Of Roses and Redemption - Tales of Elaris, #4

He's hiding from the world. She's trapped far from home. Can a forgotten garden help two wounded hearts bloom again?

As the daughter of a faery and a human, Skye has never truly belonged in either world. Shunned by the faeries for her lack of magic and grieving the loss of her father, she has spent her life on the edges of Tìr nan Òg. But when she stumbles through a hidden portal into the human realm, the failing magic between worlds seals it shut behind her.

The world beyond is grey and shrouded, save for a single rose blooming within the gardens of a secluded estate.

Lord Torben Eldholm has hidden himself away since returning from war scarred in body and spirit. Bitter rumors follow him from the battlefield, and he wants nothing more than to be left alone within the crumbling walls of his manor. Yet when a strange girl appears in his garden with nowhere else to go, he reluctantly allows her to stay until the portal reopens.

Then Skye discovers a forgotten garden hidden behind the estate walls.

As she begins coaxing life back into the neglected grounds, rare herbs and flowers slowly return under her care. Little by little, the garden awakens — and so does the lonely lord who cannot seem to stay away from it… or from her.

But when the ice-locked trade routes reopen, old rumors and dangerous secrets follow close behind. And as the magic of Tìr nan Òg continues to fail, Skye and Torben must decide whether they are willing to trust one another before the truths surrounding them destroy everything they've begun to rebuild.

Of Roses and Redemption is a no-spice combined retelling of Beauty and the Beast and The Secret Garden, full of tropes like "tending wounds," "grumpy/sunshine," and "forced proximity." This YA fairy tale retelling is perfect for fans of Melanie Cellier, Tara Grayce, and A. G. Marshall.