Shattered Queens: Yuri: A Second Chance Billionaire Dark Romance

by Inez Ocon

Yuri

Loyal. Selfless. Radiant.

To the rest of the world, I’m the picture-perfect, devoted fiancé. No one knows the my upcoming marriage isn't a love story. It’s a sacrifice.

But when the trap begins to close in on me, I have a moment of weakness. I call Gabriel Kayde.

He was my friend. The love of my life, and the man who pushed me away. I expected a rescue. Instead, he took me captive. He claims it’s for my own protection, but Gabriel is a man built on deadly secrets.

How can I trust a man who has done nothing but shut me out? And worse, how can I trust myself around him, when his darkness is the only place I feel safe.

Gabriel

Charismatic. Wealthy. Dangerous.

I lived by one rule for protect Yuri. To keep her safe from my world, I made the ultimate sacrifice. I pushed her away.

Now, she’s engaged. She’s supposed to be happy. Safe. But one single moment shattered all my illusions.

The innocent woman I left behind is gone. The woman standing in front of me now is guarded and hiding secrets just like mine. The lies holding her life together are starting to bleed through.

I'm done staying in the background. I let her go once to protect her. I won't do it again. Our secrets might end up destroying us both, but I’m ready to pull her into the darkness—the exact place I know she craves.

Book 3 of the Shattered Queens Trilogy—a dark, dual-POV billionaire romance where sacrifice is the ultimate protection.

Genres: Dark Romance

428 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2026

About the author

Inez Ocon is drawn to dark romance. The intensity, passion, and rawness of the genre are what drew her in. She resides in the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada, sharing her lively home with her beloved family and a bunch of adorable fur babies. Inez is not just a homebody though. Traveling is another passion that she holds dear. She loves to soak up new experiences which inspire her stories.

Reviews

[Alisha]

This was an excellent read! I honestly adore Yuri so so much, she's so sweet and will do literally anything to protect those she loves and I love her for that, and Gabe, ugh, where can I get me a man like him 🥵

Seeing how things changed between Yuri and Gabe as the story went on was really really nice along with seeing the individual changes of the two as well, there's just so much development, especially for Yuri and she goes through so so much.

Definitely recommend this and the series!

[Nicole]

For years they kept their love a secret, with Yuri not ready to commit to a serious relationship while they were so young, so when he finally pushed her away, she hoped he’d return, but with no sign of him, she tentatively began a new relationship, not realizing it would quickly become a nightmare. With her new fiancé holding all the cards, he has made it clear that he will ruin everyone she loves if she walks away, but when he takes things two far, there’s only one phone call Yuri can make to get help.

Gabriel pushed Yuri away because he was worried the darkness in his life would dim her light, but he never expected her to move on so quickly. When even begging couldn’t convince her to change her mind, he kept his distance, watching her from the shadows. When he realizes her life was nothing but a lie, he does what he knows best, he takes control and will stop at no lengths to keep her safe. He thought claiming her would be enough, but they soon realize the people around her have been keeping more secrets, and while he sees how everyone else’s lies are destroying her, he can’t help but worry that he will lose her when she finds out his truth.

I received an early copy of this book from the author and I am obsessed. I have to say that Yuri and Gabe are by far my favourite couple in this series, they are both so different and yet motivated by the same things, keeping those they love safe. My heart broke for Gabe in previous books, watching him pine over Yuri, but now knowing what she was forced to endure, it’s clear they were both suffering. While I didn’t necessarily condone all of Gabe’s methods, it’s clear how much he loves Yuri, and that having his ring on her finger was always his end goal. Even having done everything backwards, he still wanted to give her the fairytale ending they had dreamt about when they were younger. Yuri may seem like a kind soul, but she showed so much strength in this book, both in surviving Xavier, but also in how she dealt with her family’s betrayals, and dispatched her own brand of justice in the end. This is definitely a power couple that I wouldn’t want to mess with, and they have certainly earned their happily ever after.

[dark read girl]

✨ARC Review✨

Okay… Yuri and Gabe. 😂

I really liked finally getting their story because there was SO much history between these two, and honestly, their relationship was messy in exactly the way I expected from a dark romance.

Gabe is possessive, dangerous, secretive and very much the “I know what’s best for you” type of man 😭 I definitely questioned some of his decisions, but at the same time, you can feel how much he loves Yuri and how far he’s willing to go to protect her.

And Yuri?? I really liked her. She’s sweet and caring, but she’s definitely not as fragile as people might think. She goes through so much throughout the story, and I loved seeing her stand up for herself and make her own choices.

There were plenty of secrets, betrayals and twists along the way, so there was always something going on. And the chemistry between Yuri and Gabe… yeah. 👀

**The spice was definitely NOT playing around. 😂🔥** Let’s just say Gabe and Yuri had some scenes that were VERY hard to forget. 🫠

Yuri and Gabe definitely gave me the drama, tension and spice I was expecting from this series. 😂 If you like your romance dark, your men possessive and your spice HIGH, this one is definitely worth checking out. 🖤🌶️

[Janessa]

💜💍 ARC review 💍💜

4 ⭐️

i devoured the final book in the shattered queens series!! i have throughly enjoyed this series and i’m so so grateful i got to receive an arc for every single book! i loved following Yuri and Gabes story! i mean the tropes alone really sold me on this one, but the chemistry?? the obsession?? it all had me in a chokehold.

Yuri has probably been one of my favourite characters throughout the series. i love her fire and passion. Gabe is toxic as hell but we love that around here 🥵 the spice was definitely spicing in this book but i really expected nothing less based on the first two books!! also “my wife” gets me every damn time 😩

im sad to see this series come to an end, but i look forward to what’s to come in the future!!

thank you @inezocon_author and @lovelyreviewswithm for the arc! 💜💜

[Julie Booklover]

This series has been addictive since book one. I have devoured each book in less than a day. We have come to the final book, and I am ready for Yuri and Gabe’s story.

The book takes to a dark and mysterious world of power and control. There are secrets, lies and danger. Yuri is living a lie to protect those she loves. Gabe is protective of Yuri. She is also the women he loves.

Yuri is strong, she knows what she has signed up for. She is more than she is given credit for, and I love she is true to herself, and the sacrifices she makes.

Together Yuri and Gabe give us SO much spice, the chemistry, the drama, passion, and tension. I expected nothing less that what we had seen in the first two books. I am sorry to see this series end, but I hope we do not completely leave this world in the future.

Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review

[Britt Atkinson]

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was dark, sexy and full of mystery. Gabe is possessive and very protective of Yuri. Yuri is stubborn and willing to make sacrifices to protect those she loves. Both are keeping secrets from each other to protect each other. It had me yelling at my phone (that I'm reading on) to just bloody tell each other the truth!!
In fact everyone lying to reach other started to get annoying.
This book had danger and mystery written in a way that keeps you guessing.
I loved that Gabe knew her so well and supported her dreams.
Yuri did start to annoy me a bit by the end.
I liked the writing and plot. It was easy to get into. The spice was really hot 🥵. Overall I enjoyed this book.

[Valentina Khimich]

I am normally not a fan of billionaire romance but… this one… i am obsessed!!! The slow burn is done SO RIGHT!!!
It felt like being tickled just at the right spot and being kept on edge for a very very VERY long time.. if you know what i mean…
The character development was perfect.
FMC is so strong and resilient. I loved how she found strength within herself to escape and learned to let someone else to be a part of her life again.
This book is definitely an emotional rollercoaster.
Did i cry? Yes! Once? Nope..

The intrigue, the tension.. all of it just holds you through the entire book.
Incredible writing! So glad i read it!!!

[Cat Jones]

ARC REVIEW
This book was so good that I read it in less than 24 hours! I cannot express enough how much I love this book! I relate so much more to Yuri than I did Veronica (though I still love her book as well go read it too). Her love for crystals is something I share. And wow the plot twists? Amazing! And I could drool all day over Gabe 🤤 it was so good to see both of them have real character development. They don’t end up perfectly but they do end up realistically, trying to be better for each other.

[Stephanie Routhier]

*I received a copy of this book as an ARC. This review and thoughts are mine alone.*

Rating: 5⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️


I’m gonna be SO FOR REAL right now.

Veronica was my girl in the first two. I devoured her story and loved the chemistry between her and Miles.

HOWEVER. Yuri and Gabe just stole the show.

He stayed away to give her space to live her life, and she pushed him away to keep him and her family safe.

These two are destined to be together, if only because they love each other so much.

I am fully obsessed with this series.

[Christina]

WOW, Yuri by Inez Ocon completely blew me away. It's a dark billionaire romance done exactly right—the slow burn between Gabriel and Yuri is agonizing, and the fake marriage trope is pulled off perfectly. Gabriel is incredibly possessive and protective. If you want a book with high emotional stakes and serious spice, look no further. Such a perfect, explosive ending to the Shattered Queens series! Easy 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Lila]

I love the second chance trope in dark romance books. The guy is unhinged, sort of possessive, and willing to do anything to protect their lover. I love how whenever the guy leaves, they always expect the girl to retain their old personality. When in reality, time does change them. The characters are complex.

[Gwyn Gable]

This is one of those books where you feel fully immersed, living every moment alongside the characters. I found myself putting it down,not wanting the story to end.
The FMC’s character development was perfection. I fell in love with her tenacity and her ability to overcome some heavy stuff. Her resilience in escaping an abusive relationship and reaching out to Gabe for help creates an incredible, high-tension dynamic. From that point on they continuously tested their boundaries, constantly fighting the pull toward each other. I loved how seamlessly they anticipated each other's needs. This dynamic really made their connection unforgettable.

This book is an emotional rollercoaster and had me reaching for the tissues more than once. I also found myself cursing out loud and wanting to hurl my Kindle across the room (I wasn’t kidding about feeling fully immersed within the story). Inez Ocon’s writing is pure magic, blending dark themes, suspense, and intrigue into an irresistible "just one more chapter" read. I can't recommend this entire series enough.