My heartfelt thanks go out to the team at City Owl Press for their phenomenal support, and especially to my editor Tee Tate, who helped me turn this book into everything I wanted it to be.
I owe a debt to all my beta readers for being generous with their time and giving solid feedback. Special thanks to Melissa Lucas, who has read practically everything I've ever written, and hasn't gotten tired yet of helping me become my best writer self.
To my dear husband Andy: you've earned my unending love and gratitude by reading draft after draft after draft, of this project and countless others. I'm especially grateful for all the heady conversations, and for giving me the brilliant idea that my bog body should be Roman. I love you in advance for all the manuscripts yet to come!
Last but not ever least, this book is dedicated to the loving memory of my grandmother Kitty. She shared her love of reading with me, her nightstand stuffed to the gills with paperback romances and thrillers. I have forever after treated books as treasure.