Once Upon a Midnight Dreary

A 2026 PRISM Award Finalist and HOLT Medallion FinalistA beautiful heiress seeking solace. A mysterious caretaker burdened by shadows. And a forbidden love haunted by the echoes of the past.When tragedy shatters her family, Victoria Ravenwood inherits the crumbling estate of Ravenfell Manor, a place she once called home but no longer recognizes. Hoping to escape her grief, she returns to its ivy-choked walls and forgotten rooms, determined to start anew. But Ravenfell is no sanctuary--it is a house of sorrow, steeped in secrets, and alive with something that should be dead.Gabriel Allward, the manor's reclusive caretaker, has remained at Ravenfell for years, his presence as rooted as the ancient stones. Cold and mysterious, he keeps to the shadows, guarding a truth he dares not reveal. Yet Victoria is drawn to him and to the darkness that clings to him like a second skin. As their fragile bond deepens, something awakens in the manor. A raven watches from the garden. Whispers echo through the halls. And a long-buried secret claws its way to the surface. One that binds Gabriel's soul to the estate...and could drag Victoria into the same eternal night. Can they uncover the truth behind Ravenfell's curse before it claims them both? Or will their love become just another tragic tale whispered within its walls?