First published 2026
Cleo keeps her distance from other college students for good reason. She carries a secret that would sound impossible to most people. At a Halloween party, she meets Wes, a musician whose dark intensity matches her own guardedness. Their attraction burns bright and fast, but Cleo knows getting close means risking exposure. When Wes finally learns the truth about what she becomes, their relationship shifts into uncharted territory. He discovers she sometimes takes the shape of his pet cat. Two magical beings, Bailey and Ollie, arrive to explain what neither Cleo nor Wes fully understood. He possesses witch powers. She serves as his animal familiar. Their bond runs deeper than romance. Old enemies emerge from their shared past, bringing violence and threats that could destroy everything they've built. Cleo must face the dangerous history she's tried to forget and choose whether their love is worth the fight ahead.
Genres: romance, fantasy, young-adult, dark-romance, paranormal-romance, contemporary-romance
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotionally-charged, intense, romantic, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, secret-identity, slow-burn-romance, supernatural-bond
Setting: college
448 pages · Paperback · Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Content warnings: violence