Blackthorn: A Dark Gothic Romance

DELUXE EDITION--a deluxe hardback edition featuring stenciled edges, a foil case stamp, beautiful endpapers, and a detailed map.

From the diabolical mind of New York Times bestselling author J.T. Geissinger comes a scorching new enemies-to-lovers romance filled with explosive secrets, nail-biting, gothic suspense, and the dangerous lure of dark magic.

You never forget your first love. Especially when he’s also your worst nightmare.


Twelve years ago, Maven Blackthorn fled her small hometown, leaving behind the wreckage of her mother’s suspicious death. But now, drawn back for her grandmother’s funeral, Maven steps onto Blackthorn soil once more, only to find herself thrust into a fresh nightmare: her grandmother’s body has vanished.

The Blackthorns immediately suspect the Crofts—the ruthless titans of Croft Pharmaceuticals, whose bitter blood feud with the Blackthorns has spanned generations. But when Maven comes face-to-face with Ronan Croft, the son of her mother’s suspected killer and the only man she ever loved, she discovers the forbidden passion they once shared is as alive—and dangerous—as ever.

As long-buried family secrets claw their way to the surface, betrayal lurks behind every whisper, and old vendettas ignite anew. The deeper Maven digs for answers, the more treacherous the game becomes. And the one man she can never seem to escape is hiding a truth that could burn their whole world down.

In a town where the dead won’t stay buried, is love salvation…or the deadliest game of all?

Blackthorn is a page-turning gothic romance with darker themes and scenes that may not be suitable for everyone. Please see the author's content note at the beginning of the book.

Blackthorn
*Revenge
*Touch her and die
*Shadier than shade hero
*Forbidden romance
*Grumpy/grumpy
*Plot twists galore
*Beauty and the Beast
*Enemies to lovers to enemies to...?

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Published Nov 4, 2025

Average rating: 7.2

59 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

MossyLantern
Dec 31, 2025
6/10 stars
My jaw was on the floor for a good portion of this book!
Staced_Out
Apr 28, 2026
6/10 stars
I don’t typically write reviews, but I still can’t wrap my mind around what I just read. This book was enjoyable and had so much potential until about 75% of the way through. It reminds me of when I get a brilliant idea to start something but then my ADHD kicks in and I do some ridiculous nonsense just to finish what I started. It feels a bit like I have been pranked.

If shock value is what the author was going for they definitely hit the mark, just not necessarily in a good way. It seems like they wanted to jump on the trigger warnings bandwagon and just laid it on thick right when the book should have gotten good. I would have loved a legitimate ending to the story I started reading.
Azura
Mar 18, 2026
7/10 stars
Good read but I felt the story was not organized
kgill
Feb 13, 2026
6/10 stars
Good twist. I was surprised.
April B.InkAudioDragon
Jan 27, 2026
6/10 stars
This was one crazy ride of a book. Truly confused with the things going on in the story and when the end reveals all I was left like 😳 wtf! Lol one thing about this author she sure does love throwing twist at you. Over all I enjoyed it. Was a bit slow and took awhile to get into but I did have fun. ☺️

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