The Taxidermist's Second

Some things can be preserved. Some things are meant to stay buried. And some things refuse to stay dead. Ten years ago, Wren Blackwood made the biggest mistake of her life—she walked away from Jonah Raines without explanation, shattering the future they'd planned together in their small Montana town. Now, she's returned as the Cascade Natural History Museum's new taxidermist, only to discover that Jonah is the museum's director. The boy who once looked at her with adoration now regards her with ice-cold professionalism and a carefully maintained distance. Jonah Raines built his life on control and order after Wren disappeared. He transformed his heartbreak into ambition, rising through the museum world until he could return home on his own terms. He's spent a decade convincing himself he's moved on. But having Wren back—working in the restoration lab down the hall, her laughter echoing through the silent exhibits, her presence disrupting his carefully constructed peace—proves that some wounds never fully heal. When a mysterious benefactor donates a priceless 19th-century collection in desperate need of restoration, Wren and Jonah are forced into close collaboration. Working late nights among preserved specimens and forgotten artifacts, the truth begins to surface: Wren didn't leave because she stopped loving him. She left because she loved him too much—and a devastating secret she's carried alone threatens to upend everything. As they painstakingly restore fragile creatures to their former glory, Wren and Jonah must decide if their relationship deserves the same careful attention. But the past isn't the only thing hunting them. When the collection reveals a hidden mystery tied to the museum's founding—and to Wren's family—they'll have to trust each other with more than their hearts. In a place dedicated to preservation, can two broken people breathe life back into what they lost?