Defender of Hearts - Tanya Bird

Half merchant. Half noble. Wholly aggrieved.
ROMANCE WRITERS OF AUSTRALIA RUBY WINNER (SPECULATIVE FICTION) 2022
Lyndal Suttone is done watching the merchants suffer. So when an opportunity to help them presents itself, she grabs hold of it with both hands. Now she must leave her family behind and step into a world she has no idea how to navigate. With her eyes fixed firmly on the prize, she is going to need someone to watch her back.
Astin Fletcher has resigned himself to a life he was never supposed to live. His only purpose is to keep the king alive, a job that is becoming increasingly hard. The merchants are rising, and so is Astin's pulse whenever Lyndal walks in the room. The middle Suttone sister has entered his territory, turning his purpose on its head. She has no idea what she is stepping into, and now it falls on him to safeguard her.
This is book two in the medieval dystopian series Kingdom of Walls. If you love angst, action, and sharp dialogue, then this high-emotion romance is for you.