Hellebore Fields - Rivkah Plume

This story really toes the line between love and obsession. It follows the beginning of an emotionally unsettling relationship, the conflicts that grow inside it, and the tipping point that changes everything. Seeing the story from both perspectives was powerful because you always understood how each of them interpreted the same moments, how one craved affection while the other craved control.

There is more happening here than just their relationship. There are friends, danger, and a growing sense of unease as Branwen becomes increasingly obsessed with Tensi, manipulating situations in ways he believes are love. From his perspective, everything he does is justified. From hers, she sees a broken person who has been judged his entire life and believes she can fix him.

What I loved most was the way the ending was handled. It shows that sometimes it takes one person refusing to give up to make a difference. It isn’t the resolution you expect, or from the person you expect, and that’s what makes it feel real.

There is such raw emotion in this book that it moves beyond a simple stalker or obsessive-love story. It becomes something deeper, something that makes you understand both characters in a way that lingers after the last page. I received this book as an ARC and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

“’ll take anything, as long as she keeps choosing me.