In the spring of 1861, as Alexandria, Virginia braces for the first tremors of war, schoolteacher Adeline Baker lives under the suffocating rule of her reputation-obsessed stepmother, Eugenia. When Union Captain Levi Monroe—grieving and emotionally exiled—is assigned to reside in their home, a forbidden connection begins to stir between him and Adeline. Their bond, fragile yet electric, threatens to unravel the carefully constructed façade Eugenia has spent years preserving. As the war creeps closer and secrets begin to surface, Adeline must confront not only the expectations that bind her, but the desires that could set her free. In a world unraveling by the hour, she must choose whether to remain in the shadows or risk everything to claim a life—and a love—of her own. $0.99 on Kindle.















































