Rose Namulondo is a Ugandan trauma nurse hiding in Dublin from an abusive ex-partner who stole her inheritance and may have murdered her parents. For three years, she’s been quietly building a case she didn’t know was a case — saving every email, every threat, every timestamp. She expects nothing from Ireland except survival. She doesn’t expect a man who looks at her like she’s the most important thing in the room.
Garda Sergeant Tadhg O’Shea is six foot four of working-class Dublin wrapped in a badge and a bad attitude. He reads Heaney on the sofa at midnight. He goes over garden walls at 1AM and asks questions later. He thought he was made of stone — until the night he saw Rose in the rain and realised stone could crack.
When a routine traffic accident leads Tadhg to a money trail stretching from Dublin to Kampala, he uncovers a web of fraud, forgery, and a fire that killed Rose’s parents. At its centre: one of Dublin’s most powerful men. At stake: the woman Tadhg will break every rule to protect — and the evidence only she can deliver.
The shadows of Kampala have long arms. A mole inside the station. A vengeful daughter with her father’s instincts. And a man who still believes Rose belongs to him. To keep her safe, Tadhg will go where the law cannot follow. To win her freedom, Rose will stand in a courtroom and speak the truth that three years of silence was building toward.
“Rose Namulondo is the heroine I’ve been waiting for. A Black woman who is fierce, vulnerable, sexual, and wholly her own. I saw myself on every page. This is what BWWM romance should be.”
Reader in Atlanta
“The way this book centres Black female desire without apology? Revolutionary. Rose reclaiming her body after abuse had me in tears. And the scene where she takes back Ben’s words? I stood up and cheered.”
Reader in Lagos
“I stayed up until 5AM and called my best friend crying. Tadhg O’Shea is the protective hero we deserve — and the spice is UNREAL. Already planning my BookTok series.”
Reader in Houston
“The tension between Rose and Tadhg had me holding my breath — and the Kampala scenes felt like home. This is a love letter to every African woman who has carried two worlds inside her.”
Reader in Kampala
“As a Black woman in an interracial relationship, this book understood something most romance doesn’t even try to — the weight of being watched, judged, and choosing love anyway. Rose and Tadhg are US.”
Reader in Chicago
“Finally, a romantic suspense that doesn’t shy away from heat OR heart. Dublin has never felt so alive.”
Reader in Paris
“Sylvia and Rose’s friendship is the backbone of this book. Two Black women holding each other up across continents — that’s the story within the story, and it broke me open.”
Reader in Nairobi
“I decided I’m going to buy the whole series after Chapter 3. The cultural texture is authentic, the love story is earned.”
Reader in Lisbon
Reviews shared with permission
This novel contains depictions of psychological abuse, racism, violence, PTSD, and explicit sexual content. The story balances darkness with hope, healing, and joy. Recommended for adult readers.