Till the Last Beat of My Heart

2026 Rainbow Book List “The queer young adult story that I’ve been desperately craving for years!” —Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, New York Times bestselling author of Ace of Spades and Where Sleeping Girls Lie

In this YA contemporary fantasy, the teen son of the local mortician accidentally reanimates the dead body of the boy he had more than friendly feelings for, but can he keep him alive for good before their time runs out? Perfect for fans of Cemetery Boys and The Taking of Jake Livingston!

When you grow up in a funeral home, death is just another part of life. But for sixteen-year-old Jaxon Santiago-Noble, it’s also part of his family’s legacy. Most dead bodies in the town of Jacob’s Barrow wind up at Jaxon’s house; his mom is the local mortician, after all. He doesn’t usually pay them much mind, but when Christian Reyes is brought in after a car accident, Jaxon’s world is turned upside down.

There are a lot of things Jaxon wishes he could have said to his once best friend and first crush. When he accidentally resurrects Christian, Jaxon might finally have that chance. But the more he learns about his newfound necromancy, the more he grasps that Christian’s running on borrowed time—and it's almost out.

As he navigates dark, mysterious magics and family secrets, Jaxon realizes that stepping into an inherited power may also mean opening up old family wounds if he wants to keep the boy he may be falling for alive for good.

One resurrected crush. A magical legacy he doesn’t understand. And time is almost out.

An MM Paranormal Romance: Jaxon works in his family’s funeral home, but he never expected his first crush to end up on the embalming table—or for a desperate wish to bring him back to life. Forbidden Necromancy: An inherited power Jaxon never knew he had is the only thing keeping Christian alive, but every secret he uncovers suggests his magic comes with a terrible price. Childhood Friends to Lovers: They were once inseparable but drifted apart years ago. Now, with Christian resurrected and their second chance on the clock, Jaxon must finally tell him how he really feels. A Small Town with Big Secrets: In the quiet town of Jacob’s Barrow, death is a family business. But Jaxon is about to discover his family’s legacy is darker and more dangerous than he could ever imagine.