Bought by the Naga

Monsters' Bride Market

by Ava York

A bride auction. A Naga alone in a temple. A touch that should destroy her and doesn't.

BRYN

I walked onto the auction block carrying a fragment of my mother's unfinished map and nothing left to lose.

The Naga who buys me is not what I expected. Vadh lives alone in a temple so deep in the jungle that the trail disappears behind us. His touch is dangerous. Every human woman brought here before me was harmed by his venom.

I'm not.

His venom runs through my body and comes back clean. Dead stone greens where I sleep. Ancient channels stir beneath the walls. And every time his skin meets mine, the temple wakes a little more.

So does he.

VADH

I bought her for the work. For the channels that need clearing and the system that is failing and the seal that will not hold much longer.

I did not buy her for the way she moves her breakfast stone closer to mine every morning. I did not buy her for the grin she gives a leaf when she finally gets the word right. I did not buy her for the berries she asks me to put in the bread.

But healing the man and healing the building are not the same thing. The deeper we go, the clearer it what is growing between us is the only thing that could save this place, or destroy everything it was built to hold.

A spicy, first-person monster romance with a guaranteed happily-ever-after, complete as a standalone.

✓ Bought bride / Bride auction ✓ Monster hero with dangerous touch ✓ Touch immunity ✓ He falls first, quiet and devastated ✓ She reaches for him every time ✓ Forced proximity in a crumbling temple ✓ The building ships them

Venom that heals. A temple that remembers. A Naga who puts berries in the bread because she asked him to.

For readers of Ruby Dixon and Harley Laroux craving a monster husband alone in the jungle who doesn't know he's already in love.

One-click now and let the Naga carry you home.

Welcome to the bride market! Monsters bid, you choose. This is a spin-off series to Arranged Monster Mates. We're back on Alia Terra with steamy stories told by your favorite paranormal romance Eva Brandt, Lia Frost, Cara Wylde, and Ava York.

115 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 22, 2026

About the author

Reader, dreamer and frantic scribbler. I really do believe that love conquers all... and make terrible things for my characters to survive to prove it! (insert evil laugh here)

Reviews

[Chandra Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought by the Naga is a captivating blend of romance, mystery, and magical world-building that pulled me in from the very first chapter. What begins as a bride auction story quickly transforms into something much richer—a tale of healing, belonging, and two lonely people discovering they may be the key to saving each other.

Bryn is easy to root for from the very beginning. Armed with nothing but her mother's unfinished map and a stubborn determination to keep moving forward, she enters an unfamiliar world filled with danger, secrets, and possibilities she never expected.

Vadh completely won me over. After years of isolation, he's convinced his venom makes him too dangerous to ever truly connect with another person. Watching him slowly realize that Bryn isn't harmed by his touch was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. His quiet nature, careful protectiveness, and constant efforts to keep Bryn safe made him impossible not to love.

One of my favorite aspects of this story was the gradual development of their relationship. Nothing feels rushed despite the shorter length. Their connection grows through shared routines, quiet conversations, and countless small moments that reveal just how much they begin to care for one another. Some of the sweetest scenes are the simplest ones—sharing meals, learning new things about each other, and finding comfort in a place that once felt lonely.

The temple itself deserves special mention because it truly feels like a character within the story. The ancient channels, hidden secrets, failing seals, and mysterious magic create an atmosphere that is both enchanting and suspenseful. As Bryn and Vadh uncover more about the temple's past, the setting becomes deeply intertwined with their relationship and personal growth.

I especially loved the symbolism woven throughout the story. As the temple begins to awaken and heal, so do the people living within it. The discoveries they make about themselves feel just as important as the mysteries they solve.

If you enjoy monster romances, protective yet gentle heroes, forced proximity, magical mysteries, and stories where love grows through trust and understanding, Bought by the Naga is a wonderful read. It's sweet, imaginative, and full of memorable moments that make the journey just as rewarding as the destination. By the final page, I was completely invested in both the romance and the fascinating world Ava York created.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tracy A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought by the Naga - Bryn and Vadh were such an interesting pairing, it was interesting to see how their relationship developed in the isolated jungle temple setting. Bryn arrives with her mother's unfinished map and plenty of determination, while Vadh has spent years alone, believing his venom makes him dangerous to any human woman. When Bryn discovers she's immune to his venom, it sets off a chain of discoveries that tie them both to the temple's ancient secrets.

The slow-building connection between them was very evident. Vadh is protective and reserved, and watching him gradually open up around Bryn was nice. Whilst this story is a very quick read, the author includes a mix of romance, mystery, and magical world-building. The temple felt like a character of its own, with its hidden channels, ancient seals, and secrets waiting to be uncovered.

This was a quick, entertaining monster romance with plenty of chemistry, a unique Naga hero, and a heroine who was easy to root for.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ecem · Rating 2 out of 5]

*****I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Unfortunately, I cannot say that I enjoyed this book. The writing style felt very similar throughout, with short, robotic sentences that made it difficult for me to connect with the story. Most of the book seemed to rely on dialogue, with only a little world-building to explain the setting.

Aside from the basic introduction to the existing world, I could not find much that made the story engaging or memorable for me. I wanted to be pulled into the romance and the monster bride market concept, but the writing style kept me at a distance.

This one simply was not for me.

[April Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start by saying yes I do recommend you give this a whirl. It's got plot and spice. There's some backstory as well. Their relationship build up was nothing spectacular. He didn't fight it to hard and she toke her sweet time. They never kissed. There was very little mention of bathing or even changing of clothing. It was a little off to me. Just don't overthink it. It's double peen naga and that right there makes it worth the read. Lastly I did receive this as an arc but I'm not obligated to leave this review.

[Sydnee Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bryn is looking for what unintentionally broke her mother. Her mother was an explorer and one of her many trips changed her and how she lived after she got back. So Bryn joins the auction to find what her mother drew. This leads us to Vadh. He is a naga that cannot touch humans without his toxins basically poisoning them. He has tried twice to do what his ancestors did and find a human to help him on his work.
When he discovers Bryn is different and can touch him with different noticeably differences the dynamics change between them.

[Cynthia Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsters' Bride Market story of Bryn and Vadh. Now that was entertaining and hilarious the way Vadh try’s to teach Bryn his language and the passion they find together will have you smiling and wanting to snuggle with your loved one.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Louise]

This is an amazing addition to the book series and I really enjoyed it.
I really enjoy most if this authors books and this didn't disappoint.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story. Really loved both characters and how their relationship grew. It was an interesting setting. I liked that there were no outside agitators trying to break them up. It was just them. This is one I'll remember!

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this could have been...interesting, but it has no voice, no depth, only a vague plot. What's the attraction between the two main characters? To many questions are answered. I'm disappointed.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Vadh and Bryn's story. It was a great Monster Bride Market book. I look forward to reading all the books in the series.