Book 1: ONE KISS. THAT'S ALL IT TAKES TO SUMMON AN ELDRITCH HORROR. Bookish boy-next-door Sam and wild-child Ashley are inseparable. Best friends their whole lives, there are no secrets between them. Well, mostly… When Ash brings home a painting from a thrift shop, she doesn’t know it’s a doorway to the other side of the cosmos. An unfathomable terror waits beyond for it to open. A kiss—a peck, really—playful and meaningless. Unfortunately, that single kiss unleashes a nightmare. The deadly curse ravages the town, and no one is safe, not even those closest to the pair. As they struggle to understand the nightmare they unleashed, Sam and Ash discover they hold the key to end it, but it may cost more than they’re willing to pay. Can they do what’s necessary to break the curse? How far will they go to protect the people they love? And what happens if everything they think they know about the curse—and each other—is wrong? Welcome to Elsbury, an idyllic small town nestled in rural Lovecraft country. Yes, some of the people have a strange look about them; the local church can’t decide which deity to worship; and the local radio station is either the ramblings of a psychopath or the divinations of a mad prophet...but it’s home. Terror and love, ecstasy and death are intertwined in The Eldritch Affair, inspired by the Lovecraftian mythos*. *All of the horror, with none of the racism/misogyny! What to expect: Young adult main characters who make rational (to them) decisions; friends-to-lovers romance; love-trapezoid; awkward, sometimes gratuitous adult content; sass; young women who are unashamed of their healthy libidos; subtle movie references. What it isn't: Paranormal romance. This isn't a story where jaded, grumpy cthulhu moves back to R'lyeh, his hometown, and runs into his high school sweetheart, who teaches him the meaning of Yule. (Though I'd read that in a heartbeat!) The MCs are regular humans who get dragged into a situation beyond their ken. ::A note about the Lovecraft inspiration:: The eldritch horror aspect is slow burn in book 1. It picks up at the end and ramps up throughout the series. I know there are die-hard cosmic horror fans out there who may take umbrage if I don't clarify this. This series takes inspiration for creatures, eldritch beings, locations, characters, etc. from the Lovecraftian mythos. If you're looking for mind-bending horror or characters' psyches to fracture when they come face-to-face with the unknowable, this isn't the story for you.