The Jewel - Lone City, Bk 1 Author:Amy Ewing The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. — But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. — Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty -- because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring. — Purchased at the ... more »surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel's glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.
Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence . . . and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess's petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.« less