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Blackthorn

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Pub Date 6 Nov 2025 | Archive Date 6 Nov 2025
Pan Macmillan | Tor Bramble

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Description

In a town where the dead won’t stay buried, is love salvation . . . or the deadliest game of all?


Twelve years ago, Maven Blackthorn fled her small hometown, leaving behind the wreckage of her mother’s suspicious death. But now, drawn back for her grandmother’s funeral, Maven steps onto Blackthorn soil once more, only to find herself thrust into a fresh nightmare: her grandmother’s body has vanished.


The Blackthorns immediately suspect the Crofts - the ruthless titans of Croft Pharmaceuticals, whose bitter blood feud with the Blackthorns has spanned generations. But when Maven comes face-to-face with Ronan Croft, the son of her mother’s suspected killer and the only man she ever loved, she discovers the forbidden passion they once shared is as alive - and dangerous - as ever.

As long-buried family secrets claw their way to the surface, betrayal lurks behind every whisper, and old vendettas ignite anew. The deeper Maven digs for answers, the more treacherous the game becomes. And the one man she can never seem to escape is hiding a truth that could burn their whole world down . . .

Blackthorn is a tautly written, deliciously gothic tale of a prodigal daughter returning home to family secrets – and the man she could never forget. From J. T. Geissinger, author of TikTok sensation Pen Pal, this is Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches meets a spicier Masters of Death by Olivie Blake.


Blackthorn is a page-turning gothic romance with darker themes and scenes that may not be suitable for everyone. Please refer to a full list of content warnings at the beginning of the book.

In a town where the dead won’t stay buried, is love salvation . . . or the deadliest game of all?


Twelve years ago, Maven Blackthorn fled her small hometown, leaving behind the wreckage of her...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781035076017
PRICE £22.00 (GBP)
PAGES 368

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Average rating from 17 members


Featured Reviews

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WOW😭🤣
What did I just read???
I am so perplexed!
This book took such a wild turn at 80% mark and I don't think I have ever read something like this before and I weirdly enjoyed it👀
Of course it's a Jt geissinger book so Banter, obsessed man and great plot was there as promised.
You gotta give it to Jt for keeping you on toes throughout the book. That ending???
Romance was absolutely delicious.

Small town, two families with blood fued.
She belongs to Blackthorn family, they are called witches. The whole town is afraid of them😋
I love myself a witchy romance.
Also Ronan croft???
The man he is😭❤

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Did you ever read a book where you ask “what did I just read, and why did I like it so much?” Because this is one of those books.

This is a dark gothic romance book and boy oh boy did I enjoy this. This was a book where you are made to keep guessing at where the story is going, because when I say that anything could have happened in this book, I’m not lying. I never knew which direction we would be going in, and this kept you guessing right to the end.

I literally inhaled this book. A fire could have broken out in my house and I was that absorbed into the story I would have been non the wiser.

This book hits the creepy, gothic dark romance vibe you’ve been looking for.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A 4 star rating from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling and relatable, likable characters. Loved every single second reading it.

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Omg this book. I was hooked. It’s got all the moody gothic vibes ,stormy skies, creepy old estate, and a small town that feels like it’s hiding 100 secrets. Maven? Loved her. She’s fiery, stubborn, and not afraid to push back. And Ronan… ugh, the tension between them could power an entire city.

It’s definitely not a light, fluffy romance.there’s drama, secrets, and those “oh no they didn’t” moments that make you stop reading just to process. Every time I thought I had it figured out, another twist came out of nowhere.

Basically, I inhaled it in like two sittings and now I’m mad it’s over. If you like your romance with a side of mystery, a dash of danger, and enough slow-burn tension to make you scream into a pillow , read this.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

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The story started off slow for me but it soon ramped up and I was quickly turning those pages to find out what was going on. I really enjoyed this gothic romance it had all the elements I loved including a mystery to solve and secrets to unravel. The characters were well written and I enjoyed reading the back and forth sparing that went on. The ending was perfect I definitely did not guess the ending and it was a perfect way to finish to book. This was my first book by this author but it certainly won’t be my last.

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First, definitely make sure you read the trigger warnings for this book, there are a lot of them. Now I love the authors work and have read all her previous stuff. The book is, as always, well written with twists and turns. I did find this one a bit much though personally. The book has a very gothic vibe in a dark atmospheric setting. With very dark characters! If you enjoyed her darker works and wanted them darker still, then this book is for you.

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This was so unique. I went in expecting to be surprised and the book delivered. Secrets, love, betrayal. I expected this to be a bit darker but I thoroughly enjoyed this nonetheless.

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