Every Rose Has Its Thorne
(2026)(The second book in the Gilded Age Gothic series)
A novel by Chasity Bowlin
She married a man who should have been perfect—handsome, charming, titled. Behind the polished façade lay only darkness and cruelty. But recent widowhood has not brought Lady Clara Winstead—formerly Clara Braeburn—the freedom she dreamed of.
Determined to put the past behind her, Clara retreats to Thornewood Park. But when unsettling events leave her questioning whether her late husband has followed her from beyond the grave, desperation drives her to seek the counsel of one of London's most celebrated spiritualists. Instead, her plea for answers draws the attention of a secret society that quietly investigates mysteries beyond the reach of ordinary men.
Julian Mercer has built his reputation on separating history from legend. A brilliant scholar of ancient civilizations, folklore, and the occult, he expects to expose another clever fraud exploiting grief and superstition. What he finds instead is a woman whose fear cannot be dismissed... and a mystery that defies every explanation he can offer.
As whispered warnings give way to impossible discoveries, Julian and Clara find themselves drawn together by equal measures of curiosity and danger. But while Julian struggles to determine whether the evil threatening Thornewood is born of human deception or something far older, Clara faces a different battle. After a marriage in which every kindness concealed another cruelty, trusting the man determined to protect her may prove more frightening than confronting whatever waits in the shadows.
Will the truth set them free to build a life together... or will the search for it destroy them both?
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Domestic violence is referenced and or discussed as heroine's memories, but all incidents occur in the past and off page.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Determined to put the past behind her, Clara retreats to Thornewood Park. But when unsettling events leave her questioning whether her late husband has followed her from beyond the grave, desperation drives her to seek the counsel of one of London's most celebrated spiritualists. Instead, her plea for answers draws the attention of a secret society that quietly investigates mysteries beyond the reach of ordinary men.
Julian Mercer has built his reputation on separating history from legend. A brilliant scholar of ancient civilizations, folklore, and the occult, he expects to expose another clever fraud exploiting grief and superstition. What he finds instead is a woman whose fear cannot be dismissed... and a mystery that defies every explanation he can offer.
As whispered warnings give way to impossible discoveries, Julian and Clara find themselves drawn together by equal measures of curiosity and danger. But while Julian struggles to determine whether the evil threatening Thornewood is born of human deception or something far older, Clara faces a different battle. After a marriage in which every kindness concealed another cruelty, trusting the man determined to protect her may prove more frightening than confronting whatever waits in the shadows.
Will the truth set them free to build a life together... or will the search for it destroy them both?
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Domestic violence is referenced and or discussed as heroine's memories, but all incidents occur in the past and off page.
Genre: Paranormal Romance