Paramour
Of Ballads and Banshees: Book One
by Robin Alvarez
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Pub Date Sep 09 2025 | Archive Date Oct 30 2025
Tides Collide Publishing | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles
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Description
Her banshee scream is their death sentence. His love might be hers.
“You know that feeling people get when something bad is about to happen to someone they love? Or how some seem to know it’s their time right before getting into a horrible accident? That’s me. I warn that death is coming.”
Sadie is a banshee on the run—from hunters, from her past, and from the terrifying truth that she’s killed before. As an empath, she’s learned to shut her emotions down, because if she feels too much, she could easily turn lethal again.
There are no highs. No lows. No chance of losing control.
But when Sadie falls sick from a hunter’s mysterious spell, she can no longer escape into the safety of other people’s emotions. Now in a new town with a new identity, she’s forced to feel everything. Grief. Rage. Longing. Fear. For the first time in her life, she makes friends, forging connections and breaking her careful rules for survival. And then there’s Nathan—the human boy she’s connected to by fate.
Falling for him may well be her undoing.
As hunters close in, Sadie must decide whether to let herself lose control—and risk everything that keeps her safe—all to protect those she never meant to love.
A Note From the Publisher
eBook: 9798988687948
Hardcover: 9798988687955
eBook: 9798988687948
Advance Praise
"Paramour delivered everything I crave in a paranormal romance-original lore, high stakes, and danger lurking around every corner."
-Angela Montoya, author of A Cruel Thirst
"Alvarez's brave characterization and impeccable world building will have you turning pages late at night. A compulsive read for those who grieve and love in equal measure."
-Leslie Lutz, award-winning author of Fractured Tide and Sweetest Darkness
"Robin Alvarez weaves a paranormal story that is grounded with heart and threaded with music. Alvarez deftly balances the feeling of first relationships and the awkwardness of settling in a new town, with an exploration of grief and big emotions. Paramour offers a fresh take on the genre that feels small town cozy, complete with coffees and cinnamon buns, while the world lore is so expansive that it feels like anything could happen."
-Tessa Barbosa, author of The Moonlight Blade
"Paramour by Robin Alvarez distinguishes itself through an inventive portrayal of Sadie, a banshee who simultaneously acts as a harbinger of death, framed within a clear and consistent supernatural system...The Gráshí bond introduces a wonderful romantic element, linking fate and magic in a way that intensifies Sadie's relationship with Nathan, complicated by his grief and their connection. Alvarez sets firm boundaries for banshee abilities and consequences for rule-breaking, such as vulnerabilities to iron dust and the scarcity of grounding pins, and I love the credibility this gives the narrative. By integrating these elements with Sadie's circumstances, especially the physical impact of the Gráshí bond, Alvarez bursts through with a brilliant introduction to an ambitious series that promises to deliver. Very highly recommended."
-Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Marketing Plan
✨ Featured Author at the Forever Twilight in Forks Festival
🗓️ Friday, September 12, 2025
📍 Author Launch Signing Event - Forks, Washington
Robin Alvarez is honored to be a featured author at this year’s 20th anniversary of Twilight festival in Forks, Washington on September 12, 2025! This event will also be the official launch signing for her upcoming novel, Paramour — a YA paranormal romance about banshees. The author area is free to attend!
🌟 Romantasy BookCon – Los Angeles, CA
🗓️ Thursday, February 26 – Saturday, February 28, 2026
📍 Los Angeles, California
Robin Alvarez is excited to be part of Romantasy BookCon — a multi-day convention celebrating the best of fantasy and romance fiction. Whether you love swoonworthy enemies-to-lovers stories, magical rebellions, or heartfelt character arcs, there’s something here for every kind of book lover.
She will be signing books and connecting with readers, authors, and creators. If you’re attending, she'd love to meet you!
📚 Imaginarium Book Festival – Washington, DC
🗓️ Friday & Saturday, June 5–6, 2026
📍 University of the District of Columbia
Imaginarium Book Festival is a reader-focused celebration of all things imaginative — from epic fantasy to heartfelt contemporary fiction, and everything in between.
Robin is thrilled to be attending with many amazing authors gathering to connect with readers, sign books, and share their love of storytelling. Whether you’re coming for the panels, the people, or the pure bookish joy, this is a festival that truly celebrates the power of fiction.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798988687931 |
| PRICE | $19.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 434 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 110 members
Featured Reviews
Michelle G, Reviewer
As someone who's always loved mythology, and mythological creatures, and the idea of the paranormal ... can I just say... WOW.
This novel is AMAZING, and completely blew me out of the water with how creative Robin takes well-known myths, and then puts her own deliciously creative spin on them, taking elements of our world as we know it and then blending it with the paranormal...all the time weaving it into a beautiful tale with beautiful hooks that will keep you engaged from the very beginning to the very end.
Iseult and her mother, our main characters, are banshees, and we follow their story as our main character goes on a journey full of emotions, life-or-death, rebellion, and the perfect dash of promised love that can never be fulfilled...
I sped through this book in one day and then sped through another read through tonight. It was just that good.
Annette v, Reviewer
I personally think Bashees are underrated paranormal creatures. I was therefore very excited when I stumbled upon this book on Netgalley. I requested a digital review copy and the author granted me one. Last week it was finally time to start reading.
If you pick this book up purely for the romance, you might not find what you're looking for. Yes, there is a romance in this book, yes there is some sort of special bond between these characters and yet it doesn't feel like the focus of the story. There is so much more going on, there are so many more storylines important and the romance is not any more important than each of the other elements. This is also a book about friendship, grief, fear, prejudice and learning to accept who you are.
The pacing of this book was absolutely perfect. Although there is a lot going in, it never feels overwhelming. All the elements of the story get a nice introduction and are added one by one. It also never feels like the characters are messing up their priorities. They understand what has to be done first, what they need to focus on. And interestingly enough that's exactly what leads to all those emotional and dramatic moments.
I also loved the Banshee lore in this book. The author did an amazing job making the Banshees more than "creatures screaming when someone is about to die". Those Banshees have tasks, they have the possibility to change someone's fate. They're not just warning tools. They're also the ones attempting to save lives. The author also did a great job balancing the prejudice towards the Banshees with what we get to see of them.
I assume there's gonna be more. As soon as there is more, I will certainly check it out!
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