Nightshade

Nestled in the misty Scottish Highlands, Sorrowsong University hides secrets behind its ancient castle walls. Ophelia Winters arrives not for prestige but for answers—her parents’ tragic death near the campus was ruled an accident, but she knows better. Armed with a rare scholarship and a heart full of vengeance, she vows to expose the powerful family she holds responsible. Yet surviving Sorrowsong’s elite, cutthroat world means navigating hidden agendas, whispered rumors, and a campus where every shadow feels like a threat.

Ophelia’s carefully laid plans unravel when she collides with Alex Corbeau-Green, the enigmatic son of her prime suspect. To her, he’s just another entitled heir—a mirror of his billionaire father’s corruption. But as an unseen stalker begins tormenting her with cryptic messages and chilling encounters, Alex becomes her unlikely ally. Their forced proximity ignites a tension that’s equal parts infuriating and magnetic, blurring the lines between enemy and protector in a place where trust is the deadliest currency.

The university’s gothic halls pulse with rivalry, rugby matches, and clandestine midnight emails. Ophelia’s sharp wit clashes with Alex’s brooding intensity, creating a slow-burn spark that neither can ignore. As murder rocks the campus and alliances shift like Highland fog, Ophelia must decide whether to cling to her quest for revenge or risk everything for a connection that could heal—or destroy—them both. The air hums with unspoken longing, intellectual banter, and the ever-present question: Who’s watching?

Autumn Woods masterfully weaves atmospheric dread with heart-stopping romance. The Scottish setting isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a character, breathing life into rain-soaked walks, candlelit libraries, and the suffocating weight of buried histories. Ophelia’s journey as a scholarship student among old-money dynasties feels raw and real, while Alex’s hidden vulnerability beneath his icy exterior makes their push-pull dynamic utterly addictive. This is a world where crossword puzzles double as foreplay and every glance carries the weight of unspoken confessions.

Nightshade captures the essence of dark academia with its moody elegance and razor-sharp emotional stakes. It’s a story about the walls we build to survive and the courage it takes to let someone climb them. Perfect for readers craving slow-burn tension, intricate mysteries, and a heroine who’s as fierce as she is flawed, this debut sensation proves that sometimes, the deepest connections bloom in the darkest places.