In rain-soaked Dublin, Aoife begins to unravel the life she thought was hers, discovering that love, identity, and belonging are not given - they are claimed. *** Aoife Brennan planned the perfect night to celebrate the life she thought they were building together. But when the clock strikes midnight, she discovers that some truths don't come crashing down - they unravel, quietly. Set in the rainy corners of Dublin, The Placeholder is a story of love mistaken for fate, and the quiet ache of being someone's almost.

Elliot's partner was his whole world, but after Allan's death, his ghost haunts Elliot's dreams. Everyone tells Elliot to move on, but he isn't sure he can. ***** It's been a year since the love of Elliot's life, Allan, passed away. Everyone thinks he should have recovered after that much time, but Allan still haunts Elliot every night. He struggles to maintain relationships with his family, and despite a coworkers interest he can't summon up the courage to date. Elliot is living for the past, because to live for the present means he'll have to live with a hole in his heart. But the question Elliot has to face chases him through his monotonous days: is mourning Allan with everything he has truly living? [[word count: 40,000-50,000 words]]