What if the person you can’t stop thinking about looks at you like he already knows how your story ends?
That is where These Lessons Are Merciless begins.
Yelena finds herself drawn to Professor Jasper Hawthorne, her mysterious art history professor. He’s controlled, secretive, dangerously protective—and there’s something about the way he watches her that feels less like attraction and more like recognition.
She thinks they’re meeting for the first time.
He knows better.
Because Hawthorne remembers the history Yelena has forgotten, and the connection between them reaches far beyond the walls of his classroom.
If you love dark academia fantasy romance, forbidden professor/student tension, reincarnated soulmates, protective heroes, ancient secrets, angels, supernatural danger, and romances where the hero has been waiting far longer than the heroine realizes, this one was written for you.
And yes, for everyone who has already heard whispers about it:
There is an art lesson.
There is paint.
And Professor Hawthorne takes the concept of a canvas somewhere Yelena was definitely not expecting. 🎨
These Lessons Are Merciless releases November 1, 2026.
Preorders are open now.
Order directly from the author: https://midnightledgerbooks.com/products/these-lessons-are-merciless
OR grab them at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFQ11SZX
