her past self. Seeing her journey from beginning to end of this book, and the wars within herself she was fighting, was awe inspiring.
Now, Rylan. The mouth on this male had me BLUSHING. But don’t be fooled by the hotness of this MMC. Rylan’s so much more than the arrogant and cocky male Elara firsts believes he is. I loved learning more about Rylan through his POV, how much he cares about his people and especially Elara. He is intelligent, clever, funny, and so much more than a brute male.
Although you do not need to read the Breath of Mist Trilogy to understand what happens in this book, as someone who has read it I have to say that I loved the parallel’s between Elara’s and Ariana’s stories and I also loved the differences.
Overall, I loved this book in its entirety and I cannot wait for what comes next!
The Embrace of Betrayal was captivating, fast paced, exciting, and thrilling the entire time! From the very first page I was immediately hooked. The attention to details, the dialogue between each character, and the overall plot of the story was done so well! I could not put this book down! There were a few twists that took me by surprise but I was obsessed! This book had me giggling and kicking my feet from banter, to holding my breath with my heart racing from the intensity and suspense, to laughing over dialogue, to blushing over the delicious tension, to sobbing during a few moments (and when you read this book you will know the moments) and finally staring at my ceiling grieving that it was over.
As for main characters: Elara is confident, fierce, brave, kind, and loyal. Elara having the knowledge of knowing what her fate is supposed to be and wanting nothing to do with it was interesting in the best way. At the end of the day, it wasn’t that she “wanted nothing to do with it” it was that she wanted the choice and freedom to be her own self without the influence of her past self. Seeing her journey from beginning to end of this book, and the wars within herself she was fighting, was awe inspiring.
Now, Rylan. The mouth on this male had me BLUSHING. But don’t be fooled by the hotness of this MMC. Rylan’s so much more than the arrogant and cocky male Elara firsts believes he is. I loved learning more about Rylan through his POV, how much he cares about his people and especially Elara. He is intelligent, clever, funny, and so much more than a brute male.
Although you do not need to read the Breath of Mist Trilogy to understand what happens in this book, as someone who has read it I have to say that I loved the parallel’s between Elara’s and Ariana’s stories and I also loved the differences.
Overall, I loved this book in its entirety and I cannot wait for what comes next!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book tells you everything you need to know in the title. I was lucky enough to get An ARC copy of this book. I love the way that this author used the idea of betrayal or what one would consider betrayal as the plot of this series. There is definitely elements of betrayal woven throughout this story, but not just the action of betrayal, but what the idea of it means within relationships and how worlds are built with that as a backdrop, especially a fated backdrop. The story was fast paced and I had a hard time putting it down. I thought the characters including the main characters were developed well and brought more intrigue to the overall tone and spacing of the plot. The shifting dynamics throughout the story also allowed for a found family to emerge, but the author did so in a way that again made you question who to trust and try to predict what the outcome of the story was going to be. I also like how the spice was not the overall focus of this book, but was utilized in a way that helped me to feel connected to the characters including their own potential traumas and histories. Plus the banter between the main love interests was fire, I was laughing out loud. I wouldn't say there is a massive cliffhanger, but again it goes back to the title of the book which as a reader made everything full circle. The author did an amazing job of weaving surprise elements, betrayal, the idea of embracing trust and distrust into a world and relationships that I cannot wait to continue to read in the next book!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
“People always talked about how women went weak at the knees for men. Ridiculous. Women did not have an appendage that sucked all the nutrients from their body necessary for their brain and other bodily functions to work. Only to send it to their nether regions, literally leaving them with weak knees.”
Leona Welch delivers again. From the prologue's ominous prophecy, you know exactly what kind of ride you're in for. And this book delivers!!
Elara is one of my new favorite FMCs. She’s got history she doesn’t remember but can’t escape, a found family of pirates worth killing for, and zero patience for most people, especially when she’s hangry lol.
“You get grumpy when hungry. And also usually start using food as insults.”
The push and pull between fate and free will runs through the whole book, the found family banter is genuinely funny, and all the tension and angst is absolutely delicious. I finished wanting the next book immediately!!
You don't have to read the Breath of Mist trilogy first, but I highly recommend it!!
Leona Welch delivers again. From the prologue's ominous prophecy, you know exactly what kind of ride you're in for. And this book delivers!!
Elara is one of my new favorite FMCs. She’s got history she doesn’t remember but can’t escape, a found family of pirates worth killing for, and zero patience for most people, especially when she’s hangry lol.
“You get grumpy when hungry. And also usually start using food as insults.”
The push and pull between fate and free will runs through the whole book, the found family banter is genuinely funny, and all the tension and angst is absolutely delicious. I finished wanting the next book immediately!!
You don't have to read the Breath of Mist trilogy first, but I highly recommend it!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was thrilled to receive an ARC copy of The Embrace of Betrayal by Leona Welch, an action-packed fantasy that kept me engrossed from page one. This book has it all: pirates, fated lovers, reincarnation, and characters determined to defy all odds to either destroy the world for their own power-hungry motives or make the world a better place.
The story is told in dual POV through Rylan and Elara, reincarnates fated to find each other in every lifetime—often with tragic consequences and the death of one or both. Cults, “gods,” and conjurers, all with their own agendas, have a stake in the couple and what their reunion could mean to the present world.
The characters are three-dimensional, and readers will care about their actions and choices. The world is well crafted, and I felt immersed in the action rather than bogged down by the world-building.
The Embrace of Betrayal is a great read for fantasy lovers who enjoy plenty of action and spice rolled into one.
The story is told in dual POV through Rylan and Elara, reincarnates fated to find each other in every lifetime—often with tragic consequences and the death of one or both. Cults, “gods,” and conjurers, all with their own agendas, have a stake in the couple and what their reunion could mean to the present world.
The characters are three-dimensional, and readers will care about their actions and choices. The world is well crafted, and I felt immersed in the action rather than bogged down by the world-building.
The Embrace of Betrayal is a great read for fantasy lovers who enjoy plenty of action and spice rolled into one.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book had me squealing, crying, gasping and laughing loudly. I loved every minute in this book. This book follows Elara and Rylan who are not only reincarnations but also fated mates. Rylan is definitely a male that yearns. He captured my heart quickly. Their banter is one of my favorite things about it this book. I cackled when they would go back and forth with each other. Not only was there banter between the MC’s but also the side characters gave each other a hard time as well.
I really enjoy Leona’s writing. I’m quickly pulled into the world. I always love her side characters. Yes the main characters are amazing, but her side characters really make you love the MC’s even more. This is definitely a book I will recommend to anyone that will listen.
Thank you Leona for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed being in this world.
Format: ARC ebook
I really enjoy Leona’s writing. I’m quickly pulled into the world. I always love her side characters. Yes the main characters are amazing, but her side characters really make you love the MC’s even more. This is definitely a book I will recommend to anyone that will listen.
Thank you Leona for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed being in this world.
Format: ARC ebook
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
ARC Reader Review -
From the very first paragraphs, this five-star read completely hooked me with its fast-paced plot and twists!
It truly has everything: intense betrayals, revenge, forced proximity, and an enemies-ish-to-lovers romance packed with feet kicking & giggling levels of yearning.
I was put on an absolute emotional rollercoaster. I was constantly switching allegiance between characters, tearing up over a devastating death, and instantly craving vengeance right alongside them.
Book one set a phenomenal bar, and I cannot wait for book two! I just hope Elara doesnt try to break the bond!
From the very first paragraphs, this five-star read completely hooked me with its fast-paced plot and twists!
It truly has everything: intense betrayals, revenge, forced proximity, and an enemies-ish-to-lovers romance packed with feet kicking & giggling levels of yearning.
I was put on an absolute emotional rollercoaster. I was constantly switching allegiance between characters, tearing up over a devastating death, and instantly craving vengeance right alongside them.
Book one set a phenomenal bar, and I cannot wait for book two! I just hope Elara doesnt try to break the bond!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Embrace of Betrayal Arc review
Leona has done it again! I am not even joking when I say this book pulled me immediately and kept me in a chokehold the whole way through. When it ended, I kept scrolling through to find more pages because I couldn't believe that was the end. I have to know what happens next.
You do not have to read The Breath of Mist trilogy before reading this one, but personally I feel like you should. It just made the experience that much more better. You already fall in love with these characters and know what they have been through when doing it that way.
Either way, Pick this book up. It releases 11/3/26
Leona has done it again! I am not even joking when I say this book pulled me immediately and kept me in a chokehold the whole way through. When it ended, I kept scrolling through to find more pages because I couldn't believe that was the end. I have to know what happens next.
You do not have to read The Breath of Mist trilogy before reading this one, but personally I feel like you should. It just made the experience that much more better. You already fall in love with these characters and know what they have been through when doing it that way.
Either way, Pick this book up. It releases 11/3/26
September 5, 2026
Embrace of Betrayal arc read
Holy cow Leona! This is the first book I’ve had the opportunity to read by this author. I was sucked in on the first page. I genuinely did not want this book to end and when it did it left me already wanting the next book.
There is betrayal, trust, lust, loyalty and so much more in this book. I want to write more in this review so I could do this book justice but I am afraid to spoil anything, so I guess you will just have to read it yourself to find out how addicting it is.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Oh wow, I FLEWWWW through this book. 😭
This was such a unique story and I honestly didn’t see ANY of how it played out coming!!! I desperately need more because HOW… HOW could it end there?! 😭
I’m trying desperately to keep this spoiler free because you really do need to go into this one without any hints. Trust me, don’t go looking for spoilers, just read it!!!
Incredible!!! 😭❤️
This was such a unique story and I honestly didn’t see ANY of how it played out coming!!! I desperately need more because HOW… HOW could it end there?! 😭
I’m trying desperately to keep this spoiler free because you really do need to go into this one without any hints. Trust me, don’t go looking for spoilers, just read it!!!
Incredible!!! 😭❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
Oh how I love fantasy ! This one was no exception! It was so good and I loved the fated mates trope with the enemies to lovers !
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review coming soon!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews