Part of The Lyrian Sea
First published 2026
Cat Rose has lived two lives. She was once Lady Catrine Rose, trapped in marriage to a failing lord of the Meridian Empire. Now she rules as the Widow Rose, running a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea. The Empire strikes back at the wealthy colonies, crushing the pirate republic ship by ship. Only one captain escapes capture: Valerian Kane, the legendary pirate who commands both a fearsome vessel and an mysterious bond with the sea itself. Valerian could unite the scattered pirates against the Empire. He also remains the one man Cat has ever truly loved, though he drifts in and out of her world like a comet. The Empire presents Cat with an impossible ultimatum: deliver Valerian to them or face the gallows. Cat must navigate between her survival instincts and her heart as war engulfs the Lyrian Sea.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Meridian Empire, Lyrian Sea
Period: 19th-century
464 pages · Hardcover · Harper Voyager