Paranormal Romance — slow burn romance, happily ever after, swoony romance reads. He saved her life. Then he shattered her pride. Now he's the only one who can save her sister—and the price is everything she swore she'd never give. Paranormal romance fans who crave enemies-to-lovers tension, forbidden desire, and high-stakes court intrigue will be consumed by this darkly seductive tale of a healer forced to trust the prince who destroyed her world. Lysandra Vane was once the most gifted healer in the Venom Court, her hands capable of coaxing life from the brink of death. But that was before Prince Dain Thornwood humiliated her in front of the entire court, stripping her of her title and branding her a traitor's daughter. Now she lives in the shadows of the mortal realm, scraping by on her dwindling magic, haunted by the memory of his cruel silver eyes and the venom scars that pulse beneath her skin—a permanent reminder of the night he chose his crown over her life. When her younger sister, Elara, is struck by the Rotting Curse—a dark enchantment that slowly turns loved ones into mindless, ravenous monsters—Lysandra has nowhere left to turn. The curse is ancient, born of fae blood and forbidden magic, and every healer she consults offers the same chilling verdict: only the Thornwood prince possesses the antidote. The same prince who mocked her in the throne room while her father bled out at her feet. The same prince she has spent three years learning to hate. But Dain Thornwood is not the arrogant prince she remembers. When she confronts him in his private chambers, he offers her a deal: the antidote for her sister in exchange for one year of service as his personal healer in the Thornwood court. Lysandra knows the bargain is a trap—the court is a viper's nest of political intrigue, and Dain's motives are never transparent—but she cannot refuse. Not when Elara's transformation has already begun, the black vines creeping across her skin, her once-gentle eyes flickering with hunger. Yet the longer Lysandra serves in the Thornwood court, the more she uncovers dangerous secrets. Dain's cold exterior hides a man haunted by his own curse—a binding spell that forces him to obey his tyrannical father, the High King. Every cruel act, every act of public humiliation, was orchestrated to protect her from a fate worse than exile. And the venom in her scars? It's not a punishment—it's the only thing keeping her alive, a fragment of his own magic that he sacrificed to save her from the assassin's blade. Now Lysandra faces an impossible choice: cling to the hatred that has kept her safe for three years, or surrender to the forbidden desire that burns between them—knowing that if she gives in, she will become the weapon Dain's enemies use to destroy him. And if she walks away, Elara will be lost forever. Tropes you'll love: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, healing touch versus poisonous kiss, one bed, secret bargains, court intrigue, morally gray hero, scars as love marks, and a heroine who discovers her own dark power. This is the first book in the Courts of Venom and Thorn series, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Scarlett St. Clair—readers who crave slow-burn romance with bite, lush world-building, and heroes who burn the world for the one they love. Continue the saga with Book Two, A Throne of Ash and Amethyst. Perfect for readers who love **Harley Laroux** and **Liv Zander**.