First published 2016
Magdalena has grown up inside a lie that kept her alive. Her coven settled deep in Colville National Forest, tucked inside a town wrapped in magical barriers, and for centuries that was enough. An ancient curse locked their powers and kept them invisible to the creatures hunting them. It worked, until now. The monster they have been running from has tracked them down, and Magdalena is his target. She is not a warrior yet. She starts out uncertain, sometimes naive, making choices that will frustrate readers who want a ready-made heroine. That is the point. Amelia Hutchins puts Magdalena through genuine damage and lets her climb back up every time. The man coming for her is not a romantic lead who charms on arrival. He is aggressive, difficult, and built from sharp edges. The tension between them is not comfortable. What holds the story together is a question Magdalena cannot stop circling: the thing she refuses to lose may be exactly what destroys everything she is trying to protect. This is a fast-moving supernatural story with real stakes, a heroine earning her toughness one hard scene at a time, and a romance that asks you to be patient before it pays off.
Genres: romance, fantasy, supernatural, adult, dark-fantasy, paranormal-romance
Vibes: dark, emotionally-raw, fast-paced, gritty, intense, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, protective-hero, slow-burn-romance
Setting: Colville National Forest
514 pages · Paperback · Amelia Hutchins
Content warnings: abuse, violence