Muses of Esk
Soft, yearning fantasy romance novellas with low stakes, wistful characters, and lots of weather. The Muses of Esk novellas are interconnected stories set in the world of Esk.
The Muse of Missing Pieces
a cosy fantasy romance novella
Sapphic FF romance with grumpy/sunshine, soft moments, and no third-act break up!
Artemisia Whitaker wants Harriet’s help on a prestigious commission. Harriet wants nothing to do with her.
Harriet is done trying. Done failing. Done chasing dreams that always slip out of reach. After a previous commission fails catastrophically, she resigns herself to life as a shop clerk. It’s easier to let her hopes of becoming an artisan fade than to add another disappointment to her list of failures.
Artemisia Whitaker is everything Harriet once aspired to be—an artisan destined for the heights of Esk society. Nothing can keep her from her ascension, except, apparently, Harriet’s refusal to work with her.
As a flood threatens and the deadline looms, Harriet has one last chance to claim the life she’s always wanted. All she has to do is complete the commission. But this time, her failure won’t just end her dreams—it will destroy Artemisia’s, too.
The Muse of Missing Pieces is a short, sapphic, cosy fantasy novella set in a slightly magical fantasy world. It is the first standalone novella in a forthcoming series of cosy fantasy romances with low stakes and a bit of steam.
“It would be dreadful for an artist to be exactly what she seemed.”
A Reverie of Roses
a cosy fantasy romance novella
Sapphic FF romance with a wallflower and a flirt, a country manor, a very cosy gothic vibe, and no breakups!
Her only chance to win a very unwise wager is to create a portrait of an infamous socialite who knows exactly how to get under her skin—and is delighted to be close enough to do so.
Nora made a reckless wager. Now, to save her career as a portraitist, she must paint the one person she never wanted to see again.
The last time she tried to capture Lisette Lacemont on canvas, she was left with an unrequited crush and an unfinished painting. This time, she’s determined to do better. But when a summer storm traps her in a country manor with the flighty socialite, Nora has no escape from Lisette’s flirtations, her sharp tongue, or the way she sees right through her.
Lisette is a challenge, a muse, an endless frustration. And if Nora isn’t careful, she’ll lose more than her wager before the painting is finished.
She’ll lose her heart, a second time.
A Reverie of Roses is a cosy fantasy romance novella featuring sapphic romance, chaotic friends, stormy weather, and fraught painting sessions.
“Today? Everything is shadow. But in the sunlight, you are radiant.”
A Lantern Left Burning
a cosy fantasy romance novella
Sapphic FF romance with an overworked artisan, an overbearing nightingale, bathing, hair washing and hurt/comfort.
Linnea Worth is burning out.
Artisan Linnea has no time for rest. The commissions keep piling up, the days blur into sleepless nights, and there’s never a moment to breathe. She can’t afford distractions, and definitely not the kind that come with a warm touch and a devastating smile.
But when her carelessness sparks disaster, she catches the sharp attention of Iris, a singer and healing attendant at Esk’s illustrious Gardens. Iris is beautiful, graceful, and infuriatingly overbearing. And she’s determined to be the one distraction Linnea can’t push away.
Linnea has never let anyone take care of her, and she won’t start now. Certainly not Iris, with her lovely hair and gentle hands. But Linnea is wearing herself to nothing, falling apart piece by piece—and the one thing that might save her is the one thing she won’t let herself have.
A cosy, sapphic romance between an artisan working herself to dust and the one person who catches her before she falls apart. This novella has hurt/comfort, sapphic yearning, and lots of tense hair-washing and wound-tending.