Muses of Musk by Thea Thorne

Written in Appleseeds:

Rose knows better than to take the abandoned cloak she finds deep in the woods. But it is dark, she is cold, and her cottage is so far away.

When she unwittingly tears the cloak, she doesn’t expect the owner to appear on her doorstep, let alone stay—silent and watchful by the hearth—until Rose mends the damage. She certainly doesn’t expect to fall for the fey creature with her moss-green eyes, her thorn-sharp smile, and her promise to be gone as soon as the final stitch is made.

But she does.

The Muse of Missing Pieces:

Artemisia Whitaker wants Harriet’s help on a prestigious commission. Harriet wants nothing to do with her.

Harriet is done trying. Done failing. Done chasing dreams that always slip out of reach. After a previous commission fails catastrophically, she resigns herself to life as a shop clerk. It’s easier to let her hopes of becoming an artisan fade than to add another disappointment to her list of failures.

Artemisia Whitaker is everything Harriet once aspired to be—an artisan destined for the heights of Esk society. Nothing can keep her from her ascension, except, apparently, Harriet’s refusal to work with her.

As a flood threatens and the deadline looms, Harriet has one last chance to claim the life she’s always wanted. All she has to do is complete the commission. But this time, her failure won’t just end her dreams. It will destroy Artemisia’s, too.

A Reverie of Roses: 

Her only chance to win a very unwise wager is to create a portrait of an infamous socialite who knows exactly how to get under her skin—and is delighted to be close enough to do so.

Nora made a reckless wager. Now, to save her career as a portraitist, she must paint the one person she never wanted to see again.

The last time she tried to capture Lisette Lacemont on canvas, she was left with an unrequited crush and an unfinished painting. This time, she’s determined to do better. But when a summer storm traps her in a country manor with the flighty socialite, Nora has no escape from Lisette’s flirtations, her sharp tongue, or the way she sees right through her.

Lisette is a challenge, a muse, an endless frustration. And if Nora isn’t careful, she’ll lose more than her wager before the painting is finished.

She’ll lose her heart, a second time.

A Lantern Left Burning: 

Linnea Worth is burning out.

Artisan Linnea has no time for rest. The commissions keep piling up, the days blur into sleepless nights, and there’s never a moment to breathe. She can’t afford distractions, and definitely not the kind that come with a warm touch and a devastating smile.

But when her carelessness sparks disaster, she catches the sharp attention of Iris, a singer and healing attendant at Esk’s illustrious Gardens. Iris is beautiful, graceful, and infuriatingly overbearing. And she’s determined to be the one distraction Linnea can’t push away.

Linnea has never let anyone take care of her, and she won’t start now. Certainly not Iris, with her lovely hair and gentle hands. But Linnea is wearing herself to nothing, falling apart piece by piece—and the one thing that might save her is the one thing she won’t let herself have.