In a world where love is a crime, she chooses defiance. Giovanna has never fit the mold-not as an occult influencer, not as a woman who speaks to ravens, and certainly not as a skeptic of rules. Her life in the shadowed hills of Tuscany is strange enough... until the dead start whispering. When ghost-lights dance above the crumbling graves of Vespera, Giovanna follows the trail-and it leads her straight into the arms of Julius: dangerously elegant in a tuxedo, eyes like midnight, and hiding a truth that bites. Julius is no ordinary mystery. He's a vampire. And he's about to pull Giovanna into a world far darker than the ghost stories she tells online. Welcome to Nightshade Academy. Tucked behind illusions and ivy-covered gates, this gothic institution trains the supernatural elite-vampires, witches, necromancers, and creatures that only exist in nightmares. Its headmistress has pink hair and a heart of iron. Its guards have wings and claws. And its rules are clear: power above all, love above none. But some connections can't be broken. Bound to Julius by a force neither understands-and torn between lust, power, and truth-Giovanna must choose between obedience and rebellion, survival and surrender. Because at Nightshade, the greatest risk isn't the monsters outside. It's falling for the one beside you. Bound by Shadows is a darkly seductive paranormal romance and the thrilling first installment in the Nightshade Academy series. Perfect for fans of forbidden love, supernatural intrigue, and dark academia with a sinful twist.