Secrets and Starlight

by Mel Braxton

Her magic could destroy them all. Their passion could save the world.

Ayla needs help. She has more magic than ever before and no control over it. Not only is she dangerous to everyone around her, her magical bond with Zayne is growing stronger—and it’s all she can do to resist it.

Zayne has an island to save and new powers he detests. The curse on his homeland remains, and only a set of black diamond shards hidden away at a trade assembly can fix it. Except it means sneaking into the assembly while yearning for a woman whose magic doesn’t know the meaning of subtle.

As their irresistible passions bring the reluctant pair closer, the nightly ballroom parties hide something altogether more sinister. Someone is controlling the curse on Zayne’s homeland. If Ayla and Zayne don’t master their magic or have the courage to strengthen their bond, they’ll not only doom their loved ones—they’ll doom each other.

Secrets and Starlight is the second sizzling romantasy book in the Bound by Thrones trilogy. If you love morally gray men, court intrigues, and accidental mates, slide into Secrets and Starlight!

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2025

About the author

Mel doesn't know what to do with reality, so she daydreams of fantastical places. With strong heroines, thrilling plots, and toe-curling romance, she captivates readers with her storytelling. She loves her family, especially Lulu the dog, who mistakenly believes Mel’s job is to be a professional puppy cuddler.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is book two in the Bound by Thrones trilogy. This is a slow burn, steamy four book series.

𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.

🖤 Morally Grey MMC
🖤 Accidental Mates
🖤 Animal/Diety Sidekick
🖤 Necromancy
🖤 Shadow Daddy/Starlight Mama
🖤 Epic Quest

Once again Ayla and Zayne find themselves on another epic quest, but this time its too find the black diamond shards. Ayla is no longer Magic-less  as she has finally awoken her powers.  However her magic is wild and untamed., but she soon discovers she has the gift of starlight. She must learn to control her powers as her future depends on it.

Alya and Zayne's bond continues to grow and change, even if they don't always completely understand it. I am curious to see how their bond plays out in book three. I also can't wait to see more of Ninti, the firewolf.

thank you Mel and Behind the Pages for the e-arc. My thoughts and review are my own.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

She can save the world… if she’s willing to sacrifice her heart. 💔

If you love fated mates, shadow zaddies, forced proximity, and court intrigue, this one is for you! 🫶

Mel keeps me wanting more!! Secrets and Starlight is a beautiful addition to the Bound by Thrones series as we experience the exponential growth between Ayla and Zayne. As always, I love the mutual trust between the two and that Zayne trusts Ayla 100% even when all he wants to do is keep her in his shadows; we all need a man like Zayne. But the real star of the show, Ninti; our firewolf companion. 🐾 She’s in for quite the ride now.

Thank you, Mel, for giving me the opportunity to ARC read this beautiful book; already looking forward to book 3 because I need it like Ayla and Zayne need each other!!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two dives right in after book one ended. Zayne & Ayla successfully defeated Inarus and helped Eleanor ascend the throne, but in the process discovered a much greater threat. Now with Ayla’s unblocked power and an unplanned tether between them, they journey into more treacherous waters.

I loved the world-building in this book and the progression of Zayne and Ayla’s relationship. While Ayla was conflicted, Zayne was steadfast and patient in his feelings. They bring out the best in each other and it’s truly a joy to read. Book two introduced so many new characters and layers to the plot so I can’t wait to see where book three takes us next. Another wonderful installment to the series.

[Kelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book picks up right where the first left off, with Ayla and Zayne traveling to Mer. There’s a ton of new characters in the mix, so many secrets and trails to follow and dots to connect and I was eating it up!!! Ayla and Zayne’s relationship continues to grow deeper (and spiiicier 🥵) and I genuinely love them so much. There’s so much tenderness and protectiveness between them it just turns my heart into a puddle.

We learn so much more about the Isle of Fae and the magic system of this world throughout the book, and there are some crazy revelations and twists along the way that just add layers of intricacies and had me salivating for more.

[MarlyUsagi · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this book!! it was a quick read and picks up right where the first one ended. This book has a little bit more spice then the first one, and I love that Zayne is patience with Ayla and is supportive of her choices. With her magic being released shes scared of them because she can't control them and she's a danger to those she loves. Watching these characters grow is nice to see and I'm eager to see what comes next!

[khubble]

I’m DNFing this and it’s honestly not because it’s bad in the least. I would probably recommend this series. But I need something different and this feels the same as some other stuff I’ve read recently. But absolutely no hate on this whatsoever!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
A stunning sequel to which I cannot wait for the next book!
This was such a satisfying book 2, I really felt the characters growth. I can't say the revelations or twists actually surprised me, but they were good regardless. I will absolutely continue the series.

[Kelsey Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything you want in a sequel. Ayla and Zayne go undercover at the Trade Assembly in Mer to try to retrieve the rest of the Black Diamond shards but Ayla’s newly awakened powers are unreliable at best and wildly dangerous at worst and Zayne is dealing with the fact that he hates his necromantic powers. Tension is at an all time high between these two and Ayla is trying to deny the bond they have because she’s a big scaredy cat and Zayne is just like extremely patient with her. There’s a big revelation about Ayla’s parentage in this which is pretty obvious from the beginning but still enjoyable regardless. We get to see and learn about more of the lesser and greater deities and I can’t wait to see what happens in the future with them. The spice in this finally kicks off and Ayla and Zayne have a hard time keeping their hands off each other. The way this ended had me so shocked and I absolutely need book three as soon as possible because I need to know how this story ends.