AH

Maeve Baggins is entirely too tall for the Shire, and far too reckless for her own good. As a half-human, half-hobbit hybrid, Maeve has spent her entire life suffocated by the quiet, overly cautious borders of her home. While her older brother Bilbo dreams of doilies and tea, Maeve dreams of monsters, ancient maps, and the open road. So, when thirteen rowdy dwarves and a wizard storm into Bag End demanding a burglar, Maeve doesn’t just sign the contract—she leaps at it head-first. The rest of the company is instantly charmed. Between her striking beauty, sharp book-smart wit, and fearless spirit, she quickly becomes the adored, honorary sister of the company. Everyone loves her. Except for their brooding, iron-willed leader. To Thorin Oakenshield, Maeve is a lethal distraction. He views her romanticized obsession with adventure as a dangerous liability, and her habit of charging blindly into battle drives him to absolute madness. He treats her with cold disdain and harsh lectures, desperate to keep her out of harm's way. But behind his icy glares and sharp commands lies a suffocating, untamed tension. Maeve refuses to bow to his royal arrogance, matching his brooding silence with brilliant, sharp-tongued banter. And as the trail grows darker, his secrets begin to slip. He might call her a burden to her face, but his heavy gaze follows her every move. When the camp sleeps, he is her silent guardian. When blades are drawn, he fights like a demon to stand between her and the dark. She thinks she’s on a quest to reclaim a mountain. He’s trying to survive a woman who might just claim his heart.