Heartless by Marissa Meyer – The Bestselling Standalone Origin Story of the Queen of Hearts (Original English Edition).

Before she was the Queen of Hearts, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine Pinkerton may be one of the most eligible maidens in the Kingdom of Hearts, but she has little interest in courtly status. Her true passion is baking, and her greatest dream is to open a bakery and fill the kingdom with delectable tarts, pastries, and confections. Yet her ambitious mother considers such ambitions utterly unworthy of a future noblewoman.

At the royal ball, Catherine catches the eye of the sweet, awkward King of Hearts, who intends to propose marriage. Horrified by the prospect of a loveless crown, Catherine's heart is drawn instead to Jest—the handsome, enigmatic new court jester whose mesmerizing tricks and secret mission pull her into a clandestine romance.

Determined to define her own destiny, Cath risks everything to be with Jest. But in a whimsical Wonderland steeped in dark prophecies, lurking Jabberwocks, and capricious magic, defying fate exacts an unbearable price—one that will ultimately transform a passionate dreamer into a cold, ruthless monarch.