My entire life I've been dismissed, cast aside, thrown away, whenever something better appeared on the horizon.

Finding my boyfriend in bed with another woman obliterates the last of my confidence, hopes, and dreams.

It's only fitting I end up in Lost Hope, a small town in the heart of snowy mountains and lush green forests.

My roots spring to life here, the first ones in years. They're as fragile as I am, anchoring deeper and deeper with every unexpected connection I forge, withering under the unknown threats looming over me.

I'm as hopeless as the town's name, until a snowstorm brings HIM to my doorstep.

Tall, dark, and impossibly protective, he's determined to be my knight in shining... tattoos.

My darkness doesn't deter him, and all my efforts to keep my distance are thwarted by his secret weapons of ice destruction: his ridiculously cute stepsisters.

Between a preteen with a wit so sharp it slices clean through my steel walls and a toddler determined to melt the ice caps around my heart-one snuggle at a time, there's no escape.

My instincts to run away fade into nothingness with every stolen kiss and possessive touch.

He may have traded the Marines for a guardianship, but his predatory instincts are alive and well.

And his ultimate mission is to slay my demons and make me his.

Lege et Lacrima is the first book in the Lost Hope series of interconnected standalone novels. It's a strangers-to-lovers romance with a pinch of suspense, complete with HEA, and the tiniest of cliffhangers. This book is intended for readers 18+, with explicit scenes, mature language, touching on sensitive topics, and more.