Heartsworn: A Monster Romance Sequel Where a Cursed Gargoyle Awakens and Claims His Fated Mate

by S.E. Wendel

Return to the world of Heartsong in the highly anticipated sequel! A reclusive researcher gets the shock of a lifetime when the (very attractive) gargoyle statue in her rose garden awakens and claims her as his mate.

She’s known him all her life…

June Parkhurst is a prodigy, a conservator, and…an empath. Yet, her empathic abilities don’t feel like a gift; they’re a curse, one that’s driven her into isolation.

Overwhelmed by the feelings of others and her own grief, June sticks to what she loves statues. She’s always been fascinated by them, especially the gothic masterpiece in her family’s rose garden.

He’s watched over her for years…

For centuries, Alaric has despaired. Cursed to stone by the cruel Faerie Queen, Alaric has watched the world pass him by. He holds desperately onto a fleeting hope—that one day, June will come to understand what he’s known for she is his heartsong.

Magick stolen can be reclaimed, and curses cast can be broken…

A new museum with enigmatic owners has just opened, full of statues just like hers. Unable to resist, June emerges from seclusion determined to find answers about her statue. Yet, nothing is what it seems in this curious place, and June can’t ignore how…alive the statues feel.

The mysterious statues and their owners are just the start of the strangeness. During an attack by masked thieves, June swears one of the statues comes to life and flies away. But that’s impossible. As impossible as the whispers she hears from her beloved statue…mate.



Monster romance

Museum mystery

Domestic bliss

Protective monster mmc

Nerdy fmc

Neurodivergent fmc

Healing/comfort over grief

Fated mates

Forced proximity

Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 10, 2026

About the author

S.E. Wendel is a graduate of the MA Creative Writing program at the University of California, Davis. She loves maps, magic, and making epic fantasy worlds with romance thrown in. She has been writing fantasies since before she could even type (thankfully her mother was kind and patient enough to take dictation, but is relieved she can type for herself now)! From her first stories about raccoons hunting treasure on a haunted island to her latest sweeping epics, she loves to write strong heroines and noble heroes.
S.E. is a technical editor by day and in the evening loves to lose herself in her fantasy worlds and the stories of other amazing authors. She is currently working on the second part of the Broken Wings Duet. She loves her domineering orange tabby cat, true crime docs, tiramisu, pink nail polish, and swoony romantasies!