Book Review ~ RINGS OF FATE by Melissa de la Cruz

Rings of Fate (Curses and Crowns, #1)
by: Melissa de la Cruz
Series: Curses and Crowns
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance/Romantasy
Release Date: January 6, 2026
Publisher: Entangled ~ Red Tower Books

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.

Rings of Fate marks my first time reading Melissa de la Cruz. I'm definitely going to read more of her books. From the start, I was hooked. I loved Aren with her sassy, snarky attitude. Aren loves her family and has been taking care of them since she was a young child herself. She currently runs her father's bar, Raven’s Beak, in the farm town of Evandale, located in the kingdom of Alarice. She dreams of being able to travel and finally be responsible for only herself. But she can't do that until her younger twin sisters, Sonja and Ophelia, are married and settled. Then she can sell the bar and use the proceeds to help her father and travel.

When it's announced that Prince Dietan of Loegria will be traveling through on a mission to find a wife, Aren thinks one of her sisters has a true chance to catch his eye. Of course, things don’t go the way Aren envisions.

Dietan isn't really looking for a wife. He, his friends, and his father are using the trip as a cover story to travel to the former kingdom of Estyrion, now known as The Great Waste, without anyone expecting anything. Dietan is the charismatic and handsome prince everyone expects, but he's also a cursed prince.

When Aren discovers Dietan’s secret, he proposes that they enter into a fake engagement and continue to travel as part of the charade. But his curse follows them, and soon they find themselves running for their lives, and ultimately landing in the one place they don't want to be.

Rings of Fate, the first book in the Curses and Crowns series, was such a fun book to read. Yes, the characters face life and death situations, but their witty and playful banter breaks up all the seriousness. This is an opposites attract, fish-out-of-water, grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, he falls first, slow, slow burn romance. Simply put, they are yin and yang.

Rings of Fate had the perfect ending. So I'm really curious as to what the next two books in the series will be about. I can’t wait to find out.

~ Favorite Quote ~

“You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

**Received a copy of the book courtesy of the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it. Also personally purchased a deluxe hardcover copy.**

Rating: 5

Purchase Rings of Fate from:

Amazon | Hardcover | Audible | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads

(Affiliate Links Used)

Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publisher’s Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Many of her more than fifty books have also topped USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and been published in over twenty countries. A former fashion and beauty editor, Melissa has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire,Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, the San Francisco Chronicle,McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and Fox News. Melissa de la Cruz grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. At Columbia University, she majored in art history and English. She lives in West Hollywood with her husband and daughter.

Places to find Melissa de la Cruz:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | TikTok | Amazon Author Page

Subscribe to Read Your Writes Book Reviews: