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Roots in Ink
Belhaven Island is full of buried secrets.
As an Amoran scribe, Sara Cortese observed a world where magic was woven into the fabric of the community.
But four centuries later an authoritarian government is in power, magic is outlawed and the country’s history rewritten. And in the dark corners of Belhaven’s museum basement, Emma DiMarco discovers a collection of Sara’s diaries.
Like the magic of her Amoran ancestors, defiance runs through Emma’s veins and she takes on the treacherous risk of preserving the only surviving record of Belhaven’s authentic history.
Emma isn’t the only one with dangerous secrets.
Liam Doran, the museum’s new caretaker, covertly embraces his untrained Amoran magic his family has denied for generations. Liam is rebuilding the property’s natural habitat despite the risk that it could draw attention to his family’s magical past.
Lust at first sight leads to a promise to keep it casual, but Emma and Liam are unable to fight the inexorable pull of their magic destined to bind them together.
When a mysterious illness strips Liam of his humanity and threatens his life, Emma connects it to events penned in Sara’s diaries. Emma must decide if embracing her heritage and using magic to save Liam is worth risking her freedom and her life.
As an Amoran scribe, Sara Cortese observed a world where magic was woven into the fabric of the community.
But four centuries later an authoritarian government is in power, magic is outlawed and the country’s history rewritten. And in the dark corners of Belhaven’s museum basement, Emma DiMarco discovers a collection of Sara’s diaries.
Like the magic of her Amoran ancestors, defiance runs through Emma’s veins and she takes on the treacherous risk of preserving the only surviving record of Belhaven’s authentic history.
Emma isn’t the only one with dangerous secrets.
Liam Doran, the museum’s new caretaker, covertly embraces his untrained Amoran magic his family has denied for generations. Liam is rebuilding the property’s natural habitat despite the risk that it could draw attention to his family’s magical past.
Lust at first sight leads to a promise to keep it casual, but Emma and Liam are unable to fight the inexorable pull of their magic destined to bind them together.
When a mysterious illness strips Liam of his humanity and threatens his life, Emma connects it to events penned in Sara’s diaries. Emma must decide if embracing her heritage and using magic to save Liam is worth risking her freedom and her life.
331 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2025
About the author
Ariella Monti
5 books12 followersAriella is a former journalist, but uses “former” loosely. Her curiosity for all things is insatiable and research is her favorite part of any project.
She writes cozy contemporary and high stakes fantasy romances. Her work is swoony and open door absolutely not intended for readers who are under 18.
Someone once told her to write what you know so all her millennial protagonists are bisexual, neurodivergent, and live with chronic mental illness. They mostly have their life together and Ariella chronicles their coming-of-middle-age stories.
When she’s not writing, she teaches yoga and falls behind on laundry. She lives in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, child, a collection of aging pets, and a flock of chickens that won’t stop tearing up the new plants in her flower garden.
She writes cozy contemporary and high stakes fantasy romances. Her work is swoony and open door absolutely not intended for readers who are under 18.
Someone once told her to write what you know so all her millennial protagonists are bisexual, neurodivergent, and live with chronic mental illness. They mostly have their life together and Ariella chronicles their coming-of-middle-age stories.
When she’s not writing, she teaches yoga and falls behind on laundry. She lives in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, child, a collection of aging pets, and a flock of chickens that won’t stop tearing up the new plants in her flower garden.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 17, 2025
Love love love love love. Dialogue that sounds like it was spoken by real people. World building that is clear and also leaves me wanting to know more. And consensual steam from some real-ass adults. So excited to see where this series goes!
December 21, 2025
Root in Ink completely pulled me in with its layered timeline and quiet sense of danger. The contrast between a magic-rich past and an oppressive present felt thoughtful and believable. Emma’s struggle between safety and truth stayed with me long after I finished.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews