Tropes: Secret Society; Forced Marriage; Marriage of Convenience; Enemies to Married Couple; “We have to pretend we’re happily married”; Bound by Duty; Reluctant Partners; Opposites Attract; Detective x Assassin; Secret Identity
Release Date: September 24, 2026
Cover Design: RBA Designs
Discreet Design: Hang Le
He was supposed to catch killers, not marry one.
Detective Boston has built a career on hunting dangerous people. Rules don’t scare him. Blood doesn’t bother him. And morality has always been … negotiable.
But nothing prepares him for the night he walks in to find her.
An assassin for hire with electric blue hair, a blade in her hand, and no intention of being caught.
He should arrest her.
Instead, he makes her an offer.
Marry him, and he’ll keep her secret.
Refuse, and her life will fall apart.
For him, it’s a calculated move.
For her, it’s blackmail dressed up as a wedding.
Living with an assassin was never part of the plan.
But the longer they’re married, the harder it becomes to decide who is more dangerous.
💚Review💚
Maven is brash when it comes to personality, her looks and her career as an assassin. She has accepted assignments from the Society in the past, but when certain members hurt the person she loves the most she is determined to get payback. The only thing standing in her way is Boston, the detective who has given her the choice between marrying him or facing the consequences of her actions.
There are two sides of Boston once which is the detective that follows the law and the other is the work he does for the Society. He has been intrigued by Maven and finding out that she is the person he has been trying to track changes everything and knows that he is only man who can protect her and he will use anything at his disposal to ensure he does.
Maven is such a compelling character both when it comes to what she says and her actions while Boston is determined to protect her whether she wants it or not. The surprises keep coming, the suspense only escalates as the story unfolds and the bond between them is undeniable as they prove to be perfect partners in all areas of their lives.
USA Today Best Selling Author T.L. Smith loves to write her characters with flaws so beautiful and dark you can’t turn away. Her books have been translated into several languages. If you don’t catch up with her in her home state of Queensland, Australia you can usually find her travelling the world, either sitting on a beach in Bali or exploring Alcatraz in San Francisco or walking the streets of New York.
He was supposed to catch killers, not marry one.
