What do you think?
Rate this book
Of Earth and Gold : An Elemental Fae Romance
Grief made her cautious. Destiny will make her unstoppable.
Lily Carvish is a widowed mother of two, living a quiet life in Misty Ridge with nothing more magical than the coffee machine in her café. But when a stranger with molten-gold tattoos and an impossible pull walks into her world, everything she thought she knew begins to unravel.
Aodhan is no ordinary man, he is an immortal fae prince hunted by enemies, bound by prophecy, and pulled toward Lily by a bond older than the courts themselves.
As danger creeps closer and Lily’s dormant magic awakens, their worlds collide in a storm of passion, secrets, and ancient power. But loving him means stepping into a realm where beauty masks cruelty, loyalty is deadly, and a shattered sceptre holds the fate of every court.
Can she accept love after loss? And can she open her heart to a fae prince, knowing it means admitting that everything she believed about her world was a lie?Perfect for readers who matesFound familySingle mother heroineProtective fae princeSlow-burn to burning-hot tensionHidden magic and elemental courtsHeart-wrenching stakes and epic romanceOf Earth and Gold is Book One in The Fae Sceptre a romantasy series filled with elemental magic, dangerous courts, and a love powerful enough to shake worlds.
Lily Carvish is a widowed mother of two, living a quiet life in Misty Ridge with nothing more magical than the coffee machine in her café. But when a stranger with molten-gold tattoos and an impossible pull walks into her world, everything she thought she knew begins to unravel.
Aodhan is no ordinary man, he is an immortal fae prince hunted by enemies, bound by prophecy, and pulled toward Lily by a bond older than the courts themselves.
As danger creeps closer and Lily’s dormant magic awakens, their worlds collide in a storm of passion, secrets, and ancient power. But loving him means stepping into a realm where beauty masks cruelty, loyalty is deadly, and a shattered sceptre holds the fate of every court.
Can she accept love after loss? And can she open her heart to a fae prince, knowing it means admitting that everything she believed about her world was a lie?Perfect for readers who matesFound familySingle mother heroineProtective fae princeSlow-burn to burning-hot tensionHidden magic and elemental courtsHeart-wrenching stakes and epic romanceOf Earth and Gold is Book One in The Fae Sceptre a romantasy series filled with elemental magic, dangerous courts, and a love powerful enough to shake worlds.
Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2026
3 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 10, 2026
ARC Read
This book starts off really wholesome and then wastes no time diving straight into tragedy. Lily is a deeply emotional character, clearly haunted by loss and unsure of herself, which made her easy to connect with, and her emotional struggles hitting hard. Aodhan, on the other hand, is cocky and arrogant in a way thats more charming than anything, and the contrast between them was one of the more enjoyable parts of the story.
The writing is very descriptive and rich, especially when it comes to the world and magic, and I particularly enjoyed Aodhan’s POVs for that reason. That said, the pacing felt slow at times, and the heavy descriptions occasionally crossed into overkill. The second-chance romance had some strong moments, but overall the story started to feel a bit repetitive for me.
This book starts off really wholesome and then wastes no time diving straight into tragedy. Lily is a deeply emotional character, clearly haunted by loss and unsure of herself, which made her easy to connect with, and her emotional struggles hitting hard. Aodhan, on the other hand, is cocky and arrogant in a way thats more charming than anything, and the contrast between them was one of the more enjoyable parts of the story.
The writing is very descriptive and rich, especially when it comes to the world and magic, and I particularly enjoyed Aodhan’s POVs for that reason. That said, the pacing felt slow at times, and the heavy descriptions occasionally crossed into overkill. The second-chance romance had some strong moments, but overall the story started to feel a bit repetitive for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
When we first meet Lily, she is truly happy. We get a glimpse of her warm, peaceful life, but there’s already a quiet feeling that something will soon break that calm. And later, that feeling becomes real. On the outside, Lily seems to have rebuilt a good life for herself and her family. She looks steady, even content, but you can still feel the pain she carries. Her loss hasn’t disappeared; it sits under the surface of everything she does.
Then Aodhan enters the story. From the moment he appears, I was rooting for him. He’s a mysterious stranger searching for something, yet he also feels a strong pull towards Lily that he can’t explain. He shows up again and again, always gentle, never pushing too far. He becomes a steady, quiet presence, especially when she needs someone the most.
The first two thirds of the book are very character‑driven. The focus is on Lily, her family, and the slow, meaningful connection that grows between her and Aodhan. Small hints appear along the way, showing that this isn’t just a normal love story. There is something deeper tying them together, something that suggests they were meant to meet long ago, but someone interfered and kept them apart, changing their destinies.
The danger builds slowly in the background. Then, in the final third, the tone shifts. Suddenly, the threat becomes real, and their new happiness feels fragile and short‑lived. The stakes rise, and I was completely pulled in.
For a debut novel, I have to praise the author. The story feels well rounded and full of heart. It isn’t perfect, but it comes very close. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.
I received a free copy of this book by the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Then Aodhan enters the story. From the moment he appears, I was rooting for him. He’s a mysterious stranger searching for something, yet he also feels a strong pull towards Lily that he can’t explain. He shows up again and again, always gentle, never pushing too far. He becomes a steady, quiet presence, especially when she needs someone the most.
The first two thirds of the book are very character‑driven. The focus is on Lily, her family, and the slow, meaningful connection that grows between her and Aodhan. Small hints appear along the way, showing that this isn’t just a normal love story. There is something deeper tying them together, something that suggests they were meant to meet long ago, but someone interfered and kept them apart, changing their destinies.
The danger builds slowly in the background. Then, in the final third, the tone shifts. Suddenly, the threat becomes real, and their new happiness feels fragile and short‑lived. The stakes rise, and I was completely pulled in.
For a debut novel, I have to praise the author. The story feels well rounded and full of heart. It isn’t perfect, but it comes very close. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.
I received a free copy of this book by the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Breathtakingly beautiful is how I describe this fantasy romance!
The characters I loved, the world and story was captivating and pure. I felt the love, the fear, the heartbreak, the healing, the laughter as I read each part.
Lily or Lilian is a strong mum, pushing through her heartbreak to give her kids everything. She does everything for her family / friends, she’s this beautiful lady with a heart of gold. Even when life throws curveballs, weird feelings, magic, strangeness and a new love, she rises above with a determination, loyalty and a no one messes with her family attitude.
Aodhan is a fae prince hunting for something missing when he meets Lily a tight thread pulls them together. He’s loyal, protective, fierce and absolutely besotted with her. I loved his personality when it came to her, he was strong when she needed, he gave space when she needed but still acknowledged he was there for when she was ready, especially he was ready to love all of her including her kids. “Swoon”
This deals with heartbreak but so beautifully, it shows love, support, healing and 2nd chance being possible.
If you love fantasy, romance, magic, fae, realms, courts, discovery, secrets, love, healing and a single mum story this is definitely the book for you!!
For an indy authors “debut” being their first book, I am blown away by how amazing this was. Definitely wanting to read more from Shona in the future especially the next part of The Sceptre Circle. Read it asap!!
The characters I loved, the world and story was captivating and pure. I felt the love, the fear, the heartbreak, the healing, the laughter as I read each part.
Lily or Lilian is a strong mum, pushing through her heartbreak to give her kids everything. She does everything for her family / friends, she’s this beautiful lady with a heart of gold. Even when life throws curveballs, weird feelings, magic, strangeness and a new love, she rises above with a determination, loyalty and a no one messes with her family attitude.
Aodhan is a fae prince hunting for something missing when he meets Lily a tight thread pulls them together. He’s loyal, protective, fierce and absolutely besotted with her. I loved his personality when it came to her, he was strong when she needed, he gave space when she needed but still acknowledged he was there for when she was ready, especially he was ready to love all of her including her kids. “Swoon”
This deals with heartbreak but so beautifully, it shows love, support, healing and 2nd chance being possible.
If you love fantasy, romance, magic, fae, realms, courts, discovery, secrets, love, healing and a single mum story this is definitely the book for you!!
For an indy authors “debut” being their first book, I am blown away by how amazing this was. Definitely wanting to read more from Shona in the future especially the next part of The Sceptre Circle. Read it asap!!
February 4, 2026
I knew this would be a five star read since the second chapter of the book. This story has everything I love in romantasy, a hot fae, a fierce single mother, layered secrets, emotional depth that hits straight to the heart, and that kind of slow burn that will absolutely burn you hot when it finally ignites. And don’t even get me started on the touch her and die energy, the tension and protectiveness almost melted me.
The found family dynamics add so much warmth to an already emotionally rich story. It’s tender and powerful at the same time, the kind of book that makes you feel everything.
The found family dynamics add so much warmth to an already emotionally rich story. It’s tender and powerful at the same time, the kind of book that makes you feel everything.
February 17, 2026
For a debut author this book packs a helluva punch. It sucked me in, rung me out and buried itself into my bones to remember for a long time.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews