The Echo of a Lie

A steamy enemies-to-lovers dark academia forced proximity second chance dark alliance romance

A Shakespeare scholar. The man who broke her heart—and can't remember why. One locked archive. One deadly secret. No escape.
A second chance, enemies-to-lovers gothic dark academia romance with scorching tension and a guaranteed HEA.

Ali Lindholm has spent eighteen months building the Sterling Collection into something that matters—her one shot at tenure Then her ex-lover walks back into her life, assigned as her co-curator. Every wall she's built starts to crack.

Julian Ashworth doesn't remember why Ali stopped speaking to him five years ago. The car accident stole months of his memory. All he has left: a ring he bought for her, a mentor who died the same night, and guilt he can't explain.

Forced to share the Sterling Collection—one room, one set of keys, no escape—they uncover something far more dangerous than their unfinished history: Someone is watching. Someone is removing evidence.

A truth buried for decades. An accident that was no accident. And a secret someone will kill to protect.

The walls of this old university have more than one way in.

Some alliances are forged in daylight. Theirs is sealed in secrets.

✓ Second Chance Romance ✓ Amnesia/Memory Loss ✓ Forced Proximity ✓ Enemies to Lovers ✓ Dark Alliance ✓ Academic Mystery ✓ Slow Burn → Scorching Heat ✓ Gothic/Secret Passage

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Four chili peppers — Steamy/Spicy (three open-door scenes) Tone: Angsty Suspenseful Emotional POV: Dual POV, Third Person Ending: HEA guaranteed Content Notes: TBI/amnesia, past trauma, grief

Perfect for fans of Gothikana, Simone St. James and readers who want The Secret History with a steamy romance at its heart.
One-click now and fall into the archive. Some lies echo forever.