The Golem’s Bride by S.C. Principale

Reginald is not your typical golem. Created to protect innocents during the London Blitz, his form has become refined and perfected over the decades until he looks quite human—but he still lacks that one special spark that would grant him full autonomy. Dejected and ready to be unmade, Reginald agrees to perform one more mission to honor an old friend in exchange for his final rest.
Therese LaFontaine did the one thing her grandmother told her never to do—she married in haste, and boy, is she repenting in leisure. Therese’s ex-husband was everything she thought she wanted—tall, dark, handsome, mysterious, and ready to show her the world outside of rural Louisiana.
Too bad that Matteo’s globetrotting was just a cover for his more sinister activities that didn’t just involve underhanded dealings—they involved the underworld itself.
In danger from Matteo’s associates, Therese seeks refuge in Pine Ridge where old family friends offer to help hide her with a powerful protector. To keep up the charade that Therese knows nothing of her husband’s double-life, she must play the role of a woman on the rebound.
To outsiders, Reginald is simply a sturdy human plumber. Alone at night, Therese discovers her golem bodyguard has powers unlike anything she’s ever known. Alone and in hiding, she peels back the cold layers of the golem’s heart to find someone worldly yet humble, giving but unyielding, brave yet afraid of what comes next.
He was only supposed to guard her life, not steal her heart. In a charade where love should never bloom, can Reginald finally find what makes him whole? Will Therese truly become the golem’s bride?

The Golem’s Bride is a steamy standalone monster romance in the Pine Ridge Universe.