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Willow
Not yet published
Expected 13 Nov 26Don't confuse enjoyment with meaning.
Rowan Flynn returns to the house she inherited on the edge of the Olympic Peninsula to bury a marriage and try to write her way back to herself. In the damp lushness of the coastal pines, sweeping tides, and old family superstitions, she awakens something that answers to a name she thought was buried in the past.
Remember what you worship will destroy or betray you.
Rowan finds herself reacquainted with childhood friends and the small town’s lore coded in warnings, an injured crow, notes in her late grandmother’s handwriting, whispers about how wishes granted by these lands always arrive with a price. Between the pull of her former wife in Hollywood and the surge of devotion that binds her to a mysterious stranger, Rowan must decide whether love is worth the life it consumes.
In the quiet space she’s fled to heal from hurt, she finds herself consumed by a new life despite the pulls to bring her back to her old life. What will Rowan the person she was, or the desire she named?
It's about loving the wrong things too much and realizing it too late.
Rowan Flynn returns to the house she inherited on the edge of the Olympic Peninsula to bury a marriage and try to write her way back to herself. In the damp lushness of the coastal pines, sweeping tides, and old family superstitions, she awakens something that answers to a name she thought was buried in the past.
Remember what you worship will destroy or betray you.
Rowan finds herself reacquainted with childhood friends and the small town’s lore coded in warnings, an injured crow, notes in her late grandmother’s handwriting, whispers about how wishes granted by these lands always arrive with a price. Between the pull of her former wife in Hollywood and the surge of devotion that binds her to a mysterious stranger, Rowan must decide whether love is worth the life it consumes.
In the quiet space she’s fled to heal from hurt, she finds herself consumed by a new life despite the pulls to bring her back to her old life. What will Rowan the person she was, or the desire she named?
It's about loving the wrong things too much and realizing it too late.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 13, 2026
About the author
Marisa Billions
8 books68 followersI write morally gray sapphics who make terrible decisions despite knowing better
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy
Wow. What a sad and beautiful horror story. That's how Marisa Billions books usually are: dark, sad and tragic, and I enjoyed this one immensely.
It was also nice to see the reappearance of Frankie and Sophia from Into The Blue Again. But this book has gothic vibes and touches on the supernatural.
The story begins just after the divorce of Rowan and Selene where Rowan decides to return to her late grandmother's house at Olympic Peninsula. From there on strange things start to happen.
What disturbs me is the truth of what really happened to Willow Mitchell will never be known or the significance of the hourglass, which is a tragedy in itself.
It's a story about sacrifice, dependency and responsibility, about ownership and loving wrong, the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death. It is also a sweet story of unrequited love, of tragedy, and of regrets. A beautiful gothic horror tale that had me weeping by the end.
Thank you to the author and Booksirens for the free ARC.
It was also nice to see the reappearance of Frankie and Sophia from Into The Blue Again. But this book has gothic vibes and touches on the supernatural.
The story begins just after the divorce of Rowan and Selene where Rowan decides to return to her late grandmother's house at Olympic Peninsula. From there on strange things start to happen.
What disturbs me is the truth of what really happened to Willow Mitchell will never be known or the significance of the hourglass, which is a tragedy in itself.
It's a story about sacrifice, dependency and responsibility, about ownership and loving wrong, the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death. It is also a sweet story of unrequited love, of tragedy, and of regrets. A beautiful gothic horror tale that had me weeping by the end.
Thank you to the author and Booksirens for the free ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I couldn’t put it down! It’s so dark and consuming… it pulls you in and doesn’t let go until the very last page. Rowan inherits her grandmother’s estate, but the land demands more than Rowan can give. It’s a story of heartbreak and betrayal, but also sacrifice, supernatural obsession, and the consequences of choices made. The author does a fantastic job of pulling you into Rowan’s chaotic mind as she and Willow spend more and more time together. Nothing makes sense and the harder you try to figure out what’s going on, the more confusing it gets, but this is exactly what is happening with Rowan! It’s so immersive and creepy. The secondary characters are written so well! And I love that we get to spend time with Frankie and Sophia from the Blue series. This is a book about obsessive need and desire, and what happens when we get what we think we truly want. While it isn’t necessarily a sad or tragic book, it definitely leaves you with some feelings at the end. I don’t think I’ll be able to look at water stains on the ceiling without thinking about this book and Rowan’s despair. A perfect read for the Halloween season!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I genuinely don't think I've ever read something this unsettling.
The grief, tension, and desire that Rowan feels is overwhelming to me. Maybe it's because I experienced a loss recently, but I can really see how she let herself fall into obsession.
And, oh, this story is so tragic. I usually avoid things without happy endings—or at least try to.
This was a cathartic read, in a lot of ways. And perhaps a warning wrapped in metaphor and myth.
I really feel for Rowan, not just because I share her name, but because she came alive in the pages of this book. In repetition and obsession and unnerving statements.
Definitely going to be thinking about this. Or maybe trying not to. Regardless, absolutely gripping. Fanatically haunting.
The grief, tension, and desire that Rowan feels is overwhelming to me. Maybe it's because I experienced a loss recently, but I can really see how she let herself fall into obsession.
And, oh, this story is so tragic. I usually avoid things without happy endings—or at least try to.
This was a cathartic read, in a lot of ways. And perhaps a warning wrapped in metaphor and myth.
I really feel for Rowan, not just because I share her name, but because she came alive in the pages of this book. In repetition and obsession and unnerving statements.
Definitely going to be thinking about this. Or maybe trying not to. Regardless, absolutely gripping. Fanatically haunting.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book absolutely destroyed me and I've already written a strongly worded thank you to the author!!
My first outing with this author I received an ARC copy and didn't know what to expect. A little horror a little spice maybe but what I got was beyond anything I would have imagined.
Part Misery, part love story, part manual of grief. Mix that all together and you get Willow. The haunting writing pulls you in with the promise of love and drags you under with the understanding of loss. If you aren't sobbing by the end of this book (I was about half way through) then you haven't experienced either.
My first outing with this author I received an ARC copy and didn't know what to expect. A little horror a little spice maybe but what I got was beyond anything I would have imagined.
Part Misery, part love story, part manual of grief. Mix that all together and you get Willow. The haunting writing pulls you in with the promise of love and drags you under with the understanding of loss. If you aren't sobbing by the end of this book (I was about half way through) then you haven't experienced either.
October 22, 2026
This was a story of heartbreak, obsession and a possession of the soul. Watching someone completely lose themselves to another entity and there is nothing you can do about it. Very eerie and sad. I enjoyed it although in places i think it was dragged out a bit. Overall a good read that is a little unsettling in places.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Chapters 31-37 and epilogue
The story gets crazier and crazier and just when you think the rollercoaster will stop Marisa flips the script!
Wow I was not expecting the ending !
Another touch down!
Chapters 26-30
Willow is coo-coo for coa-coa puffs BIG time and that may not even be her real name. What really happened to so called Willow when she was in this world?
Just when Rowen was out her conscience pulled her back in
the house. I hope that Frankie could get her help again.
I CAN'T WAIT to find out what happens next .
It's not even Fall yet and Marisa is giving us Fall/spooky vibes,
this is awesome
Chapters 21-25
Ladies and Gentlemen we have entered the twilight zone.
I am starting to think this is all a dream,Rowen fell
asleep while writing.
Willow is still coo-coo for coco puffs and
Rowen is losing what's left of her mind.
Two of Rowen's friends are trying to help her
and gets the town involved.
This sort of reminds me of when Edward left Bella in
New Moon and the days,weeks and months continue
to fly away,but Willow's mood always makes the house
gloomy. Wow and what she did to Frankie I saw the
exorcist girl in my head and Bray Wyatt too.
It's not even spooky season yet and I am getting creeped out.
I have 12 more chapters to go and I can't wait to see what happens.
Chapters 16-20
Willow is coo-coo for choco puffs.She is the dream/ghost version of psycho(I hope there are no rabbits around).
What is with the weather and the homes affected by moods,imagine if that could happen ?
We need to make a call to The Long Island Medium
Theresa Caputo to have her show Willow the bright light.
Jake the poor dog is Terrified of Willow and he even stays
away from Rowen.Lenore was asked to leave but Willow
still has her hourglass hmmm.
Rowen is trying to find out answers to whom this person
really is and the answers terrify her.Rowen does
continue to ask Willow who she is and she gives her the
same answer.
Rowen meets with an old friend and she tells her a story,
a legend of the town. She does more research and
again asks Willow who she is. A blast from Rowen's
past texts and calls her again.
There is a sweet moment between Rowen and Willow,
but then the next day(or so Rowen thinks),it's
days after,Rowen tries to get something fixed,
and Willow freaks out
We have a visitor and instead of Willow freaking out,
the visitor freaks out,but does what they were called to do.
The visitors tells Willow something but both her and Rowen
say they are mistaken.
Chapters 11-15
Just a normal day at home turns into Clue and Arsenic and Old Lace(Well maybe just in my head).
Someone needs shelter from the storm and brings a shock to
Rowen.
Things in the house gets weirder and weirder and poor
Jake has lost his marbles(I can't even find mine anymore lol).
This whole situation gets Rowen writing again,
now I'm thinking Marisa wrote the book,but are we in one of
Rowen's stories ?
The visitor is nervous like a cat with out catnip during the day
but at night she does strange things that has Rowen questioning. her sanity.
The visitor wants to get closer to Rowen but she always says
no,but her insides are telling her yes,and she is pulled to the visitor. What is with Lenore and her hour glass and the visitor?
When Rowen questions the visitor all she does is talk in vague or says she doesn't remember.When she is asked where she is from she says here(points around the house)and what her name is she says you named me.
While out on a walk to cool down Rowen is surprised to find something in the cemetery and again when she gets home she questions the visitor and again she says,you named me and here(pointing around the house).
Willow chapters 6-10
Well we definitely have our questions answered in these chapters.
I don't think Rowen should contact Selene at all stay away.
There is something with Willow,
everytime Rowen thinks of her,
supernatural things happen.
Rowen finds her old things that
Gran has kept in a box .
I picture Willow as Alexis Bledel
(Rory from Gilmore Girls).
Rowen's fictional world is mixing with her past and now her present.
Wow to be in the mind of Marisa Billions.
What is with the water spots on the ceiling,Why is Willow playing tricks on Rowen,What is happening to poor Jake?
Review of Willow chapters 1-5
This story could be a Halloween movie wow.
It's starts out all cute and cuddly and the BAM Marisa hits you with a
Haunted House.
What is up with poor Jake(dog),
and the bird Lenore
(with the broken wing,this gives me The House of night vibes),
and what happened to her mate Edgar?
Why does Lenore have her
trinkets in a circle?
I don't think we are in Kanas anymore,the story is giving me
New Orleans, Louisiana vibes.
Who is this woman that Rowen sees in her dreams or visions hmmm?
I love seeing characters from another story intertwine with this story.
We hear the name of the book in a letter that Gran sends Rowen.
Could this be the girl that Rowen sees or is it Gran herself as a younger version?
I CAN'T WAIT to read more
The story gets crazier and crazier and just when you think the rollercoaster will stop Marisa flips the script!
Wow I was not expecting the ending !
Another touch down!
Chapters 26-30
Willow is coo-coo for coa-coa puffs BIG time and that may not even be her real name. What really happened to so called Willow when she was in this world?
Just when Rowen was out her conscience pulled her back in
the house. I hope that Frankie could get her help again.
I CAN'T WAIT to find out what happens next .
It's not even Fall yet and Marisa is giving us Fall/spooky vibes,
this is awesome
Chapters 21-25
Ladies and Gentlemen we have entered the twilight zone.
I am starting to think this is all a dream,Rowen fell
asleep while writing.
Willow is still coo-coo for coco puffs and
Rowen is losing what's left of her mind.
Two of Rowen's friends are trying to help her
and gets the town involved.
This sort of reminds me of when Edward left Bella in
New Moon and the days,weeks and months continue
to fly away,but Willow's mood always makes the house
gloomy. Wow and what she did to Frankie I saw the
exorcist girl in my head and Bray Wyatt too.
It's not even spooky season yet and I am getting creeped out.
I have 12 more chapters to go and I can't wait to see what happens.
Chapters 16-20
Willow is coo-coo for choco puffs.She is the dream/ghost version of psycho(I hope there are no rabbits around).
What is with the weather and the homes affected by moods,imagine if that could happen ?
We need to make a call to The Long Island Medium
Theresa Caputo to have her show Willow the bright light.
Jake the poor dog is Terrified of Willow and he even stays
away from Rowen.Lenore was asked to leave but Willow
still has her hourglass hmmm.
Rowen is trying to find out answers to whom this person
really is and the answers terrify her.Rowen does
continue to ask Willow who she is and she gives her the
same answer.
Rowen meets with an old friend and she tells her a story,
a legend of the town. She does more research and
again asks Willow who she is. A blast from Rowen's
past texts and calls her again.
There is a sweet moment between Rowen and Willow,
but then the next day(or so Rowen thinks),it's
days after,Rowen tries to get something fixed,
and Willow freaks out
We have a visitor and instead of Willow freaking out,
the visitor freaks out,but does what they were called to do.
The visitors tells Willow something but both her and Rowen
say they are mistaken.
Chapters 11-15
Just a normal day at home turns into Clue and Arsenic and Old Lace(Well maybe just in my head).
Someone needs shelter from the storm and brings a shock to
Rowen.
Things in the house gets weirder and weirder and poor
Jake has lost his marbles(I can't even find mine anymore lol).
This whole situation gets Rowen writing again,
now I'm thinking Marisa wrote the book,but are we in one of
Rowen's stories ?
The visitor is nervous like a cat with out catnip during the day
but at night she does strange things that has Rowen questioning. her sanity.
The visitor wants to get closer to Rowen but she always says
no,but her insides are telling her yes,and she is pulled to the visitor. What is with Lenore and her hour glass and the visitor?
When Rowen questions the visitor all she does is talk in vague or says she doesn't remember.When she is asked where she is from she says here(points around the house)and what her name is she says you named me.
While out on a walk to cool down Rowen is surprised to find something in the cemetery and again when she gets home she questions the visitor and again she says,you named me and here(pointing around the house).
Willow chapters 6-10
Well we definitely have our questions answered in these chapters.
I don't think Rowen should contact Selene at all stay away.
There is something with Willow,
everytime Rowen thinks of her,
supernatural things happen.
Rowen finds her old things that
Gran has kept in a box .
I picture Willow as Alexis Bledel
(Rory from Gilmore Girls).
Rowen's fictional world is mixing with her past and now her present.
Wow to be in the mind of Marisa Billions.
What is with the water spots on the ceiling,Why is Willow playing tricks on Rowen,What is happening to poor Jake?
Review of Willow chapters 1-5
This story could be a Halloween movie wow.
It's starts out all cute and cuddly and the BAM Marisa hits you with a
Haunted House.
What is up with poor Jake(dog),
and the bird Lenore
(with the broken wing,this gives me The House of night vibes),
and what happened to her mate Edgar?
Why does Lenore have her
trinkets in a circle?
I don't think we are in Kanas anymore,the story is giving me
New Orleans, Louisiana vibes.
Who is this woman that Rowen sees in her dreams or visions hmmm?
I love seeing characters from another story intertwine with this story.
We hear the name of the book in a letter that Gran sends Rowen.
Could this be the girl that Rowen sees or is it Gran herself as a younger version?
I CAN'T WAIT to read more
Review of advance copy received from Author
I read this as an alpha earlier in the spring and it’s such a good story! I will share my full review after publication.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was my first book by Marisa Billions, I got an ARC copy through Book Sirens, and I think I need to read everything she's written now. This story is haunting, sad, heartbreaking, I found the main character incredibly relatable at several points both through things she felt and then in the not taking help from anyone (even if there was other influence there). The grief she felt, both for people and for her marriage, leading her to run back to a place she loved growing up and that was a 2nd home for her, felt like a great idea but other desires - to be loved, needed, depended on, took over and she was stuck in a way no one could have expected.
I've thought about this story so much after finishing it, it's just stayed with me, the characters are well written and I was invested in almost all of them, my heart broke for several of them. I want to know more about Willow and her story, if the author decided to give us a prequel book for her I would snatch that up in an instant, maybe Willow is on her mind as much as some of ours. I wouldn't mind learning more about the lore of current Willow too, it's just so interesting to me from what we learned in this story.
It always bugs me when all of the arc reviews of a book are glowing and everyone loved it, but I truly enjoyed this story so much and it earned every bit of 5 stars from me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I've thought about this story so much after finishing it, it's just stayed with me, the characters are well written and I was invested in almost all of them, my heart broke for several of them. I want to know more about Willow and her story, if the author decided to give us a prequel book for her I would snatch that up in an instant, maybe Willow is on her mind as much as some of ours. I wouldn't mind learning more about the lore of current Willow too, it's just so interesting to me from what we learned in this story.
It always bugs me when all of the arc reviews of a book are glowing and everyone loved it, but I truly enjoyed this story so much and it earned every bit of 5 stars from me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
iconicometer: 💅🏼💅🏼💅🏼💅🏼
spiceometer: 🥵🥵
✨ a first date that lasts four hours? typical lesbian behavior 🤪
✨ such a poignant book, you can feel the desperation, the addiction, the helplessness and the devotion. all at once.
✨ I wanted to shake rowan so many times LIKE COME ON GIRL WAKE TF UP
✨ obsession so strong it literally consumes you, you can literally feel it in your bones while reading, it was so unsettling
✨ always trust dogs and their reactions, they always know what's up
✨ I was scared as fuck but also HOOKED and couldn't stop reading.
spiceometer: 🥵🥵
✨ a first date that lasts four hours? typical lesbian behavior 🤪
✨ such a poignant book, you can feel the desperation, the addiction, the helplessness and the devotion. all at once.
✨ I wanted to shake rowan so many times LIKE COME ON GIRL WAKE TF UP
✨ obsession so strong it literally consumes you, you can literally feel it in your bones while reading, it was so unsettling
✨ always trust dogs and their reactions, they always know what's up
✨ I was scared as fuck but also HOOKED and couldn't stop reading.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Willow isn't about falling in love. It's about choosing to keep falling, even once you can see the ground coming. Rowan Flynn arrives at her grandmother's house already wrecked by her marriage, and the book doesn't rescue her from that. It hands her something worse: a presence that only survives by feeding on her attention and proximity.
What makes this land harder than a typical dark romance is that Rowan isn't tricked. She's a willing participant in her own undoing, and every warning sign is right there in front of her, the injured crow, her grandmother's old notes, the town's superstitions. She sees them and stays anyway. The real question isn't whether she'll figure out what's happening. It's whether she'll ever stop once she has.
Marisa Billions writes obsession without softening what it costs. This isn't a comfort read, and it's not pretending to be one. It's about the specific horror of loving something that needs you to disappear a little more each time just to keep existing.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be an ARC reader.
What makes this land harder than a typical dark romance is that Rowan isn't tricked. She's a willing participant in her own undoing, and every warning sign is right there in front of her, the injured crow, her grandmother's old notes, the town's superstitions. She sees them and stays anyway. The real question isn't whether she'll figure out what's happening. It's whether she'll ever stop once she has.
Marisa Billions writes obsession without softening what it costs. This isn't a comfort read, and it's not pretending to be one. It's about the specific horror of loving something that needs you to disappear a little more each time just to keep existing.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be an ARC reader.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews