Marriage is the only thing that can save King Davin's most-hated reputation. And to make things worse, Davin hired the one girl he's most attracted to, but her social class makes her an impossible choice for his future.
Emree Dutson has one goal: raise the king's approval ratings so she can get a permanent job at the castle. Falling in love with the king wasn't part of the job description. Now her feelings for him are ruining everything.
Will Davin risk his crown for love?
Acknowledgments
I've always loved acknowledgments after I finish a book. Now, I can't believe I'm actually writing one of these things. When I first set out writing this book, I never imagined how many people it would take to make this dream become a reality. I am so thrilled to give a shout out to all of the people who "Support Kort."
I have to start by thanking my niece, Erin. She was the first person to read my halfway-finished manuscript and my partner in crime when it came to editing. I'm so grateful for the hours and hours you spent making this book what it is. I loved all of our phone conversations, our back-and-forth texts, our Google Doc threads, and our side conversations at family parties. You made me a better writer, and you added so much to the development of the plot. I will forever be grateful for the work you put in. You have a real talent, and I can't wait to see what the future brings for you.
To my very first beta readers: Stacy, McKenna, Kaylen, Sidney, Michelle, Chelsea, Jen, and Laura, you guys read this book when it was a hot mess. Thank you for all of your honest suggestions and the time you spent reading and thinking about how the book could be better, especially Stacy, McKenna, and Kaylen. I will NEVER forget the hilarious comments and threads on that first document. I can look back through this book and specifically name parts that each of you added. You three make up the dream team when it comes to beta readers.
Thank you to all of my other beta readers. There are too many of you to name individually, but I appreciate all the time it took to read and send me feedback. Mostly, you gave me confidence that maybe this book didn't suck.
Another person who made this book so much better was my editor, Jenny Proctor. You taught me so much about writing and helped strengthen everything from my word choice to my confidence. I loved your helpful tips about publishing and how you made me feel like we had been friends for years. Thank you!
I owe a huge thank you to Tasha, @the_clean_read_book_club. Not only is she the best bookstagrammer out there, but she held my hand, answered all my stupid questions, and promoted this book like crazy. You are my first official fan. Thank you for loving this book as much as I do and for helping me get it in front of so many people.
I have the best group of girlfriends. You girls are the first people I admitted to that I was writing a book. It took me four years to complete it, but I always appreciated the enthusiasm, the laughs, and the encouragement. You girls are my biggest fans, and you truly know how to "Support Kort." I look forward to many more years of monthly dinners and peeing my pants from laughing so hard. Each of you has blessed my life, and I am grateful for the years of friendship we've had.
Thank you to my family and Kurt's family. I'm pretty sure me writing a book came out of nowhere for most of you, but thanks for indulging my whims and supporting me anyway. Even my cute dad joined in on all the "book talk." He’s the best. And a big thank you to my nephew, Austin, for building my website.
To my sisters, Stacy, you have been my biggest cheerleader since day one. Shelly, thank you for proofreading...twice. Kendra, thanks for all of the emotional encouragement. This just might be the first fiction book you read. I look up to each of you so much! Not having Mom here to share this book with me has been hard, but I'm so grateful for how you three have rallied around me to fill her void. It means so much.
Speaking of my angel mom, I feel like I need to publicly state that Trev's list at the end of the book came from her. I can still remember the moment the idea popped in my head, and I remember the distinct feeling that she was adding her bits-and-pieces from heaven. This book is for you, Mom.
A huge thank you to my amazing five children. Finding the balance between writing and being a mom has been difficult, but they still cheer me on despite all the times I've been distracted or there hasn't been anything to eat for dinner. In all honesty, their excitement made me want to finish the book and publish it. I love you all, and am so lucky to be your mom.
To Kurt, my extremely handsome husband, you make it easy to write about love. There will be pieces of you in each romantic hero I write. Thanks for making me laugh every day, for coming up with the Council of Essentials, for loving me and all my crazy, and for laughing out loud when you read my book. You make life so much more fun, and I love you.
Finally, I would feel very ungrateful if I didn't thank my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I have been so blessed, and I know that every blessing I have comes from them, especially when it comes to writing and publishing this book.
About the Author
Kortney loves all things romance. Her devotion to romance was first apparent at three-years-old when her family caught her kissing the walls (she attributes this embarrassing part of her life to her mother's affinity for watching soap operas like Days of Our Lives). Luckily, Kortney has outgrown that phase and now only kisses her husband. Most days, Kortney is your typical stay at home mom. She has five kids that keep her busy cleaning, carpooling, and cooking.
Writing books was never part of Kortney's plan. She graduated from the University of Utah with an English degree and spent a few years before motherhood teaching 7th and 8th graders how to write a book report, among other things. But after a reading slump, where no plots seemed to satisfy, Kortney pulled out her laptop and started writing the "perfect" love story...or at least she tried. Her debut novel, The Promised Prince, took four years to write, mostly because she never worked on it and didn't plan on doing anything with it.
Kortney loves warm chocolate chip cookies, clever song lyrics, the perfect romance movie, analyzing and talking about the perfect romance movie, playing card games, traveling with her family, and laughing with her husband.