Rowan Beaird – författare

"e;INTOXICATING...You'll find yourself turning page after page, utterly swept up in the heady spell it casts."e; -Megan Abbott, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authorFrom the beloved author of The Divorcees comes a novel set in the 1970s during an island wedding, where the bride has recently left a sinister cult that might still be trailing herOn a remote island off the coast of Virginia, family and friends gather to celebrate the wedding of Shay O'Connor and Andrew Pruitt. From the moment the guests arrive, all they can whisper about is the bride, who recently left the headline-making cult Synanon. Why would someone like Shay, an Ivy League graduate with a wealthy, doting fiancee, join Synanon? And has she really escaped their grasp?Told from the interwoven perspectives of Shay's brother William, her longtime friend Joel, and Shay herself, Tenderness is a slow-burn mystery that excavates dark family histories and romantic regrets. As the wedding day approaches, Joel and William pull at the loose threads of Shay's story, and it becomes clear there is an even greater threat on the island than the secrets each character is keeping from one another.Set in the tinderbox of the 1970s, Tenderness is a lit match, bringing hidden truths to light and asking if we can ever see ourselves or the people we love for who they truly are.

'LOVED it. Tightly-plotted elegance, 50s glamour and suspense. Put it on your lists' Jessie Burton'Excellent. Riveting to the last page' The Times"You know, I've been hearing some stories about you," Greer says."What do you mean?""That you're a bit of a liar."It is 1951 and Lois Saunders arrives at the Golden Yarrow divorce ranch in Nevada, fleeing her suffocating marriage. Here women from different backgrounds live together for the six weeks it will take to earn their freedom, spending their days riding horses and their nights flirting with cowboys. It's as wild and fun as Lois's former home was prim and stifling, but it isn't until Greer Lang arrives that her world truly cracks open . . .Gorgeous, beguiling, and outspoken, Greer is unlike anyone Lois has ever met - and she sees something in Lois that no one else ever has. Soon, under her influence, Lois begins to push against the limits that have always restrained her. But how much can Lois really trust her new friend? And how far will she go to forge her independence, on her own terms?'Evocative, beautifully drawn' Observer'Simmering with tension' Jennie Godfrey'Excellent, deeply compelling' Lauren Groff'Tense, dark, and richly layered' Katy Hays'Fans of Lessons In Chemistry will adore it' Red'I straight up loved it' Elizabeth Macneal

''LOVED it. Tightly-plotted elegance, 50s glamour and suspense. Put it on your lists'' Jessie Burton''Excellent. Riveting to the last page'' The Times"You know, I''ve been hearing some stories about you," Greer says."What do you mean?""That you''re a bit of a liar."It is 1951 and Lois Saunders arrives at the Golden Yarrow divorce ranch in Nevada, fleeing her suffocating marriage. Here women from different backgrounds live together for the six weeks it will take to earn their freedom, spending their days riding horses and their nights flirting with cowboys. It''s as wild and fun as Lois''s former home was prim and stifling, but it isn''t until Greer Lang arrives that her world truly cracks open . . .Gorgeous, beguiling, and outspoken, Greer is unlike anyone Lois has ever met - and she sees something in Lois that no one else ever has. Soon, under her influence, Lois begins to push against the limits that have always restrained her. But how much can Lois really trust her new friend? And how far will she go to forge her independence, on her own terms?''Evocative, beautifully drawn'' Observer''Simmering with tension'' Jennie Godfrey''Excellent, deeply compelling'' Lauren Groff''Tense, dark, and richly layered'' Katy Hays''Fans of Lessons In Chemistry will adore it'' Red''I straight up loved it'' Elizabeth Macneal

'LOVED it. Tightly-plotted elegance, 50s glamour and suspense. Put it on your lists' Jessie Burton'Excellent. Riveting to the last page' The Times"You know, I've been hearing some stories about you," Greer says."What do you mean?""That you're a bit of a liar."It is 1951 and Lois Saunders arrives at the Golden Yarrow divorce ranch in Nevada, fleeing her suffocating marriage. Here women from different backgrounds live together for the six weeks it will take to earn their freedom, spending their days riding horses and their nights flirting with cowboys. It's as wild and fun as Lois's former home was prim and stifling, but it isn't until Greer Lang arrives that her world truly cracks open . . .Gorgeous, beguiling, and outspoken, Greer is unlike anyone Lois has ever met - and she sees something in Lois that no one else ever has. Soon, under her influence, Lois begins to push against the limits that have always restrained her.But how much can Lois really trust her new friend? And how far will she go to forge her independence, on her own terms?'Evocative, beautifully drawn' Observer'Simmering with tension' Jennie Godfrey'Excellent, deeply compelling' Lauren Groff'Tense, dark, and richly layered' Katy Hays'Fans of Lessons In Chemistry will adore it' Red'I straight up loved it' Elizabeth Macneal

'A story of love, liars and secrets . . . Shady, sexy, suspicious - perfect summer holiday reading' The Times, 2026 Must-Read round-up'The Wedding People meets The White Lotus' People'Will have you gripped for many hours by the pool . . . I couldn't put it down' Cosmopolitan Best Summer ReadsShay was no longer in the cult, but still, it made her wedding guests nervous that she was bringing them to an island . . .On a remote island off the coast of Virginia, family and friends gather to celebrate the wedding of Shay O'Connor and Andrew Pruitt. From the moment the guests arrive, all they can whisper about is the bride, who recently left the headline-making cult Synanon.Told from the interwoven perspectives of Shay's brother William, her longtime friend Joel, and Shay herself, this slow-burn mystery excavates dark family histories and romantic regrets. As the wedding approaches, Joel and William pull at the loose threads of Shay's story, and it becomes clear there is an even greater threat on the island than the secrets each character is keeping from one another.Set in the tinderbox of the 1970s, Tenderness is a lit match, bringing hidden truths to light, and asking if we can ever see ourselves or the people we love for who they truly are.Praise for TENDERNESS'This slow-burn mystery exhumes dark family histories and romantic regrets . . . I was swept away' Book of the Month, Platinum'INTOXICATING. You'll find yourself turning page after page, utterly swept up in the heady spell it casts' Megan Abbott'In equal parts a love story, mystery, a look at grief and a tale of family, this story is tenderly told' RED 'I was sucked right in by this absorbing novel, which takes place at a wedding where everyone has a secret and disaster looms' Good Housekeeping 'A gorgeous exploration of family drama, told with an addictive precision. I devoured it' Heather Darwent'Dark, tense and richly layered. A wedding you won't want to miss' Marianne Cronin'Sizzles with a dark tension. Impossible to put down' Julie Owen Moylan'Mesmerizing. Will have even experienced suspense readers holding their breath' Publishers Weekly'Had me riveted from page one' Hannah Pittard

'A story of love, liars and secrets . . . Shady, sexy, suspicious - perfect summer holiday reading' The Times, 2026 Must-Read round-up'The Wedding People meets The White Lotus' People'Will have you gripped for many hours by the pool . . . I couldn't put it down' Cosmopolitan Best Summer ReadsShay was no longer in the cult, but still, it made her wedding guests nervous that she was bringing them to an island . . .On a remote island off the coast of Virginia, family and friends gather to celebrate the wedding of Shay O'Connor and Andrew Pruitt. From the moment the guests arrive, all they can whisper about is the bride, who recently left the headline-making cult Synanon.Told from the interwoven perspectives of Shay's brother William, her longtime friend Joel, and Shay herself, this slow-burn mystery excavates dark family histories and romantic regrets. As the wedding approaches, Joel and William pull at the loose threads of Shay's story, and it becomes clear there is an even greater threat on the island than the secrets each character is keeping from one another.Set in the tinderbox of the 1970s, Tenderness is a lit match, bringing hidden truths to light, and asking if we can ever see ourselves or the people we love for who they truly are.Praise for TENDERNESS'This slow-burn mystery exhumes dark family histories and romantic regrets . . . I was swept away' Book of the Month, Platinum'INTOXICATING. You'll find yourself turning page after page, utterly swept up in the heady spell it casts' Megan Abbott'In equal parts a love story, mystery, a look at grief and a tale of family, this story is tenderly told' RED 'I was sucked right in by this absorbing novel, which takes place at a wedding where everyone has a secret and disaster looms' Good Housekeeping 'A gorgeous exploration of family drama, told with an addictive precision. I devoured it' Heather Darwent'Dark, tense and richly layered. A wedding you won't want to miss' Marianne Cronin'Sizzles with a dark tension. Impossible to put down' Julie Owen Moylan'Mesmerizing. Will have even experienced suspense readers holding their breath' Publishers Weekly'Had me riveted from page one' Hannah Pittard

'A story of love, liars and secrets . . . Shady, sexy, suspicious - perfect summer holiday reading' The Times, 2026 Must-Read round-up'The Wedding People meets The White Lotus' People'Will have you gripped for many hours by the pool . . . I couldn't put it down' Cosmopolitan Best Summer ReadsShay was no longer in the cult, but still, it made her wedding guests nervous that she was bringing them to an island . . .On a remote island off the coast of Virginia, family and friends gather to celebrate the wedding of Shay O'Connor and Andrew Pruitt. From the moment the guests arrive, all they can whisper about is the bride, who recently left the headline-making cult Synanon.Told from the interwoven perspectives of Shay's brother William, her longtime friend Joel, and Shay herself, this slow-burn mystery excavates dark family histories and romantic regrets. As the wedding approaches, Joel and William pull at the loose threads of Shay's story, and it becomes clear there is an even greater threat on the island than the secrets each character is keeping from one another.Set in the tinderbox of the 1970s, Tenderness is a lit match, bringing hidden truths to light, and asking if we can ever see ourselves or the people we love for who they truly are.Praise for TENDERNESS'This slow-burn mystery exhumes dark family histories and romantic regrets . . . I was swept away' Book of the Month, Platinum'INTOXICATING. You'll find yourself turning page after page, utterly swept up in the heady spell it casts' Megan Abbott'In equal parts a love story, mystery, a look at grief and a tale of family, this story is tenderly told' RED 'I was sucked right in by this absorbing novel, which takes place at a wedding where everyone has a secret and disaster looms' Good Housekeeping 'A gorgeous exploration of family drama, told with an addictive precision. I devoured it' Heather Darwent'Dark, tense and richly layered. A wedding you won't want to miss' Marianne Cronin'Sizzles with a dark tension. Impossible to put down' Julie Owen Moylan'Mesmerizing. Will have even experienced suspense readers holding their breath' Publishers Weekly'Had me riveted from page one' Hannah Pittard