The Prince of Mourning

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace meets A Study in Drowning in this “serpentine occult mystery with a gothic atmosphere that delivers steamy romance and propulsive adventure” (Publishers Weekly) and follows a young nurse and a mysterious young man imprisoned by a dangerous occultist.

In 1873 New York City, working in a hospital is no easy task, but eighteen-year-old nursing student Molly O’Rinn hasn’t had an easy life. After being orphaned at a young age, Molly’s most constant companions have been the ghosts only she can see. One in particular who has been showing up for years—and whose deep, sad eyes haunt Molly more than any ghost ever has.

Molly’s routine gets disrupted when a wealthy young man suffering from tuberculosis hires her as his private live-in nurse. His haunting Hudson Valley mansion is grand but secluded, and Molly spends more of her time exploring than with her bedridden employer. When she stumbles upon a family crypt in the basement, Molly discovers a young man about her age imprisoned there…a man who bears a striking resemblance to the ghost with the sad eyes.

But how could this living, flesh and blood person be the ghost Molly first saw when she was seven years old? With no one else to talk to, Molly manages to convince him to reveal his true nature, which is more fantastical than she could have guessed. It would be safer for them both to stay apart, but neither is able to resist the pull between them.

Their relationship is threatened when outside forces start to press in. Dangerous people are looking for this mysterious young man, and she is standing squarely in the crossfire.

Jenn Bennett is an award-winning author of young adult books, including The Prince of Mourning, Starry Eyes, The Lady Rogue, Always Jane, and Alex, Approximately and the middle grade novels Grumbones and The Knight Thieves. She also writes historical romance and fantasy for adults. Her books have earned multiple starred reviews, won the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award, and been included on Publishers Weekly’s Best Books annual list. She currently lives near Atlanta with one husband and two dogs.