"Every thorn has its rose."--Cover

"A powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together in order to save their quiet little town in this debut cozy fantasy. Guy Shadowfade is dead and Violet Thistlewaite doesn't know what to do with herself. Having spent her life as the dark sorcerer's right hand, the powerful witch is now at loose ends. But she does know one thing: she doesn't want to be evil anymore. For once, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison. The quaint town of Dragon's Rest, she decides, will be her second chance at life--a place where she can set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (and mildly homicidal) houseplant out of trouble, and quit dark magic after a lifetime of villainy. While Violet's vibrant bouquets and feats of plant magic soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, nothing she does seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. What Violet doesn't know is that Nathaniel is desperately seeking a second chance of his own. But just as Violet thinks she's pruned away all the thorns of her nefarious former life, a mysterious blight threatens her new home and a figure from her past comes knocking. Violet and Nathaniel must work together through their fears, their pasts, and their growing feelings for one another to save their community. But with everything she's built on the line, Violet can't help but wonder...does a villain like her truly deserve to grow her own happily ever after?"--