Title:
City of Crooked Vows (Faerie Bound, Book One)
Author:
Rowan MacKay
Genre:
Gaslamp fantasy romance, fae romantic fantasy
Release Date:
30 June 2026
E-Book ASIN:
B0GX2WP912
ISBN:
978-1-0688358-4-1 (e-book) | 978-1-0688358-3-4 (paperback)
Links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | All retailers | Goodreads
Tropes
- Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
- Emotional support knives
- Forbidden romance
- Dark secrets
- Criminal enforcer x City guard
- He sleeps with knives by his bed
- Kiss so they don't get caught
- Magical scars
Long blurb
When a criminal enforcer teams up with an upright city guard, she must hide her most shocking crime of all—or face banishment to Faerie.
Hardened by the gaslit alleys of Mossburgh, Aly doesn’t trust a guard easily. Not least because her most sordid crime of all—selling her own magic to survive—is etched into her very skin in dozens of telltale scars. So when a handsome city guard catches her with a dead politician's jewellery in her pocket, she's convinced it's all over.
But Calum surprises her. Generous, thoughtful and principled, it’s clear he cares more about finding the truth than simply closing the case. He makes a bargain with her: help him solve the murder, and he'll grant amnesty for her petty crimes. It’s a chance to start over, free of her violent boss.
Except there’s a catch. If he learns she’s committed anything more serious than theft, he won’t think twice about taking her down. And if he finds out she sold magic, it won’t be a prison sentence that awaits her.
It will be banishment to Faerie.
As they chase the bloody connections linking the dead politician to the city's underbelly and even the fae, the fragile trust between them blooms into something deeper. Soon Aly finds herself gambling not just her freedom... but her heart.
Six of Crows meets Scottish fae in this angsty, enemies to lovers fantasy romance, featuring forbidden love, a morally grey heroine and a traumatised love interest who sleeps with knives by his bed.
Short Blurb
Six of Crows meets Scottish fae in this enemies to lovers fantasy romance in which a ruthless criminal enforcer and the upright guard who arrests her must solve a murder—or be the next to die.
Graphics
Before Proceeding:
Please note that these graphics and elements may be used solely in conjunction with marketing for Rowan MacKay and City of Crooked Vows.
Absolutely no generative AI. These graphics must not, in any way, be either input into a generative AI service nor may they be combined with generative AI outputs.
These graphics are provided for ease of use. Feel free to pick and mix as it suits you. For my Canva style guide, including fonts, backgrounds and other elements that you can copy and paste into your own designs, click here.
Book mockups and title text | ARC reader | Tropes | ARC review | Release day
Book mockups and text
Please note that these graphics and elements may be used solely in conjunction with marketing for Rowan MacKay and City of Crooked Vows.
Absolutely no generative AI. These graphics must not, in any way, be either input into a generative AI service nor may they be combined with generative AI outputs.
ARC reader graphics
Please note that these graphics and elements may be used solely in conjunction with marketing for Rowan MacKay and City of Crooked Vows.
Absolutely no generative AI. These graphics must not, in any way, be either input into a generative AI service nor may they be combined with generative AI outputs.
Tropes graphics
Please note that these graphics and elements may be used solely in conjunction with marketing for Rowan MacKay and City of Crooked Vows.
Absolutely no generative AI. These graphics must not, in any way, be either input into a generative AI service nor may they be combined with generative AI outputs.
ARC review graphics
Please note that these graphics and elements may be used solely in conjunction with marketing for Rowan MacKay and City of Crooked Vows.
Absolutely no generative AI. These graphics must not, in any way, be either input into a generative AI service nor may they be combined with generative AI outputs.
Release day graphics
Please note that these graphics and elements may be used solely in conjunction with marketing for Rowan MacKay and City of Crooked Vows.
Absolutely no generative AI. These graphics must not, in any way, be either input into a generative AI service nor may they be combined with generative AI outputs.