As the Roman Empire falls, a courageous young woman is desperately trying to save precious manuscripts from the invaders when she crosses paths with a reformed thief seeking to atone for past wrongs in this sweeping historical romance.

Northern Roman Empire, AD 486. Plagued with chronic pain and torn between family loyalties, Livia Viatorus blots away her struggles and seeks adventure in the pages of the stories she copies in her father’s bookshop. And as the Frankish army ransacks Roman cities and burns precious manuscripts—including copies of Scripture—with the intent to eradicate all aspects of the country’s faith and heritage, Livia knows her work preserving literature is increasingly more vital. Alone while the enemy marches into her city, Livia is terrified when a man she doesn’t know bursts into the shop and carries her away along with priceless manuscripts.

Killian Eochaid has always longed to be a hero, but when he makes a disastrous mistake and faces the penalty of death for his actions, he fears he will never find redemption. In a moment of grace, the monks whose library of rare texts he destroyed offer him a choice: search the crumbling Roman Empire for copies of the Gospels that were lost or forfeit his family’s land in Eire. When Killian and his men reach Livia’s city amid the chaos of the Frankish attack, he seems close to achieving his goal. Only after whisking Livia to safety does he discover that she does not have the Gospels he desperately needs and the only way to acquire them, and help Livia save her own rare books, is for them to work together to locate her missing father.

As Livia summons her strength—and her courage—for the arduous journey, she is surprised by her growing connection with Killian and conflicted about the truth she hides from him: that despite her assurances, even if they find her father, he may not be able to give Killian what he seeks. With the enemy army closing in and betrayal fraying the fragile trust in the group, Killian and Livia must confront the lies they’ve held close and decide if preserving the truth is worth the highest cost.

• A compelling Christian historical fiction novel set in Ancient Rome for fans of Connilyn Cossette, Francine Rivers, and Tessa Afshar
• A low-spice enemies-to-lovers romance novel with a forced-proximity trope and themes of managing chronic illness, navigating strained family relationships, and searching for redemption
• Features a bookish heroine and a reformed rogue hero
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs