Hellebore Fields

by Rivkah Plume

He says I'm his light. But loving him feels like drowning in shadows.

At UC Wisteria, I'm supposed to be chasing my future: books, scholarship, and a life I've fought tooth and nail to earn. But instead, I'm being chased by Branwen Atthill, the campus hockey star with sharp edges, hidden scars, and ice-blue eyes that track my every move like I belong to him. When his obsession transforms into something that looks like love, I fall headfirst into the dark fairytale I always craved—until I start losing myself in its twisted pages.

Branwen is dangerous. Possessive. Beautiful in ways that make me forget to breathe. When the violence starts, I convince myself I can fix him. That if I love him hard enough, my light will chase away his darkness. But as secrets unravel and the campus grows more dangerous, I'm forced to confront the question I've been too terrified to ask: if I survive loving him, will I still recognize the girl I was before he consumed me?

He's everything I was warned about, and the only boy I've ever wanted to burn for.

260 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 19, 2026

About the author

Rivkah Plume is a die-hard dark romance reader (and now author) residing in iconic San Diego County with her husband, tween daughter, and their two beloved dogs. When she’s not otherwise occupied by her collection of steamy romance novels, you can find her drinking coffee, attempting yoga with her flexible husband, or out to lunch with friends. Pursuing an English degree in her mid-40s, Rivkah proves passion has no expiration date.

Reviews

[Amee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually incorporate “dark academia romance” into my reading list anymore. I’ve found in the past the MMC typically crosses a line I’ve constructed and they can’t ever come back from. And I’m not a delicate flower. We all have our hard lines never to be crossed, but insert Hockey into the title, and storyline, and I become a literary puck bunny ready for anything. Thankfully Hellebore Fields didn’t even get close to them, and was able to incorporate romance, suspense, with a side of a mystery who done it, I didn’t expect. Author introduced a couple characters who gave our obsessed MMC a run for his money on crazy, and I loved the questions it brought up while reading on who the “bad guy” really is. There is spice, a couple different scenes, and overall a 4 1/2 star read. I’ll definitely go back and read the prequel and keep an eye out for anymore in this universe.
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC, these thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Paige Moulton]

Hellebore Fields is a haunting, emotionally charged dark romance that blurs the line between longing and danger with unsettling precision. Rivkah Plume delivers a story that feels like a modern gothic fairytale, one where desire is intoxicating, love is consuming, and survival comes at a personal cost.

Set against the backdrop of UC Wisteria, the novel captures the tension between ambition and vulnerability through a narrator who has fought hard for her future and still finds herself drawn into a relationship that threatens to erase it. Branwen Atthill is mesmerizing and terrifying in equal measure. His obsession masquerades as devotion, and his beauty and charisma make it frighteningly easy to understand why the narrator believes she can save him.

What makes this book compelling is its emotional honesty. The story does not romanticize control without consequence. Instead, it pulls readers deep inside the mindset of someone who mistakes intensity for love and self sacrifice for strength. The internal conflict feels raw and believable, especially as the narrator begins to question whether loving someone who consumes her will leave anything of herself behind.

The prose leans lyrical and atmospheric, reinforcing the sense of being trapped in a dream that slowly curdles into a nightmare. Violence and possessiveness are handled with intention, making the stakes feel real rather than sensational.

Hellebore Fields will resonate strongly with readers who gravitate toward dark romance, obsessive love stories, and campus set gothic narratives that explore power, identity, and the cost of desire. It is unsettling, immersive, and difficult to forget.

[FN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both the MMC and FMC are potential bright students but they’re dragged down by red flags the FMC refuses to acknowledge largely because she’s trying so hard to fit in. Although its fast pace, the writing delivers compelling narrative, highlighting the stark contrast between the characters’ behaviors, the complexity of human emotions, and unexpected twists, all set in a college and hockey background. I found myself groaning and practically yelling at the FMC to make better choices for herself, which is a testament to how this story really pulled me in. Please be mindful of the TW. Thank you for the opportunity to read this in advance.

[Michelle_reads13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 Hellebore Fields is A Dark Academia Hockey Romance, which isn’t 2 genres I thought would work well together but I throughly enjoyed this book.
The plot is definitely dark academia focused with the hockey taking a backseat and playing a minor role in the plot.

This was an easy read and finished it in one sitting, I was surprised, uncomfortable and on the edge of my seat the whole way through, however, I would caution to read the trigger warning before starting, themes include stalking, violence, gaslighting/ manipulation and murder.

Overall I highly recommend
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review honestly and voluntarily.

[Mache · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hellebore Fields by Rivkah Plume is a slow-burn dark academia hockey romance that leans heavily into atmosphere, psychological tension, and the dangerous allure of obsession disguised as love. Set against the backdrop of an elite university, the story explores power imbalances, identity, and how easily ambition and self-worth can be eroded in the name of affection.

Tesni is a scholarship student trying to survive in a world not built for her. She’s disciplined, hardworking, and driven by the need to prove she belongs; not just for herself, but for her mother. That vulnerability makes her an easy target for Branwen Athill, a star hockey player whose attention is intoxicating, overwhelming, and deeply unsettling from the start.

Branwen is possessive in a way that goes beyond dark romance tropes and veers into manipulation. His obsession is not just about protecting Tesni (as he believes); but about reshaping her. He wants her world to shrink until he is the center of it, and watching that control tighten was upsetting at times. While the suspense and tension were well done, his behavior made it difficult to root for him, as his version of “love” consistently came at the cost of Tesni’s autonomy, goals, and voice.

Tesni’s emotional arc was equally frustrating at times. Her willingness to excuse red flags and rationalize harmful behavior felt painfully realistic, but also exhausting. Her desire to believe she could fix him, to love him into being better, highlights a hard truth about first love and self-sacrifice. While her growth does come, it takes time, and the journey there is heavy.

The strength of Hellebore Fields lies in its moody, unsettling tone and its refusal to romanticize control without consequences. The ending is bittersweet but fitting, and it reinforces the book’s central question: how much of yourself can you give to someone before there’s nothing left?

This is not a feel-good romance. It is a cautionary, emotionally charged, dark academia story that will linger with you after the final page and make you question decisions you may have made in your own life at some point in time. Readers who appreciate morally challenging narratives and psychological depth will find a lot to unpack here.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Morally_Gray_Nola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Branwen and Tesni’s story is intense from the start. Branwen is manipulative, isolating Tesni from her friends, monopolizing her time. Everyone around them tells Tesni what she should or shouldn’t do about Branwen, blame him for the dead girl without proof, push him, antagonize him.

Hellebore Fields is, for anyone that has ever been in a manipulative relationship, like a walk into a parallel universe—Seeing what that alternate ending would’ve looked like. Sort of.

The first twenty-odd chapters are deep, focused, rhythmic in their flow. The main characters are so well-fleshed, their every flaw laid bare—and acknowledged, their feelings raw and honest—even when twisted and dark. I thoroughly enjoyed Branwen and Tesni’s story … until Tesni’s complete 180-out-of-character-change-of-heart right after a huge proclamation towards Branwen, that was … STUNTING. And then there are the last 5 chapters. UGH Perhaps it is just my personal preference, my own subconscious preconceived ideas as to where their story started vs where it landed. The last 5 chapters didn’t feel like they belonged to the same book. But those remaining 24 are worth it.


MMC:
✨Branwen
FMC:
✨Tesni
HEA/Cliffhanger:
✨bittersweet ending, HFN
Series:
✨UC Wisteria: Book 1
Chapters:
✨29 plus epilogue
Epilogue:
🌗yes
Tropes:
👉dark academy romance
👉hockey romance
👉obsessive mmc
👉possessive mmc
👉grumpy/sunshine
Triggers:
💥18+
💥sex, dub-con, rough, graphic, open door
💥profanity
💥violence, abuse, stalking
💥manipulation, isolation, intimidation, jealousy, domination, hostility
💥death, murder
Burn Speed:
✨medium
Spice Level:
✨🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨MF

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Christine ARGYROPOULOU · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️
ARC REVIEW

This book started with so many potential and it gets you invested immediately ❤️
I loved their chemistry and the reason they started spending more time together because of the assignment with the topic of obsession, this was something i found really interesting and unique ❤️
Their relationship was so strong and it was so real in a way because of his trauma, it showed that people might think something is normal just because they were raised this way. This books gives you hope about changing and learning from your mistakes. It proved that therapy and actually talking to someone about how you are feeling is important and it can make a huge difference in your life ❤️
This books gives you is not just a dark hockey romance is so much more.
Obsession can feel like love but it is important to learn to separate them❤️
Tesni in the end did the right thing for her, it took her some time but i loved their ending because it showed hope ❤️🥹

I loved the mystery kinda plot of the book as well i found it really interesting and to be honest i did not see that coming so it was another surprise ❤️

The only thing that set me off a bit it was that i found it a little repetitive and i got a little annoyed at some point. 😭👉👈

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured Hellebore Fields in a couple of sittings. It’s dark, moody, and pulls you straight into the shadowy chaos of UC Wisteria. The dark academia vibe is strong — old buildings, secrets everywhere, and that constant sense that something’s not quite right. Add a brooding, obsessive hockey star and it works way better than I expected.

Tesni is a hardworking scholarship student just trying to get ahead, and Branwen is intense, dangerous, and very much fixated on her. The slow-burn tension is done really well — every interaction feels loaded — and the dual POV keeps things interesting. The spice delivers, the atmosphere is heavy, and the obsession-to-something-more line is walked nicely.

[Amanda Frye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was like no other I had read. This was a fast paced book. Once I started I had to see what happened next Branwell was a unique character that was obsessed with Tesni. Tesni was trying to find a place that she could call her own. There were twists I wasn’t expecting.