Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

Here is a summary with spoilers for Wisteria

Blythe Hawthorne is forced into a marriage with Aris Dryden, a man she despises, in order to save her father from a false accusation of murder. The wedding is set in the imposing Wisteria Gardens, a beautiful but oppressive location that feels more like a prison to Blythe. She is determined to retain her sense of self and resist Aris’s manipulative control, using her defiance like thorns against the constraints of her situation. As the unusual November ceremony unfolds, Blythe and Aris exchange subtle, veiled insults, such as her wearing green velvet slippers to provoke him. Aris tries to assert dominance by freezing time, but Blythe proves she won’t be controlled. Their magical bond grows stronger during the ceremony, symbolized by the golden band of Fate placed on her finger—not a symbol of love, but of captivity. Despite this, Blythe remains resolute: if she’s to be trapped, she’ll make the prison hers to rule.

Surrounded by eerie, enchanted guests—Aris’s puppets who interact only with one another—Blythe feels the full weight of her imprisonment, though she maintains the appearance of calm for the sake of her father. After the ceremony, Blythe shares a bittersweet moment with her father, Elijah, who sees through the façade of happiness and warns her of the dangers ahead. He gives her a hidden knife and insists she send him letters as proof of her safety. Blythe assures him she is fine, but the marriage, born out of desperation rather than love, weighs heavily on her. In her exchange with Aris, their mutual distrust and his past violations of her autonomy come to the forefront. Despite her role as his wife, Blythe is determined not to be controlled again. This union is a lie, and beneath her calm exterior, she is a woman bracing herself for survival—and perhaps a chance to outwit a god.

The carriage ride following the ceremony is anything but romantic, a battlefield of passive-aggressive gestures and sharp words. Aris makes it clear that their "honeymoon" is a staged affair, and when Blythe refuses to leave Thorn Grove, Aris calls her bluff and sends her away without him. Alone and seething, Blythe is unexpectedly taken to a place filled with painful memories—the garden behind Thorn Grove, where her mother once found joy and where her brother met his end. This cruel gesture from Aris forces Blythe to confront the grief she has buried beneath her defiance. As she stands amidst the ruins of the garden, she reflects on everything she has lost—her mother, her brother, and her innocence. When she finds a single crimson petal, a glimmer of something impossible, her wedding ring burns her finger with magic, and she is violently pulled back to Wisteria Gardens. Confused and disoriented, Blythe finds herself at the manor’s doorstep once again, still dressed in her ruined wedding gown.

Inside Wisteria Gardens, Blythe discovers that Aris has subtly encouraged her to retreat from their marriage, setting her up in a cold, desolate room with no comfort or warmth. As she explores the cursed estate, Blythe uncovers unsettling mysteries, including a hidden room behind a portrait of Aris’s first wife. This discovery reveals Aris’s cold indifference and adds to the growing tension between them. In a surreal illusion created by Aris, Blythe dines on a silver lake beneath a starlit sky, surrounded by floating chandeliers and a lavish meal. While Aris attempts to impress her, Blythe remains resistant, demanding a promise to return home in exchange for compliance. As the illusion fades, she is once again left alone in the gray, cold halls of Wisteria.

Blythe’s exploration of the manor leads her to a hidden, shifting hallway that takes her into an otherworldly glade. Here, she discovers portraits of Aris and a pale-haired woman, whom she realizes is Life. This encounter stirs unsettling emotions within Blythe, and when she tries to leave, she finds a hand mirror that feels strangely familiar. With questions swirling in her mind about her connection to Aris and the secrets lurking within Wisteria, Blythe returns to her room, more determined than ever to uncover the truth.

As Blythe continues to endure her marriage and isolation, she writes letters to her father and cousin Signa, hoping to find a connection to the outside world. Aris remains distant, mysterious, and seemingly uninterested in her, though Blythe becomes captivated by his craft—his ability to weave magic through emotion-filled tapestries. In a tense conversation, Blythe challenges Aris’s belief that fate is immutable, sparking a deeper connection between them. Their uneasy exchange hints at the complex bond they share, symbolized by the magical tapestry that represents Blythe’s chaotic, uncertain fate. Though she submits her letters to Aris for delivery, Blythe is left with more questions about her future, his intentions, and the strange, complicated world she is now trapped in.

The next morning, Blythe attempts to return Life’s mirror but finds the path to her suite obscured. After hours of searching, she eventually sits beneath the portrait of a long-dead woman, staring into the mirror’s dark haze. To her surprise, Death appears in human form and reassures her that he’s not there to kill her. Death reveals that Signa has sent her letter through him, and despite Blythe’s distrust, she agrees to travel with him to Foxglove. Upon arriving, Blythe finds Signa in a tense and unsettling atmosphere, poring over journals that relate to the mysterious deaths of Blythe’s parents. The air is heavy with spirits, and Signa becomes more withdrawn, spending increasing amounts of time with the dead. Blythe, hoping for a break from the gloom, suggests they go outside to enjoy the sunlight, but the tension continues to mount.

In Fiore, Blythe expects warmth and beauty but instead encounters a harsh, cold environment with threatening seas and cliffs. As she walks with Signa, they discuss Aris, his past, and the mysterious connection between Blythe and him, symbolized by the mysterious ring on her finger. Death arrives with cryptic details about Aris’s actions, heightening the tension. A confrontation with Aris leads to Blythe being abruptly whisked back to Wisteria Gardens, where she is once again trapped in her loveless marriage. Torn between her feelings for Aris and the truth of their connection, Blythe faces the uncertain future ahead, her sense of autonomy and survival driving her every decision.

Blythe is frustrated with Aris after a tense confrontation involving Death's touch and a letter from her father, which reveals that he plans to visit a fabricated kingdom called Verena. This leads to a deal where Aris helps convince her father that Verena is real in exchange for Blythe agreeing to travel with him under certain conditions. As they collaborate, Blythe begins to appreciate Aris's artistic magic and personal joys, though their relationship remains strained, especially after a disturbing vision of Aris’s deceased lover. The situation grows more complicated when Blythe tries to maintain the ruse of her marriage to Aris while dealing with her father’s skepticism. In Verena, a magical town, Blythe becomes enchanted by the world Aris has created, though her father's doubts linger. Their bond deepens during a late-night sled ride, where Blythe begins to question her feelings for him.

After spending the night with Aris, their relationship takes a more intimate turn, and they share moments of vulnerability about love and loss. Meanwhile, Blythe is torn between her duty to her family and the complexities of her marriage. As she faces a series of strange and disturbing events—haunted by a vision of her mother's garden and her growing powers—Blythe begins to grasp the true extent of her abilities. Solanine, a mysterious figure linked to her family, warns Blythe of an imbalance she has caused, and chaos looms as she struggles to control her powers. In a tense moment, Aris intervenes to protect Blythe from an intrusive Diana, and their shared connection grows deeper, culminating in an intense kiss.

However, Blythe's powers take a toll, and she collapses after a confrontation with Aris, leaving her family to debate her fate. As she recovers, Aris takes her to Wisteria, where they share a quiet moment of connection, though Blythe remains unsure of her place in this new life. They grow closer when Aris invites her to create a space of her own, and their chemistry intensifies. Still, Blythe is haunted by the presence of Life, whose warnings about her powers’ impact on the balance of the world leave her with more questions than answers. In a moment of discovery, Blythe uncovers a hidden magical factory where Aris weaves fates, and she realizes the darker implications of her connection to the disturbances at Thorn Grove, culminating in a poisoning that suggests Chaos’s involvement.

Aris takes Blythe to a scenic hilltop overlooking a village, where she struggles with fatigue but is captivated by the surroundings and his presence. In the village, they stop by a shed where a man sings beautifully, his voice full of emotion, though he’s content with his unfulfilled potential. This contrasts with Blythe’s growing realization about her own fears and attraction to Aris, which leads to an intimate moment between them. Meanwhile, Aris must swallow his pride and seek his brother Death’s help to save Blythe, who is gravely ill due to the demon Solanine's influence. The brothers confront Solanine, who taunts Aris about Blythe's bloodline and offers her a chance to fix her mistakes, but the demon’s immortality leaves Aris frustrated and hopeless. Blythe, growing ill despite Aris’s care, suspects belladonna poisoning but finds no trace of it, and her cousin Signa arrives with disturbing news about Blythe’s mother, Rima Farrow, and her connection to Chaos. Blythe vows to fight, refusing to succumb without a struggle.

Later, Blythe, Signa, and Death sneak into Thorn Grove to kill a horse Blythe revived, believing it's necessary to protect her family from Chaos. The horse resists death, and Blythe experiences visions of her mother's garden and past betrayals, leading her to a haunting encounter in the manor. Despite knowing her time is running out, Blythe decides to confront the truth, even if it means facing death. As Blythe’s condition worsens, Aris and Signa argue over her fate, while Blythe struggles with guilt and her inevitable death. She insists on keeping her condition from Aris, hoping he can move on without the burden of her fate. Blythe follows a vision of her mother, hoping to fix what's broken. Meanwhile, Aris, once distant, grows to care deeply for Blythe and uncovers secrets about her connection to an enigmatic power, determined to rewrite their fate and save her.

Blythe, feeling like a thief in her own home, follows a mysterious figure through Thorn Grove, only to discover it’s Percy, her supposedly dead brother, in a disheveled state. He reveals he has little memory of his past, and Blythe is torn between anger and confusion. She heals his frostbitten fingers, but the act deteriorates her health, revealing a dangerous bond between them. As tensions rise, Sylas intervenes, and Aris is forced to choose between protecting Blythe or taking revenge on Percy. Despite Blythe’s plea for mercy, Aris is faced with the grim decision to either save Blythe or let her go. As Blythe dies, Aris vows to take down Chaos and anyone who stands in his way, confessing his love for her in their final moments.

Aris pursues Percy through the woods and curses him to a life of suffering, ensuring he will never find peace. Meanwhile, Blythe approaches her death, accepting her fate but hoping for a future reincarnation. In a final act of love, Aris sacrifices his life to save her, and Blythe is revived, devastated by his loss. Struggling with grief, Blythe retreats into herself, her body manifesting thorns and vines as she mourns Aris. Over time, with the support of her father, Elijah, and her family, she begins to reconnect with her powers and art, finding solace in her work while holding onto the hope that Aris might return. Through this, Blythe starts to heal, vowing to live a full life while cherishing his memory.

In an epilogue, at Thorn Grove, an eerie manor at the edge of the woods, rumors abound about a young woman who had married a prince and vanished into a hidden palace, never aging beyond her late twenties. The woman, Blythe, has spent years living in Wisteria Gardens, her agelessness a source of both fascination and sorrow. Since the death of her husband, Aris Dryden, twenty-seven years ago, she has struggled with the impossibility of moving on, haunted by the memories of their time together. Despite her ongoing grief, Blythe has built a life surrounded by her family and the strange, magical creatures she creates. However, when a mysterious fox leads her to a door marked by golden threads, Blythe’s heart races with the hope that Aris may have returned. To her astonishment, she opens the door and steps into a town where she encounters a man, covered in cuts from the briars she created, whose golden eyes and touch stir a deep, familiar longing within her. In that moment, Blythe is overcome with emotion as the man, Aris, whispers her name, revealing that he has finally found his way back to her.