First published 2025
Enka falls hard for Mathilde the moment they meet at art school. Mathilde creates work that feels completely fresh, while Enka struggles to stand out in their cutthroat program. She throws herself into their friendship with fierce devotion. But success changes Mathilde. As fame pulls her away, Enka watches their bond weaken and feels panic set in. She discovers SCAFFOLD, an experimental technology that promises to boost empathy by letting one person enter another's mind. The procedure would give Enka access to Mathilde's memories, her creative process, even her buried trauma. It would bind them together permanently. Enka faces an impossible choice. She can let Mathilde slip away or use this invasive technology to force their connection. The decision will test how far love can stretch before it becomes something else entirely.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, friendship, contemporary, psychological-thriller, dark-romance
Vibes: emotionally-intense, intimate, obsessive, thought-provoking, unsettling
Tropes: boundary-violation, friends-to-lovers, obsessive-devotion, power-imbalance
Setting: art school
352 pages · Paperback · Canelo
Content warnings: emotional-abuse, gaslighting, toxic-relationship