She devours romance novels. Now she's living one-with a killer on her trail.

Roni Vales has her life exactly where she wants it: a window seat at Kaffi Fikka, a stack of books from the Arcana Cabana, and absolutely zero drama. Skalanes-with its Nordic-tinged coffee shops, tight-knit reading community, and a beloved bookstore at the heart of it all-is exactly the kind of city where nothing dangerous is supposed to happen.

Then she stumbles across a body.

Detective Bjorn "Bear" Thorn has been tracking a killer whose crimes read like something out of fiction-victims drained of blood, novels scattered at every scene. The last thing Bear needs is a witness who makes him forget his professionalism. But from the moment he spotted Roni across the Arcana Cabana, composure has felt like a distant memory.

Now Roni is his witness. He's her protector. Neither of them should be falling for the other. But danger has a way of stripping pretense-and in the shadow of a killer who seems to know his fiction from his fact, what starts as a slow burn is about to ignite everything.

Readers are loving:

• Slow burn romance with a devoted detective hero
• Bookish heroine who reads romance novels while falling into one
• Protector/witness dynamic with real tension
• Steamy open-door scenes
• Community ensemble cast you'll want to move in with
• Serial killer suspense with a possible supernatural edge
• Atmospheric Scandinavian-Midwest setting, unlike anything on the shelves

Set in Skalanes-a richly imagined Midwest city where Nordic heritage runs deep and a beloved bookstore anchors a community of readers-Blood & Books is atmospheric romantic suspense for readers who love their heroines bookish, their heroes broad-shouldered and all in, and their plots laced with genuine danger.

Perfect for fans of Lisa Gardner, Karen Rose, and Tasha Coryell.

Blood & Books is Book One of the Arcana Cabana Series.