Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz

Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz

Series:  Curses and Crowns #1

Published by Entangled: Red Tower Books on January 6th, 2026

Genres:  Fantasy, Romantasy, Fiction, Romance

Pages:  410

Format:  Physical/Book of the Month

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★★★★

🌶/5 spice

She’s a barmaid who doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He’s a prince cursed to live one.

Aren Bellamore has no interest in being anyone’s princess. She’s too busy running the Raven’s Beak tavern, fending off unwanted marriage proposals, and dreaming of escape. But when a brush with death and a dangerously handsome stranger upend her life, Aren finds herself bound to a bargain that could change everything.

Prince Dietan has carried the cursed Rings of Fate ancient weapons of devastating power since childhood. The magic is killing him, and the enemies are closing in. To make the journey to reverse his curse, he needs a bride to hide his secrets. Aren wants freedom. Pretending to be his fiancée should give them both what they want.

But as their perilous journey pits them against political schemes, monstrous Kilandrar, and a growing attraction neither can deny, the line between make-believe and destiny begins to blur. And the fate of two kingdoms may depend on whether a cynical barmaid and a cursed prince are willing to risk their hearts.

🏰 romantasy adventure

👑 cursed prince x snarky barmaid

💍 fake engagement

🔥 slow burn

🛏️ forced proximity

👥 dual POV

I was obsessed with the Blue Bloods series when I was in middle school so it was so fun to read an adult series by the same author (now I really need to reread that series as well!).

It was such a quick and easy read that really pulls you into the story. I found myself flying through the book to see what would happen next.

The characters Aren and Dietan were both so lovable in their own way. Although I loved Aren’s snarky ways and how Dietan loved that she didn’t treat him like a royal like everyone else. I truly did enjoy watching them slowly start to fall for each other as the book went on.

The one thing that did frustrate me a little bit was the constant miscommunication between the two of them. One person would slightly show their feelings then the other person would be like this is just fake it’s not real. And that went back and forth for a while.

But there was plenty of action and adventure that distracted me from it most of the time and kept me entertained. I will definitely be interested to see where the series heads next and what’s in store for their world.