I would like to thank the whole village of writers and readers who have supported me from the very first word in this book. To some of the brilliant beta readers on Wattpad and beyond, Sana, Kelsey, Stefanie, Alesha, Jinn, Novitriyani, and Ken, and to all the amazing critique partners at The Scribbler’s Society. And thank you, George, for giving me one of those “aha” moments.
But most of all, to my talented author friends who were always happy to give advice, encouragement, and inspiration: Anu, Lina, Mandy, Sara—a thousand times, thank you. I couldn’t have gotten this far without you.
Nor can I can’t forget my editor, Liz Ward, and my cover designer, Fay Lane. Thank you for helping me make this book shine.
Thank you to my eagle-eyed ARC readers, Verity and Virginia, who helped spot those hard-to-catch mistakes that sometimes slip through the editing process. A special congratulations and gratitude goes to Kath, who won my typo-hunting contest!
And finally, thank you Matt, R, and M, for your unending patience, love, and support.