After the death of her elderly, bad-tempered, and bullying aunt, twenty-three-year-old Cassie Trowbridge is thrust into a strange new world for which she is ill-prepared. Alone for the first time, she must confront the resurgence of a terrifying threat from her past. She deconstructs the fears and patterns she’d been forced to learn. To reestablish her life, she builds meaningful connections, secures a fulfilling job, and revitalizes the secluded old house she has always called home. Amid these changes, she finds herself entering a captivating and mysterious romance, bringing her a sense of happiness despite not fully understanding it.

Just when Cassie believes she has found her footing, life takes an unexpected turn, and her world changes once again. This time, each layer of everything she has ever known is peeled away. Cassie must confront not only the physical dangers posed by a lunatic but also the revelation that her friends, her work, her home, her town, and even her very existence are not what she believed them to be.

Within her tumultuous existence, Cassie harbors a deep, profound yearning for the “happily ever after” she’s read about in books, a life where she can find peace, comfort, and happiness. But if such a life exists, where does she find it?