The Night Garden (Fairytales of the Lochs) by Nicole Northwood

Ellie Blue Callaghan doesn’t want to give up her wild ways.

Now that she’s nineteen, she’ll be sent to Blossom Preparatory Academy to train to be a proper sorceress, adult, and wife for Colonel Gallagher. Unfortunately, Ellie loves the wind-swept countryside of Loch Gàrraidh, her untamed and turbulent magic, and the hallucinogenic experience of a fantastical drug called Allure, and she can’t imagine giving them up for a life that would most definitely be dull in comparison.

Max O’Carroll failed out of Blossom Preparatory Academy and was cursed for eternity because of his refusal to follow society’s conservative rules.

He can break his affliction if he finds true love, but nobody in recent history has ever fallen for a Bèist—a being that presents as a feral cat by day and takes their original human form by night. But when Ellie and Max meet during a twilight garden party and connect over wine and a moonlit swim, they soon realize their perception of love, freedom, and control are very different from what they’ve been taught to believe.

Getting tangled in Max’s terrible enchantment could mean disaster for Ellie’s future, but only if they are caught together…

The Night Garden is an atmospheric fairytale reimagining with alternate historical elements that mimic classic storytelling. It is the first book in the Fairytales of the Lochs duology, and both books can be read alone and end in a happily-ever-after. If you’ve ever wished for Jane Austen but with steamy scenes, cat shifters, and cozy fantasy elements, then you’ll love meeting Max and Ellie.

Content warnings can be found on Nicole Northwood's website.