Scallywag or Scoundrel by Emily Deady

Seven missing fiancées.
One overprotective handmaiden.
Countless red flags.

When the Allysian princess falls head over heels for a brooding, socially catastrophic sea captain with a mysterious blue beard and seven broken engagements — her handmaiden Lia does what any loyal servant would do: she grabs a hair pin, storms into the roughest sailor tavern in the kingdom, and launches a one-woman investigation.

Meanwhile, the noble and hopelessly awkward Lord Tyrell can’t string two words together around the princess, whom he’s worshiped from afar since childhood. But when he’s recruited into Lia’s chaotic crusade to save the princess from a man who may or may not dispose of his fiancées, he discovers that the sharp-tongued, eye-rolling, knife-wielding handmaiden might be the real adventure he’s been looking for.

What follows is a madcap romp through royal balls and stormy lighthouses that will keep you laughing while also melting your heart.

Scoundrel or Scallywag is a Bluebeard novella set in the world of the Fairy Tale Royals. It has the heart of a romance, the soul of a comedy, and a heroine who rations her eye-rolls like a queen rations gold. Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride, Howl’s Moving Castle, and anyone who’s ever fallen for exactly the wrong person — or watched a friend do it and screamed into the void.