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A Kiss for a Crown
Faking an engagement with the heir to the throne is the least of your problems when you're accused of murder.
Issa has never had to earn anything. The crown, the court’s respect, her father’s protection—everything was hers by birth, and she spent years gambling it away while the realm quietly rotted around her.
So when the Ministero forces her hand, demanding she marry or lose the throne, Issa does what she does best: make a terrible plan with absolute confidence. She kidnaps Hale, a mortal museum curator who has accidentally stumbled into ancient magic, sprouted wings, and become the kind of problem powerful people would rather bury than explain. Then she presents him to the court as her future consort.
Hale isn’t cooperating. He wants his old life back, not a fake engagement, a betrothal mark on his hand, and a front-row seat to political disaster. But with enemies closing in, magical creatures reemerging, and something deadly shifting beneath the modern world, staying near Issa may be the only thing keeping him alive.
As court intrigue turns ruthless and their forced alliance burns into something far more dangerous, Issa and Hale must decide who they can trust: the corrupt powers tearing their world apart, or each other.
Because falling in love might be the one thing that saves them—if it doesn’t destroy them first.
A Kiss for a Crown is a propulsive contemporary fantasy featuring a fake engagement, enemies-to-lovers tension, dual points of view, and a flawed heir forced to become the leader her realm needs.
Every bargain has teeth, every glance is a risk, and falling for the enemy could cost them everything.
Issa has never had to earn anything. The crown, the court’s respect, her father’s protection—everything was hers by birth, and she spent years gambling it away while the realm quietly rotted around her.
So when the Ministero forces her hand, demanding she marry or lose the throne, Issa does what she does best: make a terrible plan with absolute confidence. She kidnaps Hale, a mortal museum curator who has accidentally stumbled into ancient magic, sprouted wings, and become the kind of problem powerful people would rather bury than explain. Then she presents him to the court as her future consort.
Hale isn’t cooperating. He wants his old life back, not a fake engagement, a betrothal mark on his hand, and a front-row seat to political disaster. But with enemies closing in, magical creatures reemerging, and something deadly shifting beneath the modern world, staying near Issa may be the only thing keeping him alive.
As court intrigue turns ruthless and their forced alliance burns into something far more dangerous, Issa and Hale must decide who they can trust: the corrupt powers tearing their world apart, or each other.
Because falling in love might be the one thing that saves them—if it doesn’t destroy them first.
A Kiss for a Crown is a propulsive contemporary fantasy featuring a fake engagement, enemies-to-lovers tension, dual points of view, and a flawed heir forced to become the leader her realm needs.
Every bargain has teeth, every glance is a risk, and falling for the enemy could cost them everything.
562 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2026
About the author
Mackenzie Alexander
1 book1 followerMackenzie is a fantasy romance author. She loves her romance with mystery, political intrigue and magic. When Mackenzie isn’t writing, she spends her time hiking on her favorite trails and photographing plants and insects. She lives in Utah with her husband, two sons, and their mischievous dog.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 8, 2026
A slow burn romantasy Where political intrigues are a constant factor.
When supposed to be sworn enemies slowly grow out to become lovers… they will have to navigate through dangerous waters, will there love be strong enough?.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When supposed to be sworn enemies slowly grow out to become lovers… they will have to navigate through dangerous waters, will there love be strong enough?.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 25, 2026
I really liked Issa and Hales story. Such a fun read and I loved how it was Hale who had the nickname and not Issa. It kept my interest through the book and I wanted to keep going to find out what happens next.
It’s also nice to have an MMC who is a scholar and a total nerd. I can’t wait to read book 2 when it comes out.
It’s also nice to have an MMC who is a scholar and a total nerd. I can’t wait to read book 2 when it comes out.
July 7, 2026
If you are looking for an action-packed, deeply immersive new fantasy series with incredible tension and high stakes, A Kiss for a Crown needs to be your next read! Mackenzie Alexander has built a phenomenal world full of political intrigue, complex magic, and a romance that will completely captive you.
The Tropes & Vibe:
👑 Heir to the Throne x Captive "Human"
⚔️ Enemies to Friends to Lovers
✨ Feathers, Vanishing Powers & The Mystery of the Chasm
🖤 Gritty War Themes & High Emotional Tension
Why I Loved It:
Dual POVs & Immaculate Vibes: The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Issa and Hale. Their dynamic gives the ultimate enemies-to-friends-to-lovers slow burn. The emotional build-up and the romantic tension between them against a backdrop of chaos is brilliantly written.
Issa’s Journey from the Shadows: Issa is the heir to the throne of Venatus, but she starts out guarded, dodging her royal responsibilities because she feels she can never truly fill her father's shoes. Watching her navigate immense tragedy, banishment, and the desperate search for allies completely transformed her. She is a powerhouse of a protagonist.
Hale’s Evolution: Hale begins as a human just trying to survive, until he stumbles into something that changes him entirely—leaving him with unexpected powers, feathers, and a very complicated status as Issa's captive. His journey of self-discovery while slowly breaking through Issa's guarded exterior is beautiful to watch.
Masterful, Realistic World-Building: The author doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of conflict. The story handles heavy themes of violence, sacrifice, and the impact of war on innocent people with immense care—not to be cruel, but to show the true stakes of their fight against the Ministero and the Occultare.
Final Thoughts:
Between the fascinating magic system, the distinct clans, and the incredible cast of secondary characters introduced on both Hale and Issa's sides, this is a spectacular opening to a new series. It balances the darkness of war with the beautiful light of love and hope. I can't wait for more!
The Tropes & Vibe:
👑 Heir to the Throne x Captive "Human"
⚔️ Enemies to Friends to Lovers
✨ Feathers, Vanishing Powers & The Mystery of the Chasm
🖤 Gritty War Themes & High Emotional Tension
Why I Loved It:
Dual POVs & Immaculate Vibes: The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Issa and Hale. Their dynamic gives the ultimate enemies-to-friends-to-lovers slow burn. The emotional build-up and the romantic tension between them against a backdrop of chaos is brilliantly written.
Issa’s Journey from the Shadows: Issa is the heir to the throne of Venatus, but she starts out guarded, dodging her royal responsibilities because she feels she can never truly fill her father's shoes. Watching her navigate immense tragedy, banishment, and the desperate search for allies completely transformed her. She is a powerhouse of a protagonist.
Hale’s Evolution: Hale begins as a human just trying to survive, until he stumbles into something that changes him entirely—leaving him with unexpected powers, feathers, and a very complicated status as Issa's captive. His journey of self-discovery while slowly breaking through Issa's guarded exterior is beautiful to watch.
Masterful, Realistic World-Building: The author doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of conflict. The story handles heavy themes of violence, sacrifice, and the impact of war on innocent people with immense care—not to be cruel, but to show the true stakes of their fight against the Ministero and the Occultare.
Final Thoughts:
Between the fascinating magic system, the distinct clans, and the incredible cast of secondary characters introduced on both Hale and Issa's sides, this is a spectacular opening to a new series. It balances the darkness of war with the beautiful light of love and hope. I can't wait for more!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Mackenzie Alexander writes eloquently and beautifully. You can fully immerse yourself within the story. It’s a slower-paced book, though it feels comfortable and maybe languid more than dragging.
The world building is very much a ‘jumping in the deep end’ style. You don’t get much info-dumping which is great for the sake of atmosphere but can sometimes be troubling for clarity’s sake. Here it definitely required that a few sentences be reread to really comprehend the context/characters/plot but with some patience, you can submerse yourself pretty well.
Characters are where it’s a bit lacking. None of the characters by page 280 drew me in, appealed to me, or had me invested. Two of the very small side characters showed potential to be entertaining, but I could not stand the main characters, especially the FMC. She’s written as someone who has an ace up her sleeve and is somehow playing dumb until that point. But when her actions in private still do communicate an inane idiocy and naivete, the ace seems more written into existence rather than an actually possible ‘gotcha’ move. That’s a pattern in this story. The FMC and another character have a huge rivalry but then all of a sudden they’re actually ‘siblings’ (not-blood but by adopted circumstance), who love each other at the end of the day when it facilitates the next stage of the plot? It comes across very forced.
The world building is very much a ‘jumping in the deep end’ style. You don’t get much info-dumping which is great for the sake of atmosphere but can sometimes be troubling for clarity’s sake. Here it definitely required that a few sentences be reread to really comprehend the context/characters/plot but with some patience, you can submerse yourself pretty well.
Characters are where it’s a bit lacking. None of the characters by page 280 drew me in, appealed to me, or had me invested. Two of the very small side characters showed potential to be entertaining, but I could not stand the main characters, especially the FMC. She’s written as someone who has an ace up her sleeve and is somehow playing dumb until that point. But when her actions in private still do communicate an inane idiocy and naivete, the ace seems more written into existence rather than an actually possible ‘gotcha’ move. That’s a pattern in this story. The FMC and another character have a huge rivalry but then all of a sudden they’re actually ‘siblings’ (not-blood but by adopted circumstance), who love each other at the end of the day when it facilitates the next stage of the plot? It comes across very forced.
July 8, 2026
A Kiss for a Crown blends contemporary fantasy, political intrigue, and romance into a story that kept me invested from beginning to end. The fake engagement trope paired with enemies-to-lovers tension was a fun combination, but what really stood out was watching the relationship between Issa and Hale evolve as they were forced to rely on one another.
The world-building was intriguing, especially the way ancient magic was woven into a modern setting. The political maneuvering, hidden agendas, and growing mystery surrounding the magical realm added plenty of tension beyond the romance, keeping the stakes high throughout the story.
If you enjoy contemporary fantasy with royal politics, fake engagements, enemies-to-lovers romance, dual POVs, and a heroine who has to earn her crown rather than simply inherit it, A Kiss for a Crown is well worth picking up. I'm looking forward to seeing where this world goes next. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The world-building was intriguing, especially the way ancient magic was woven into a modern setting. The political maneuvering, hidden agendas, and growing mystery surrounding the magical realm added plenty of tension beyond the romance, keeping the stakes high throughout the story.
If you enjoy contemporary fantasy with royal politics, fake engagements, enemies-to-lovers romance, dual POVs, and a heroine who has to earn her crown rather than simply inherit it, A Kiss for a Crown is well worth picking up. I'm looking forward to seeing where this world goes next. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
Review courtesy of BookSirens and the Author
If you love a good intrigue, this is a book for you!
A complex, expansive story about a young heir to the throne that has to face the odds and fight for the crown and her heart.
This is a strong 3.5 - the world building is laid out clearly, but not overly-explained, the mystery hooks you from the start. Issa is a reluctant heir to the throne faced with the fact that her family's history and legacy might not be as glorious as everyone told her and that the political system in her relm might be build on a meticulously crafter lie.
She has to work with Hale - a mortal with a secret that she essentialy kidnaps, but only to save his life!
The romance is slow-building and feels appropriate to the story and the characters, the main relationship is built on a foundation of budding trust and a spark of attraction.
If you love a good intrigue, this is a book for you!
A complex, expansive story about a young heir to the throne that has to face the odds and fight for the crown and her heart.
This is a strong 3.5 - the world building is laid out clearly, but not overly-explained, the mystery hooks you from the start. Issa is a reluctant heir to the throne faced with the fact that her family's history and legacy might not be as glorious as everyone told her and that the political system in her relm might be build on a meticulously crafter lie.
She has to work with Hale - a mortal with a secret that she essentialy kidnaps, but only to save his life!
The romance is slow-building and feels appropriate to the story and the characters, the main relationship is built on a foundation of budding trust and a spark of attraction.
Review of advance copy
The world building is detailed and interesting.
I liked the idea of the power they have having a toll on them when they use it so they have to consider carefully if it is a worth it or not.
Octavian is an interesting character and I like his shadow dogs.Hopefully he will be featured more in the second novel. I found his storyline to be the most emotional.
Issa and Hale go well together and the relationship developed gradually which gave them more time to truly learn about one another. Her friendship with Rose is also amusing
The other characters were also well written.
Nimbus is cute and has some funny moments.
I liked the idea of the power they have having a toll on them when they use it so they have to consider carefully if it is a worth it or not.
Octavian is an interesting character and I like his shadow dogs.Hopefully he will be featured more in the second novel. I found his storyline to be the most emotional.
Issa and Hale go well together and the relationship developed gradually which gave them more time to truly learn about one another. Her friendship with Rose is also amusing
The other characters were also well written.
Nimbus is cute and has some funny moments.
Review of advance copy
I received an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this book was what attracted me and I may have had higher expectations going in than I originally intended to. That being said, this book had so much more potential than what was laid out. I liked the plot and the progression of the story but the characters were at most tolerable. A more appropriate title for the book would've been 'Impulsive Decisions' because that was genuinely the make-up of both the leads' personalities. Speaking of the main characters, the romance was lacking too. I wish the author had provided a larger timeframe over which the leads fell for each other + more interactions between the two as their relationship progressed a little too quickly. I did love the side characters though [except Tristan whose 'redemption arc' I will NOT be accepting] and Ram and Rose's banter was pretty great.
Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC!
The premise of this book was what attracted me and I may have had higher expectations going in than I originally intended to. That being said, this book had so much more potential than what was laid out. I liked the plot and the progression of the story but the characters were at most tolerable. A more appropriate title for the book would've been 'Impulsive Decisions' because that was genuinely the make-up of both the leads' personalities. Speaking of the main characters, the romance was lacking too. I wish the author had provided a larger timeframe over which the leads fell for each other + more interactions between the two as their relationship progressed a little too quickly. I did love the side characters though [except Tristan whose 'redemption arc' I will NOT be accepting] and Ram and Rose's banter was pretty great.
Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC!
July 8, 2026
What a way to kick off a book series! While it's not my favorite, I enjoyed the story. The writing is perfect, and the descriptions of the settings and the intrigue kept me hooked for most of the story; however, there were some slightly repetitive parts, and the romance feels a bit forced.
If you're in the mood for fantasy romance, this book is definitely your next read.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
If you're in the mood for fantasy romance, this book is definitely your next read.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
May 28, 2026
What a phenomenal debut! If you love Romantasy with rich world-building and high stakes, add A Kiss for a Crown to your TBR immediately.
The pacing is incredible, but what truly elevates the story is the dynamic between the leads. I loved how refreshing it was to see Issa taking charge of the rescue, turning the typical "damsel in distress" trope on its head. Yet, the reciprocity is beautiful—Hale saves her in return in ways that are unexpected and deeply moving.
Told through dual perspectives, you are pulled right into their emotional and physical struggles, making it impossible not to root for them. The author also beautifully details the supporting cast, giving real weight to what they mean to Issa and Hale. Combined with a completely unique magic system, the world feels incredibly alive.
I was captivated from start to finish and am already impatiently counting down to the next book! Five stars.
The pacing is incredible, but what truly elevates the story is the dynamic between the leads. I loved how refreshing it was to see Issa taking charge of the rescue, turning the typical "damsel in distress" trope on its head. Yet, the reciprocity is beautiful—Hale saves her in return in ways that are unexpected and deeply moving.
Told through dual perspectives, you are pulled right into their emotional and physical struggles, making it impossible not to root for them. The author also beautifully details the supporting cast, giving real weight to what they mean to Issa and Hale. Combined with a completely unique magic system, the world feels incredibly alive.
I was captivated from start to finish and am already impatiently counting down to the next book! Five stars.
July 9, 2026
I liked the plot and the worldbuilding, but it took a while for me to get into the story though. I'm eager to see where the next book takes us.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews