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Van Den Bosch #7
Hannah.
"A secret brought us together. Another will destroy us." - Johan
Johan
For two years, I've kept a secret locked away—buried deep beneath the pressures of being a PhD student and researcher in Archaeology at Cambridge. I once harbored a harmless crush on Elise—a Dutch noblewoman who seemed like a good match—but it was her younger sister, the mesmerizing Hannah, who ultimately stole my heart. Her sharp wit, bright eyes, and infectious laughter drew me in, yet I held back—for her youth, my reputation as Elise's former crush, and the distance between us made pursuing her unthinkable.
But now, Hannah is back in my life, stepping onto the hallowed grounds of Cambridge as a fresher. The once-dormant attraction reawakens with a force that threatens to unravel the careful life I've built. As she navigates her new world, long-buried secrets and forbidden desires rise to the surface, pulling us into a dangerous affair. The line between duty and longing blurs, and the stakes have never been higher.
Can I hold onto the life I've built, or will Hannah’s presence push me to the brink, forcing me to risk everything for the chance at something more?
This book is for mature audiences.
Johan
For two years, I've kept a secret locked away—buried deep beneath the pressures of being a PhD student and researcher in Archaeology at Cambridge. I once harbored a harmless crush on Elise—a Dutch noblewoman who seemed like a good match—but it was her younger sister, the mesmerizing Hannah, who ultimately stole my heart. Her sharp wit, bright eyes, and infectious laughter drew me in, yet I held back—for her youth, my reputation as Elise's former crush, and the distance between us made pursuing her unthinkable.
But now, Hannah is back in my life, stepping onto the hallowed grounds of Cambridge as a fresher. The once-dormant attraction reawakens with a force that threatens to unravel the careful life I've built. As she navigates her new world, long-buried secrets and forbidden desires rise to the surface, pulling us into a dangerous affair. The line between duty and longing blurs, and the stakes have never been higher.
Can I hold onto the life I've built, or will Hannah’s presence push me to the brink, forcing me to risk everything for the chance at something more?
This book is for mature audiences.
- GenresRomance
420 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2024
About the author
Melanie Martins
22 books2,176 followersMelanie Martins is a digital entrepreneur, travel influencer, and the author of the series "Blossom in Winter", a forbidden love story between a young heiress and her godfather. Her debut novel has been labeled as "wrong", "immoral", and by others as a "masterpiece", "phenomenal" and a "must-read" creating a dedicated, loyal fan base of lovers and haters.
When she is not behind her laptop writing, she can be found globetrotting, reading, daydreaming, and sharing her adventures on Instagram and Facebook
Born in France and raised in Portugal, she currently lives on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Malta and can't get enough of it.
To get a copy of Blossom in Winter, you may visit blossominwinter.com
When she is not behind her laptop writing, she can be found globetrotting, reading, daydreaming, and sharing her adventures on Instagram and Facebook
Born in France and raised in Portugal, she currently lives on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Malta and can't get enough of it.
To get a copy of Blossom in Winter, you may visit blossominwinter.com
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 21, 2024
remarkable reading
If you haven’t read a series, you should get to it, lots of twists and turns, but it’s a good read
If you haven’t read a series, you should get to it, lots of twists and turns, but it’s a good read
May 10, 2026
This book was an emotional tornado of forbidden love, betrayal, secrets, and heartbreak. From the beginning, Johan and Hannah’s connection felt inevitable, even when he tried to deny it because of her age, his past feelings for Elise, and the complicated position they were both in. I respected that he at least tried to keep his distance at first because it made his feelings for Hannah feel deeper and more genuine. Hannah was impossible not to love—smart, ambitious, funny, and finally living her dream at Cambridge—so finding out she was stealing completely shocked me. I honestly could not believe she would risk losing everything she worked for, especially her place at the university of her dreams. When Johan discovered the truth and chose to protect her instead of exposing her, it showed just how much he loved her, even when everything around them was spiraling out of control. But Johan also tested my patience constantly. While he clearly loved Hannah, he stayed tangled in a relationship with Astrid far longer than he should have, and it became painful watching everyone get hurt in the process.
What completely pushed me over the edge, though, was the drama after Johan and Hannah returned from his family vacation home. I was absolutely feral reading those chapters. Astrid dropped the most devious and scandalous bombshell imaginable, then refused to let Johan break things off once and for all. The fact that she blackmailed him into marrying her made me furious because Johan genuinely tried multiple times to leave, but Astrid could not accept a life without him, even knowing he did not truly love her. The stress, disappointment, and heartbreak I felt reading this book honestly took days to recover from because I felt terrible for both Johan and Hannah. By the end, I just stared at my Kindle debating whether I even wanted to continue the series because the next book centers around the wedding, and I do not know if I am emotionally prepared to watch Hannah stand there while the love of her life marries her friend. At least she has Conrad—Johan’s best friend—for support, but still, this story completely wrecked me in the best and worst ways possible.
What completely pushed me over the edge, though, was the drama after Johan and Hannah returned from his family vacation home. I was absolutely feral reading those chapters. Astrid dropped the most devious and scandalous bombshell imaginable, then refused to let Johan break things off once and for all. The fact that she blackmailed him into marrying her made me furious because Johan genuinely tried multiple times to leave, but Astrid could not accept a life without him, even knowing he did not truly love her. The stress, disappointment, and heartbreak I felt reading this book honestly took days to recover from because I felt terrible for both Johan and Hannah. By the end, I just stared at my Kindle debating whether I even wanted to continue the series because the next book centers around the wedding, and I do not know if I am emotionally prepared to watch Hannah stand there while the love of her life marries her friend. At least she has Conrad—Johan’s best friend—for support, but still, this story completely wrecked me in the best and worst ways possible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2024
wow
my favorite series...I was not expecting Hannah to be a thief!
oh so good!!!
my favorite series...I was not expecting Hannah to be a thief!
oh so good!!!
January 25, 2026
Another great addition to this series! This book started out pretty slow. It picked up about halfway through and I didn’t want to put it down after that. Good spice. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews