These Hollow Vows

  Thanks to my family—my mom for worrying about me when I work myself ragged and always giving me permission to rest when I won’t give it to myself; my sisters, Deb and Kim, for texting with me and “getting me” in a way no one else likely ever will; and of course my four big brothers, Eric, Aaron, Danny, and Josh, who taught me to believe in magical elves, dragons, and monsters in the forest. Aaron, thank you for the map of Faerie; I love it so much.

  To my agent, Dan Mandel, who was enthusiastic about this book from when it was nothing but a single sentence pitch in an email and a few rough scenes on my hard drive. Thank you for always believing in me and my work.

  I am grateful to have found such a wonderful editor in Nicole Sclama. Every editorial note she gave me resonated so true with my vision for this story. She helped me make this the book I wanted it to be and one I’m so proud to share. I’ve been honored to work with the whole team at HMH Books for Young Readers, notably Gabriella Abbate, Emilia Rhodes, Helen Seachrist, Andrea Miller, Samantha Bertschmann, Nadia Almahdi, Tara Shanahan, Margaret Rosewitz, Erika West, Rebecca Springer, Maxine Bartow, and Romanie Rout. Thank you for all you do!

  A huge thank-you to all my readers! To my romance readers who had to adjust to fewer books a year while I made time for this passion project, thank you for your endless enthusiasm for anything I put out there. I am humbled by your support. Thank you to all the bloggers and early reviewers who took a chance on this book. I appreciate your time and was renewed by your sweet messages—shouty caps and exclamation points give me life!

  Finally, and most importantly, I need to thank my husband, Brian, and my children, Jack and Mary. Brian, my rock, my voice of reason, my sounding board, thank you for supporting me through every book and the endless highs and lows this career delivers; everything feels possible when you’re holding my hand. And to Jack and Mary, the coolest kids ever, thank you for reminding me that I am more than a writer. I used to believe the best parts of me would end up in my books, but now I know they’re really in you.

  Visit hmhbooks.com to find all of the books in the Bloodleaf series.

  About the Author

  © Beth Eiteljorge/Crossroads Photography

  LEXI RYAN is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty romance titles and the 2018 winner of the Romance Writers of America® RITA® Award for Best Contemporary Romance: Long. A former English professor, she considers herself the luckiest girl around to have traded stacks of grading for the opportunity to make a living through storytelling. She is happiest when at home in Indiana with her husband and two children where you can find her lifting weights, reading copiously, hanging out with her family, and thanking her lucky stars.

  Learn more at lexiryan.com

  Connect on Social Media

  Follow us for book news, reviews, author updates, exclusive content, giveaways, and more.