Coming August 2027

Want to be one of the first to receive an ARC?

Single mother Zinnia Lorea feels like she has everything she should want out of life—a rewarding career as a family medicine doctor, a loving eight-year-old daughter, and a bitter ex-husband. After a couple of years trying her hand at dating—and failing miserably—Zinnia has given up the notion of romance, and convinces herself she’s fine on her own.

But when a handsome stranger enters her office with a dagger in his thigh, Zinnia is forcefully ousted from the rut her life has become. Despite her apprehension, she helps Esra remove the knife, and when his shadow magic enables his skin to heal in front of her eyes, she is curious enough to bring him home with her. Turns out, he is an immortal man who was forced through a portal to Earth, and he needs to return to his realm to save his family.

For the first time since her divorce, something exciting is happening in Zinnia’s life—there’s a real-life shadow daddy cooking in her kitchen. She vows to help Esra find a way back to his home, even as blossoming feelings make it difficult for them to imagine saying goodbye. But Esra is harboring secrets that could threaten more than just their relationship. When an old “friend” pays Esra a visit and kidnaps Zinnia’s daughter, her life is again turned upside down. Caught between protecting her family and the kind of romance that only comes once, Zinnia must decide if she can find a way to hold onto both—or if she must let Esra go.