Edge of Woods Road
A dark, modern gothic reimagining of the British fairy tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears…
“I don’t know where I am, or how I ended up on this snow-buried tract in the middle of the forest. I don’t know where I’m going.”
I came home to find a woman asleep in my cabin. She’s alone, injured—mine to care for until the storm passes. A shot at redemption I don’t deserve after what I’ve done.
She says she doesn’t know who she is—is she lying to me? In the end, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have to trust her. I just need her to trust me.
But the more time she spends here, the more the cabin’s shadowy corners reveal the secrets I’ve been keeping while a dark threat looms in the forest beyond.
She says a life with me is all she wants, but I know that can’t be true. When she finds out the truth about herself, will she stay? Or will she try to run once she realizes not everyone leaves these woods alive?
Edge of Woods Road is a spicy modern gothic romance set near Seattle and a complete STANDALONE in the Driven by Despair Series.
Praise for the Astoria Trilogy
“Wow, just wow. I was hooked from the minute I started reading this book. It is extremely captivating and you literally cannot stop. All I wanted to do was find out what happens and what all the secrets are.” Poppy, @darksteamyreads
"I tore through this in a matter of hours and it had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Its descriptions beautiful albeit melancholy, its characters written so perfectly (even the not so likeable ones!), and its plot full of terrible secrets and haunting discoveries. The fact that this is the author’s debut is astounding, it's so wonderfully written and such a captivating read…” Wren, Goodreads Reviewer
"What tf did i just read & how do i get more of it?? Leigh Maynard killed this story. Absolutely knocked it out of the park...I can't believe this is her debut novel. Take all my stars & all my money." Jillian, Goodreads Reviewer
"This book is so good. The story is a bit gothic, a bit late-60s Hitchcock. It's mysterious with an underlying edge of lurking terror. It seems old-fashioned, but in a good, edgy way. The world-building and characters are strong, and the plot well-constructed." Deb, @caughtinagoodromance
"I don't know what I just read...and I mean that in the best way possible. This story is intense and engrossing and like nothing I've read before. Every time I though I understood what was going on, there was a twist." Erica, Goodreads Reviewer"Another one-sitting book from Leigh! Who needs sleep? If you love well-developed characters and edge-of-your-seat plots, don't miss this one. I loved every tense moment. Waiting anxiously for the last book so I can breathe again.” Melissa, Goodreads Reviewer
"This book was exceptional. It started off with a bang at a fast pace and kept the steam rolling the whole way through. The spice level was stepped up significantly from the first book, the gothic theme was perfectly done (intriguing without being overbearing), it was just perfect! Thumbs up! Cannot recommend it enough!" Frances, @romancebookreviews83
"The second book in the Astoria Trilogy is just as gripping, intriguing and unputdownable as book one. I devoured this in one day, as every time I tried to put the book down I was consumed with the mystery of it all." Sarah, @always_a_happy_ending
"This was a fantastic sequel to Richmond House! I don't know what it is about Leigh's writing style, but her books are so easy to read and the pages just fly by. Those were the shortest 200 pages ever and I wish I could dive right into the final book." Antonia, @dreammypages
"OMG, this series is quickly becoming a favorite for me. Where do I even start. I was truly wondering how the author was going to get everyone back together. Let me just say it was freaking perfect.” @for_the_love_of_b00ks
Richmond House
“Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.”
André Malraux
Greer
After my mother died, I made it my mission to connect with my only other living relative, my grandfather, Sterling Richmond. She’d fought since I was born to keep me away from him and our family’s legacy—the Victorian mansion set high on a hill outside of Astoria, Oregon. But now I needed to know why. Meeting Jace Blackwell, my grandfather’s hired hand, was just a bonus. He’s everything I’m not—gritty, experienced—but the first time our eyes met, I knew he understood me like no one else ever had. As I began peering below the surface of prestige that had shielded my family’s misdeeds for so long, I was shocked and sickened by what I found—then left reeling from a betrayal I never saw coming.
Jace
The first time I saw little miss shipping heiress Greer Richmond, I couldn’t look away. Too bad I learned a long time ago that girls like her don’t end up with guys like me. Still, she somehow managed to get under my skin, and we formed a bond I hoped would hold. But when my secrets and those of Richmond House threatened our relationship, would Greer stay and uncover the truth?
Richmond’s Fall
“We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows.”
Robert Frost
Greer
Seven years ago, I promised myself I’d never go back. But now Richmond House was mine, and what awaited me in Astoria even more sinister. Forced to continue my exploration of my family’s sins, I discovered more questions than answers. It wasn’t long before I found myself accused of a crime I didn’t commit, trapped in a web of secrets I hadn’t seen coming and couldn’t escape from on my own.
Jace
I knew she’d come back someday, but it didn’t matter. I’d moved on, made something of myself, just like I’d planned to all those years ago. I had everything I’d ever wanted—until Greer Richmond decided she needed me. Until I dropped everything to keep Richmond House from swallowing her whole once again.
Richmond’s Legacy
“Under every guilty secret there is hidden a brood of guilty wishes, whose unwholesome infecting life is cherished by the darkness.”
George Eliot
Jace
We promised each other, “no secrets, no lies.” But Greer kept something from me—something big. I drove a wedge between us, even though I already knew I couldn’t live without her. Now I’m on a mission to acquire the one thing she wants most of all—before it’s too late—in hopes it brings her the peace she deserves.
Greer
Narrowly escaping death, I woke up in my bedroom at Richmond House to discover I was once again the object of Jace’s scorn. He’s furious I didn’t tell him about my anxiety, that he couldn’t protect me. But with my best friend in town, I feel stronger. And I’m not going to back down—from Jace or whoever else tries to get in my way.