The Secret Heart of Maeve MacGowan - Stephanie Ascough

Maeve MacGowan isn't prepared for the handsome stranger who appears in the sacred apple orchard, posing a question she'd rather not consider. She's happy tending to her beloved trees on the edge of the village of Quin. Though her foster mother is a taciturn, unaffectionate woman and a secret fear plagues Maeve's heart, she's well accustomed to these hardships.

But when she discovers a disease is eating away at the trees, the kindly village leader known as the Patrician assigns her the task of curing them. Maeve is anxious to win his favor, even though a secret, budding romance complicates her mission. Then one chance encounter challenges everything she's ever been told about Quin's enemies. Forced to make unsettling choices, Maeve finds her world unraveling, leading her down a path that will expose Quin's-and Maeve's-most destructive secrets of all.

Inspired by 17th-century Ireland, this YA fantasy is perfect for fans of the folklore of Rebecca Ross's Elements of Cadence duology and the feminine rage of Hannah Whitten's Wilderwood duology.

A story about agency, belonging, and first love, The Secret Heart of Maeve MacGowan is for readers who have ever sought safety and belonging in anything-or anyone-whose promises come at a steep cost.

CW: brief, non-explicit scene involving SA that is interrupted early on. Child loss mentioned.