In a town where the dead won’t stay buried, is love salvation . . . or the deadliest game of all?

Blackthorn is a tautly written, deliciously gothic tale from J. T. Geissinger, author of TikTok sensation Pen Pal. This is Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches meets a spicier Masters of Death by Olivie Blake.

Twelve years ago, Maven Blackthorn fled her small hometown, leaving behind the wreckage of her mother’s suspicious death. But now, drawn back for her grandmother’s funeral, Maven steps onto Blackthorn soil once more, only to find herself thrust into a fresh nightmare: her grandmother’s body has vanished.

The Blackthorns immediately suspect the Crofts - the ruthless titans of Croft Pharmaceuticals, whose bitter blood feud with the Blackthorns has spanned generations. But when Maven comes face-to-face with Ronan Croft, the son of her mother’s suspected killer and the only man she ever loved, she discovers the forbidden passion they once shared is as alive - and dangerous - as ever.

As long-buried family secrets claw their way to the surface, betrayal lurks behind every whisper, and old vendettas ignite anew. The deeper Maven digs for answers, the more treacherous the game becomes. And the one man she can never seem to escape is hiding a truth that could burn their whole world down . . .

Blackthorn is a gripping gothic romance with darker themes and scenes that may not be suitable for everyone. Please mind the author's content note at the beginning of the book.

Tropes include . . .

• Revenge
• Touch her and die
• Shadier than shade hero
• Forbidden romance
• Grumpy/grumpy
• Plot twists galore
• Beauty and the Beast
• Enemies to lovers