Black River

By: Ruby Jean Cottle

Twilight meets Shatter Me in a mystical new YA paranormal romance series – vampires are BACK.​

All seventeen-year-old Dusty wants is to escape into books and the wilderness that surrounds her mountain home. What she doesn’t know is that there’s something waiting for her in the shadows of the forest.

One morning, Dusty wakes up with dirt on her feet. Then she realises that her body and senses are changing. And after a chance encounter with quiet and mysterious Will, she feels an attraction unlike anything she’s experienced before. ​As a powerful attraction develops to the quiet and mysterious Will, it isn't only romance making her heart beat faster – it's a thirst . . .​

But Dusty isn’t the only person experiencing strange events in Black River. Darker forces are at play, and Dusty must uncover the mystery – or risk losing everything and everyone she loves…

©2025 Ruby Jean Cottle (P)2025 Simon & Schuster, UK

Critic reviews

Ruby Jean Cottle is destined to be a major name in popular fiction. (Anthony O'Neill, author of Scheherazade & The Dark Side)

Black River is a smart, sensual, deeply atmospheric debut, brimming with immersive world-building, compelling characters, and all the right kinds of tension. The mystery at its heart keeps you guessing right to the last page, where it becomes clear this is only the beginning of Dusty’s story. I sank my teeth in and barely came up for air. (Emma Lord, author of Anomaly)

Atmospheric and suspenseful, this classic YA paranormal tale combines genres skillfully and delivers a brooding monster story that’s part family drama, part thriller, part romance and all bite. (Lisa Tirreno, author of Prince of Fortune)

There’s something haunting about Black River – the kind of story with chilling twists, a slow-burn romance, and just the right amount of bite. It pulls you into its eerie depths and doesn't let you go – Black River is dark, intoxicating, and impossible to put down. More please! (Courtney Peppernell, author of Pillow Thoughts)