A Bond of Briars — Erin Phillips

She is bonded to a spirit who demands her blood. She serves a mother-in-law who resents her power. She meets a man who challenges everything she's ever believed. After a fatal illness takes Caitrin's husband, she finds herself obligated to care for her mother-in-law, Meara, at any cost...even if it means traveling to Croìthe, where magic is outlawed. Hounded by the suspicious townsfolk and burdened by Meara's bitter grief, Caitrin struggles to keep all of her secrets hidden and make a new life in the foreign land. However, when the charming and charitable Callen Lockhart, a wealthy lord who is at odds with the town, welcomes her without judging her past, Caitrin worries that his generosity will come at a price she is unwilling to pay. As her bond grows stronger, Caitrin must prove her blood magic isn't dangerous or suffer the consequences of the truth being discovered. A Bond of Briars is a YA dark fantasy retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth, with fresh twists based on the original context and respun into a spooky cottagecore romance that is filled with dark magic and mysterious curses, sacrificial love and redemption, perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrow, and Sing Me Forgotten.