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  • Published: 1 December 2026
  • ISBN: 9780593952429
  • Imprint: Jove
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 432
  • RRP: $42.99

Hate and Other Acts of Fiction




Former lovers turned rival tour guides must join forces to overcome scandal—in this steamy second-chance romance from the author of Secret Nights and Northern Lights.

Sadie Stockton has the almost-perfect job leading tours through the former home of her favorite author, the enigmatic recluse Hazel Wilmont. But when the owners of the Wilmont House announce plans to increase the estate’s revenue by hosting an overnight murder mystery set in a cocktail lounge, Sadie is less than thrilled. Yet again, Hazel’s legacy is being tarnished by the fictitious, decades-old rumors she poisoned her husband(s).

Worse? The new tour will mean working with none other than Ryan Pearson—local mixologist, owner of Pearson’s Pub Crawls, and Sadie’s long-standing professional rival and personal regret. She can’t stand him. Or his smug grin. Or his boastful T-shirt declaring his pub crawl the city’s number-one rated tour. And no, she doesn’t still think about their short-lived, meaningless college fling. Ever.

With a potential promotion on the line, Sadie must play nice with Ryan in order to make the “Mixtures & Murder” tour a success.  But over late nights and cocktail tastings, all clues indicate a reigniting attraction between the two. And as new discoveries at the mansion unfold, Sadie is forced to confront her own narratives about Ryan, about Hazel, and about the past she’s tried for years to bury.

  • Published: 1 December 2026
  • ISBN: 9780593952429
  • Imprint: Jove
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 432
  • RRP: $42.99

About the author

Megan Oliver

Megan Oliver is a writer, an avid romance reader, and a travel enthusiast whose vacation mishaps provide plenty of inspiration for her characters on page. She lives with her husband, two dogs who refuse to cuddle as much as she’d prefer, and a cat who barely tolerates the presence of any and all above. Secret Nights and Northern Lights is her debut novel.

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Praise for Hate and Other Acts of Fiction

Praise for Secret Nights and Northern Lights

“Oliver’s debut novel is a love letter to Iceland, rekindled relationships, and a sweet reminder that sometimes we need to leave to find the place that feels like home.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult

“Oliver pens a moving second-chance romance against the vivid backdrop of Iceland.”—Booklist (starred review)

“An exceptional romance debut that doubles as a love letter to Iceland.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


“Megan Oliver’s debut, Secret Nights and Northern Lights, is childhood-sweethearts, friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance perfection. I believe so strongly in Ben and Mona’s love for each other back then—when he had a cute nickname for her that only he would use; when he stood up for her with her brothers; when she was always there for him even when he had struggles she didn’t know about. And I believe so wholeheartedly in their happily ever after now, even if it took traveling all the way to Iceland to break the ice between them. Oliver excels at tender moments, relatable characters, and stunning scene descriptions in a book that had me completely immersed from beginning to end. Oliver is a gorgeous new voice in romance!”—Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Never Been Shipped