Strange Eden Series by Gina Giordano

Everything familiar to Eliza has been ripped away. Even worse, the cruel deed was done by her own hands. Nassau, Bahamas, 1791…Eliza Sharpe, recently wed to a mysterious and brooding soldier, departs for the West Indies with him to begin their new life. Once there, she realizes their marital arrangement is ill-fated and that she has made a disastrous choice. Charles, the man she finds herself bound to, is nothing short of a monster... moreEverything familiar to Eliza has been ripped away. Even worse, the cruel deed was done by her own hands. Nassau, Bahamas, 1791…Eliza Sharpe, recently wed to a mysterious and brooding soldier, departs for the West Indies with him to begin their new life. Once there, she realizes their marital arrangement is ill-fated and that she has made a disastrous choice. Charles, the man she finds herself bound to, is nothing short of a monster.On their very first night in New Providence, her innocence is irrevocably shattered. The walls of her new home hide a dark family secret, and Eliza realizes that the freedom she sought within marriage is a worse cage than the constraints she faced before.Eliza struggles with her new existence, her exposure to Charles’ explosive temper, the brutality of slavery, and her isolation as she tries to grow accustomed to life on distant shores. The only source of comfort she finds is swimming in the startlingly clear ocean, an activity Charles expressly forbids.As she attempts to flee her deteriorating situation, an unexpected encounter with a beguiling stranger named Jean offers a promise of escape. Despite the dark rumors that swirl around her recent acquaintance and his mysterious past, he captures Eliza’s interest, and ultimately, her heart―with deadly consequences.On an island where nothing is as it appears, Eliza is confronted with the harsh realities of living on the fringe of empire, of womanhood, and the overt corruption that festers in the governor’s mansion on the hill. Will she ever be able to secure her freedom―and possibly even find redemption in love? “An ambitious and multifaceted novel that cunningly challenges patriarchy and its consequences.” - Kirkus Reviews less

He once destroyed everything she loved. Now, only he can save her from ruin. Can she forgive, and even love, her enemy? In this dark, immersive tale, the author of STRANGE EDEN returns to colonial Nassau to continue the story of Eliza Sharpe’s volatile marriage to Charles Sharpe.1792: In the aftermath of her lover Jean’s death, Eliza harbors a secret that threatens to make her fraught situation even worse. She is carrying his child... moreHe once destroyed everything she loved. Now, only he can save her from ruin. Can she forgive, and even love, her enemy? In this dark, immersive tale, the author of STRANGE EDEN returns to colonial Nassau to continue the story of Eliza Sharpe’s volatile marriage to Charles Sharpe.1792: In the aftermath of her lover Jean’s death, Eliza harbors a secret that threatens to make her fraught situation even worse. She is carrying his child. But when the clairvoyant slave Cleo comes to her aid, the solution holds devastating consequences.Charles, meanwhile, is engaged in his own secret dealings. When he reveals his plans to Eliza, she is forced to do the to reframe the man she’s viewed for so long as an enemy, into an ally, perhaps even a friend.Perhaps more.Events directed by Lord Dunmore’s insatiable greed threaten to destroy their shaky reconciliation. Clandestine political meetings emerge as the other colonists seek an end to the corruption on the island, and they turn to Charles for leadership. But the governor of the Bahamas wants him dead, and he’s hired the perfect man for the deed.Can Eliza forgive the man she once viewed as a monster? Or has the desperation and darkness that lurks within the walls of Pleasant Hall finally driven her to madness? less