“There was dark green ivy twisted around the edges, snaking its way through the bars and reaching the top.”
Celeste is brokenhearted. Her uncle has passed, and as we begin the story, we are at his memorial. Only close family members, one couple who were his close friends, and the officiant are attending. It’s raining, it’s overshadowed by intense grief, and Celeste is beside herself. Caius sees her for the first time at this funeral, beautiful in her grief, gazing at her from deep within the shadows.
“Do not let this be anything more than a piece of your essence. It might define you in your own eyes, but it will never define you with me.”
Per the author’s opening statement, this is not the typical HEA. I was not turned off by her trigger warnings, nor by the atmospheric world it’s set in. You might think that a cemetery is not your perfect place for a romance, but this isn’t your typical cemetery. Both of our main characters are filled with life, and all they want from one another is the love that they are unwilling to speak aloud. As we move through the discovery of the world of Caius, we learn that there is more to the cemetery, to the people who choose to be buried here, and how life can go on. This was a very fast read at less than 200 hundred pages, I wanted more of this story, but I am so happy for this couple who do, in the end, find their HEA.
CW/TW: Drinking, Religious Views, Graphic Violence (not throughout), Murder, Death, Suicide
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.