BLOOD & BRAMBLE by Michael Lyons

When a curse ravages her bloodline, a witch must venture into a forbidden forest with the one man sworn to destroy her. In the village of Thornwick, witches are hunted. Sylvain Blackwood has spent nineteen years honoring her family's darkest rule: stay out of the Crimson Forest. But when an ancient curse begins draining the lifeblood from everyone she loves—spreading through her family's blood like a carefully woven spell—she has no choice but to break the rule that could cost her everything. The forest is alive. And it doesn't want her to leave. Her only guide is Aldric Thorne, a ruthless witch hunter who has spent a decade systematically slaughtering people like her. A man trained by a shadowy guild to infiltrate witch communities. A man whose touch ignites a forbidden connection she cannot explain and cannot resist. Yet as they venture deeper into the twisted heart of the Crimson Forest, where ancient magic pulses beneath their feet and secrets blur the line between hunter and hunted, Sylvain discovers the curse isn't random. It's a blood debt. And uncovering the truth will force her to make an impossible choice: save the family she loves or prevent a war that will destroy everything. Trapped between her family's dark legacy and a destiny neither of them saw coming, Sylvain must decide whether the witch hunter who was meant to be her executioner could instead be her salvation. Because some bindings are forged in blood. Some are broken by love. Perfect for readers of dark paranormal romance, psychological suspense, and second-chance love stories. Blood & Bramble is a lush, character-driven novel that explores forbidden love, the cost of power, and whether redemption is possible when your families are sworn enemies.