Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver meets V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic (but short)
Prince Eliott has only ever wanted freedom. Freedom from royal marriage obligations, freedom from the war his queen and mother is waging.
When he refuses to lead the Queen's army, Eliott is imprisoned with five other rogue and rebel princes as part of a treaty to preserve the realm's alliances. By day, the princes sit in their tower. By night, they sneak out to dance. The Queen sends spies after them, but none discover the princes' secret ? until one follows them all the way to the ball and locks eyes with Eliott on the dance floor.
Eliott knows Nina is dangerous. If the Queen finds out he's broken the treaty, it will mean war with their allies. But when it's love, there are no sides, and Eliott will have to risk his secrets if he wants a taste of freedom.
The Rose Ball Rebels is a forbidden romance with 'the one that got away'. It is the first book in the Cursed Princes, a series of short yet thoughtful reads with fractured fairy tales, subverted gender roles and angsty happy endings. Each title is a standalone romance but the books are best read in order to understand the series arc.
