IPPY Award-Winning Romance Novel!
Winner of the 2025 Independent Publisher Book Award for Romance.
"He'd always had this in him. This rage. This fierce, insane drive to protect the people he loved. And I didn't care. F*ck me, I liked it."
Amelia's back in her childhood town ready for a fresh start. After quitting a successful job in Manchester and dumping her 'perfect' boyfriend, she's happy to be done with drama. But a passionate run in with Michael Bane–the guy, the sexy bad boy she obsessed over for years–leaves Amelia spinning. In school, Michael was popular and gorgeous…but also cruel, angry, and he hated Amelia.
And now? Well, he's Michael Bane. Devastatingly attractive, running a successful finance firm, and still the man every girl wants. Aimee may be home, but she's determined to leave the high-school cliques and childish popularity contests in the past. The town, however, seems to have other plans. Just as Amelia thinks she might finally get her guy, she's forced to question if he's actually changed at all.
And then he turns up asking for help. He's in trouble. The worst kind.
Helping him will leave her questioning her morals and putting everything she's worked so hard for in jeopardy. Michael needs her, but does he want her? And after everything he's done, does she really want him?
Just how bad does she want this boy to be?
Bane is a sizzling romantic suspense packed with small town charm and a gripping murder mystery at its heart.
Praise for Bane
"Black seamlessly weaves romance with mystery… skillfully teasing a titillating blend of passion and suspense. The mystery comes to a satisfying conclusion, and the chemistry stays palpable throughout, though it's tinged with doubt until the very end. Readers will be consumed by this irresistible blend of small-town charm and explosive passion. Steamy romantic suspense brimming with tension and high stakes.
Comparable Titles: Devney Perry's The Edens series; Catherine Cowles's Sparrow Falls series."
— BookLife Review
"Enemies to lovers done right. Complex, messy, and compelling. A rollercoaster of tension and passion." — Samantha Robertson
"I knew when I finished reading the prequel novella (Eve was Framed) that I would adore this book, and I was right! … Hurt, betrayal, plot twists, angst and pining were ALL THERE! … The chemistry between Michael and Aimee was electric!" — Chiara | wordsbychiara
"If you love a good banter filled unconventional enemies to lovers, pick this one up." — Candice Willman
"Bane is a thrilling romantic suspense that combines small-town charm with a gripping mystery and sizzling chemistry." — Ve (ve_xo)
"Bane offers a refreshingly unconventional take on the enemies-to-lovers trope, making it a gripping and unpredictable read." — Samantha Robertson
"I got this book as an ARC and have to say this is the most brilliant book I've read and I fell in love with Bane and the story and would you would love the this book by Briar Black and I can't wait to read more in the Chesire Set Series." — J.C
"I really enjoyed this novel… I loved that there was a mystery mixed into the plot and that the novel wasn't just focused on Aimee and Michael's relationship—it kept me engaged in the storyline." — tiff
"From the beginning of the novel, I was already falling in love with Michael Bane and his chemistry with Aimee… I was literally in a roller coaster ride of emotions." — Angelita Ramirez
