Carter Bryson

A prestigious music conservatory. A dead scholarship student. A cello that hasn't been played in a year. When twenty-one-year-old Vesper Quinn receives a full scholarship to the elite Hollowmere Conservatory, she knows opportunities like this don't come twice. Raised by her grandmother, burdened by mounting medical bills, and armed with nothing but talent and determination, she's prepared to fight for the future she's dreamed of her entire life.
What she isn't prepared for is Hollowmere itself. Perched on a remote island battered by the Atlantic, the conservatory is a place of breathtaking beauty and whispered secrets. Students avoid certain questions. Faculty exchange uneasy glances. And everyone seems to know something about the scholarship Vesper inherited-something no one is willing to say aloud. Then she discovers the truth. A year earlier, another scholarship cellist vanished after a tragic fall from the island's cliffs.
Officially, it was an accident. No one wants to discuss it. No one wants Vesper asking questions. And no one wants her anywhere near Caspian Vane. He is Hollowmere's golden son. The conservatory's celebrated first-chair cellist. Brilliant. Untouchable. Dangerous. Ever since the death of his former partner, he has become a shadow haunting the halls of the conservatory, driving people away with cold precision and ruthless control.
Everyone warns Vesper to stay away from him. Instead, she finds herself drawn deeper into the mystery surrounding him. Hidden notes tucked inside a forgotten cello case. Midnight music drifting through the halls. A secret buried beneath years of silence. And a growing attraction neither of them can afford. Because the more Vesper uncovers about the girl who came before her, the more convinced she becomes that Hollowmere is hiding something far darker than a tragic accident.
Someone knows the truth. Someone is willing to do anything to keep it buried. And on an island where every sound carries, every secret has a way of being heard. Perfect for readers who love dark academia, gothic romance, mysterious elite schools, slow-burn tension, and atmospheric suspense, this haunting romance will pull you into its shadows and keep you turning pages long into the night.