Best Seller
Ebook
Available on Jul 14, 2026 | 320 Pages
Their love is destined, but can it survive her compulsion for beauty? Haunting and steamy, this spellbinding fantasy romance will enthrall you with its alluring concoction of traditional Grimm’s and modern thrills.
“With deft, atmospheric prose and lush, otherworldly lore, Bruzas captures the essence of self-identity, belonging and the kind of love that both consumes and inspires. A dazzling modern fairytale.”
—Kika Hatzopoulou, bestselling author of Threads That Bind
Sylvie has taken a summer job at a remote and alluring prairie preserve in the middle of the Great Plains. It’s a much-needed escape—from her sadness, from her cruelly distant father, and maybe even from herself: She longs to be free of the intrusive, obsessive thoughts that are her constant burden.
Soon, she finds herself drawn to a stunning shepherd boy and can’t stop herself from going to him at night, even though she’s been warned to keep away. During the day, though, she begins to develop a friendship with another boy, a strange-looking and strangely gentle coworker named Jack . . . and gradually to uncover the mysteries of this place that feels more like home than anyplace has before it.
But those mysteries include a powerful curse, and when she uncovers the truth of it, she becomes recklessly determined to break it—to free the one trapped in its spell. She fails to consider the possibility that her actions could break much more than just the curse, and that some burdens demand to be borne.
“With deft, atmospheric prose and lush, otherworldly lore, Bruzas captures the essence of self-identity, belonging and the kind of love that both consumes and inspires. A dazzling modern fairytale.”
—Kika Hatzopoulou, bestselling author of Threads That Bind
Sylvie has taken a summer job at a remote and alluring prairie preserve in the middle of the Great Plains. It’s a much-needed escape—from her sadness, from her cruelly distant father, and maybe even from herself: She longs to be free of the intrusive, obsessive thoughts that are her constant burden.
Soon, she finds herself drawn to a stunning shepherd boy and can’t stop herself from going to him at night, even though she’s been warned to keep away. During the day, though, she begins to develop a friendship with another boy, a strange-looking and strangely gentle coworker named Jack . . . and gradually to uncover the mysteries of this place that feels more like home than anyplace has before it.
But those mysteries include a powerful curse, and when she uncovers the truth of it, she becomes recklessly determined to break it—to free the one trapped in its spell. She fails to consider the possibility that her actions could break much more than just the curse, and that some burdens demand to be borne.
Author
Alena Bruzas
Alena Bruzas grew up in Seattle and currently lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her family. She is the author of the acclaimed novel Ever Since, and she hopes her writing will find the people who need it most. When she’s not writing, Alena serves on the board for Ten Thousand Villages, Lincoln. She also occasionally cooks dinner, worries about commas, and wanders the prairie.
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