Shadows Dark and Deadly by Andrea Marie Johnson

Slowly freezing in the snow and a knife to the gut are two awful ways to die. And Cerise would very much like to avoid both. A mysterious man steps from the shadows with an offer of food, a bed, and a roof over her head. The catch? She’ll have to become his assassin apprentice. Her hands are already stained with the blood of five men. What’s a little more? But training to be an assassin isn’t easy and learning to control her magic even less. To complicate things, Cerise can’t fight her attraction to her mentor, Keir, or his charming best friend, Damara. It wouldn’t be a problem if she wasn’t a dirty street rat. Well, that and society isn’t ready for two women to be together. Everything heats up as an arsonist stalks the streets. His targets? Brothel owners and Cerise’s aunt is at the top of his list. Can Cerise get strong enough to help Keir hunt him down or will her aunt become another tragic death that haunts her nightmares?

Adult • Romance/Fantasy • Diversity Representation/Mental Health/Own Voices • Fantasy/Steampunk, Gaslamp, and Flintlock • Fantasy/Romantic and Erotic • Diversity Representation/LGBTQ+/Own Voices

Content Warning: Violence: murder, attempted murder, assault, stabbing, shooting, arson, burning people, electrocution, blood, mention of genocide, sexual harassment Death/dying: mention of dead parents, grandparents, sibling, loved ones, mention of pregnancy loss/possibility of pregnancy loss Health: vomit, illness, fever, surgery Mental health: grief, panic attack, anxiety, depression, PTSD, shock, nightmares Bigotry: xenophobia Poverty: starvation, food insecurity, homelessness Misc: sexually explicit scenes, profanity