Midwinter Wiles and Valerian Dreams

A princess in hiding. A fae illusionist with seven magical orphans in tow. One fake engagement meant to save them all.

Talvie isn’t meant to scrub dishes…or floors…or *shudder*, toilets. Once upon a time (actually, a few short days ago) she was a princess—before betrayal sent her fleeing from the Ice Queen’s huntsmen into the frozen wilds of the Hinterlands.

With no plan, zero survival skills, and a reflection from her moon companion disguising her as a Wilder Fae, Talvie finds sanctuary and a job at a quiet woodland inn. One problem. Turns out, a pampered palace life leaves you terrible at … well, everything.

Enter charming, competent, and guardian to the seven orphans in his misfit acting troupe. He spins illusions as effortlessly as he unleashes his devastating grin. But beneath the sparkle, he’s just a Wild One with a secret, struggling to keep his found family together. So when the sentry for his custody case suggests a partner might help sway the board, Lark makes an impulsive move…

“Meet my fiancee!”

Talvie must be desperate. That, or Lark’s dimples have magical powers of persuasion.

Agreeing to a fake engagement will either be a perfect solution, or a perfect disaster.

Between the mischievous kids, a grumpy hedgehog, and lingering glances across their chaos-filled cottage, the lines between acting and reality soon begin to blur. Until the Ice Queen’s arrival at the village festival brings it all crashing down, and a daring performance meant to thaw the queen’s frozen heart ends with Talvie under a curse that can only be broken by true love’s kiss.

But how can love be true … when it was all an illusion?

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Midwinter Wiles and Valerian Dreams
is book ten in The Enchanted Woods Cottagecore Collection.

Inspired by Snow White and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this cozy romantasy blends fake engagement shenanigans, found family, and spellbinding magic in a tale brimming with mayhem and the kind of love that sneaks up on you. For fans of Howl’s Moving Castle, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and fairytales reimagined with a cozy twist, this charming fantasy will leave your heart warm and cheeks smiling.