Wrong Bride

Viktorov #2

by Maya Wren

She isn’t the bride he was promised.

But she is the one he’ll never surrender.

I spent years trying to escape the Bykova name.

At thirty, I’ve built the kind of life my family never wanted for me: a normal job, a terrible roommate, and no connection to the Bratva world.

Then my photo appears in a binder of women suitable to marry the new Viktorov Pakhan.

Apparently, I’m now a sophisticated real-estate professional who speaks fluent Russian, holds traditional values, and has a close relationship with my criminal family.

In reality, I coordinate plumbers for a living, know about six words of Russian, and haven’t willingly spoken to my father in years.

Rurik Viktorov doesn’t know that.

He only knows he needs a wife. An heir. And according to the binder, I’m exactly what he wants.

When my father threatens to offer my younger sister in my place, I do the only thing I can.

I marry him.

The arrangement should be simple. I play the perfect Pakhan’s wife. My father gets the alliance he’s desperate for. We produce the heir Rurik's position demands.

Somewhere between bullets, bloodshed, and nights neither of us can pretend are only obligation, our arrangement becomes a marriage neither of us wants to escape.

Until Rurik discovers the truth.

I was never the bride he thought he chose.

The elders want him to correct the mistake. Choose a younger bride. A proper bride. Someone who actually matches the woman he thought he was marrying.

They should have remembered one thing about Rurik Viktorov.

He doesn’t surrender what’s his.

And somewhere along the way, that became me.

Wrong Bride is a steamy dark Bratva romance featuring an arranged marriage, a thirty-year-old heroine, an obsessive Pakhan, forced proximity, marriage-of-convenience tension, touch-her-and-die devotion, enemies-to-lovers heat, an heir bargain, and a guaranteed HEA.

Genres: Mafia Romance

546 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2026

About the author

Maya Wren writes dark romance featuring obsessive heroes, fearless heroines, and happily-ever-afters worth fighting for.

A lifelong lover of travel and questionable fictional decisions, she creates stories where red flags come with tattoos and a devotion that borders on obsession.

Fortunately, Maya doesn’t have to look far for inspiration. She married her own tattooed badass. They live in the Northern US with their dogs.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrong Bride

This book pulled me in from the beginning! I love a romance filled with unexpected twists, intense chemistry, complicated feelings, and characters who keep you guessing, and this story definitely delivered. The tension between the characters made it hard to put the book down, and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop through all the challenges and misunderstandings.

There were moments that had me frustrated, moments that made me smile, and plenty of emotional scenes that kept me invested. I especially enjoyed the drama, the romantic tension, and the way everything slowly came together. The characters had their flaws, but that made their journey feel more interesting and entertaining.

If you enjoy romance with plenty of drama, unexpected turns, passion, and a happily-ever-after worth waiting for, I definitely recommend giving Wrong Bride a read. Another enjoyable romance that kept me turning the pages!.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Notes for me

Rurik - new Pakhan. Brother of MMC in first book

Ness - mafia daughter but stays as far away from life as possible

Older council members insist Rurik must marry now that he’s Pakhan. Give him a dossier of potential wives. Ness is the only one that interests him. Her picture is a candid shot vs all other posed and filtered. She looks down to Earth and she’s 30, not 18.

Story continues with them deciding if they want to be together. Her dad is shady and the MCs have secrets.

I enjoyed this story. FMC fights the attraction but not too long.

Safety

No OWD

He barely thinks about previous women.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Rurik and Ness. And the fact that she was the wrong bride was great. By the time anyone found out, it was too late. The two of them had already fallen for one another. The push and pull between these two in the beginning was so good. And when they finally came around, their marriage was a good one. This was sweet and steamy, and truly captivating. A really great read.

[Esraa Abuelmagd · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the banter which was like bing bong between the FMC and MMC. Finally a mature woman as a heroin. The book is page turner. The plot Luckily didn’t fall die the spice, both elements woven smoothly. I only wished the actions after the climax were gradual.

[Jennifer · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

First time reading this authors work and loved it. Loved Ness and Rurik but all of the secondary characters were just as great. Ness was funny and there was a great build up between the two of them. Excited to read the next one.

[WesMichelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this even more than Jane and Gavs story. Ness and Ruriks was so good! Excellent banter, steamy scenes that left nothing to the imagination and a good plot. Can’t wait for Mikhails story!