Swordcrossed

Mattinesh "Matti" Jay is the dutiful heir to his family's struggling wool business, and his arranged marriage is the one thing that might save it. The trouble is that custom lets rivals challenge a groom with a sword at the altar, so Matti needs a best man who can fight.

The swordsman he can afford is Luca Piere, a part-time con artist who is also trying to leave a crime in his hometown behind him, and who is soon blackmailed into giving Matti lessons.

As the wedding approaches in the merchant city of Glassport, the two are caught up in intrigue and sabotage aimed at Matti's family house, while Luca's secrets strain the alliance growing between them.

Pitched by Tor as Swordspoint meets Legends & Lattes, this is a standalone fantasy romance with a fast, low-stakes, fantasy-of-manners feel, two men at its centre and steamy scenes along the way.