by E. Lockhart
First published 2026
Lexie arrives in a small New England town famous for its hot springs, running from a past she refuses to discuss. She meets Chester, the local golden boy who carries his own hidden burdens. Their attraction ignites immediately despite the damage both have endured. The town's pools hold a dark history that locals have forgotten or chosen to ignore. Something terrible once happened in those waters, but fear has faded with time. On a bitter winter morning, five people enter the hot springs for a swim. Chester is among them. What occurs in those moments destroys everything Lexie thought she knew about her new life. The event sends tremors through the entire community and forces Lexie to confront a reality she never imagined possible.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, psychological-thriller, mystery-thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, brooding, dark, emotionally-intense, mysterious, suspenseful
Tropes: dark-secrets, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, mysterious-tragedy
Setting: New England, small town, hot springs
Period: contemporary, winter
384 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Press
Content warnings: death