120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🌸 Our Spring Sale is here! Save on Books, Toys, & Puzzles! With overnight NZ-wide delivery 🎉

Lavender & Hemlock

By Lili Wilkinson
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
A COSY SAPPHIC ROMANTASY WITH A DARK HEART Once upon a time, there were three: a maid, a knight and a monster. But which was which? Housemaid Tansy's only duties are to tend to old Lady Aster and care for their quaint, peaceful, isolated seaside cottage... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
Pre-order
Releases 3rd November 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Lavender & Hemlock" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

Found a better price? Request a price match

A housemaid's quiet life is disrupted when the arrival of a mysterious stranger makes her question everything about her quiet life and her charming seaside home in this enticing fantasy YA novel from the award-winning author of A Hunger of Thorns and Unhallowed Halls.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A COSY SAPPHIC ROMANTASY WITH A DARK HEART

Once upon a time, there were three: a maid, a knight and a monster. But which was which?

Housemaid Tansy's only duties are to tend to old Lady Aster and care for their quaint, peaceful, isolated seaside cottage - the Oubliette. Tansy can't remember the last time she left... or when she arrived.

Merit is a Carrion Knight. A servant of the dark entity the Unmaker, she has been raised to be a monster. But when she's wounded during a routine raid, she stumbles through a mysterious door... and finds herself tumbling into the Oubliette.

When the two meet, an instant connection forms, and a crack appears in the Oubliette's perfect facade. As the bond between Merit and Tansy grows and powerful feelings rise to the surface, Tansy must question not only what she wants, but who she is. Because the origins of this charming world are darker than she could imagine - and the key to uncovering them might lie with Tansy herself.

'This is the book of my dreams - a shadow beneath a cosy surface, a swoonworthy romance, and a twist in the tail you won't see coming. And let's not forget a snarky cat, a loyal dog, and a cantankerous goose. Perfection.' - Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of Lady's Knight

'Deliciously dark, whimsical, and deeply romantic, this story will sweep you right off your feet.' - Kate J Armstrong, author of Nightbirds

'This is a tender, passionate love story set within a rich fantasy realm with plenty of immersive lore for readers to discover... A swoonworthy romance set in an exquisitely described world.' Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

Tropes include:

  • Mysterious stranger
  • Overcoming amnesia
  • Raised a monster
  • Queer romance
  • Wounded Knight
  • Cosy with a dark heart

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761181504

Publisher: A&U Children's

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 November 2026

Country: Australia

Imprint: A&U Children

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 384

Collections

Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Fiction Lili Wilkinson Pre-order Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Young Adult

About the Author

Lili Wilkinson is the award-winning author of more than twenty books for children and teenagers, including Unhallowed Halls, Deep is the Fen, A Hunger of Thorns, After the Lights Go Out, The Erasure Initiative and Bravepaw. Lili established the Inky Awards at the Centre for Youth Literature, State Library of Victoria. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, and lives in Melbourne with her partner, child, dog and three chickens.

Also by Lili Wilkinson

View all
  • After the Lights Go Out
    'After the Lights Go Out is a terrifying yet hope-filled story of disaster, deceit, love, sacrifice and survival.' - Fleur FerrisSeventeen-year-old Pru Palmer lives with her twin sisters, Grace and Blythe, and their father, Rick, on the outskirts of an isolated mining community. The Palmers are doomsday preppers. They have a bunker filled with non-perishable food and a year's worth...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Pink
    Ava Simpson is trying on a whole new image. Stripping the black dye from her hair, she heads off to the Billy Hughes School for Academic Excellence, leaving her uber-cool girlfriend, Chloe, behind. Ava is quickly taken under the wing of perky, popular Alexis, who insists that: a) she's a perfect match for handsome Ethan, and b) she absolutely must...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Hunger of Thorns
    WINNER: 2024 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Writing for Young Adults HONOUR BOOK: 2024 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers SHORTLISTED: 2024 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Young Adult Literature Selected as one of the Best Young Adult Books for 2023 - Readings Books 'Completely entrancing. I have never read anything like this book. It's full of magic - the real...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Green Valentine
    Short-listed: 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Award, Young Adult Fiction Green Valentine by Lili Wilkinson introduces readers to Astrid Katy Smythe, a character who embodies beauty, intelligence, and popularity. A straight-A student and a passionate environmental activist, Astrid seems almost perfect. In stark contrast, Hiro is everything Astrid is not. Slouchy, rude, and filled with resentment, Hiro is intellectually capable but...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Deep Is the Fen
    NOTABLE BOOK: 2025 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers SHORTLISTED: 2024 Best Young Adult Novel, Aurealis Awards Selected as one of the Best Young Adult Books of 2024 - Readings Books Deep Is the Fen follows Merriwether Morgan, who doesn't need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is: simple, happy,...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Boundless Sublime
    The Boundless Sublime follows the story of Ruby Jane Galbraith, a girl who feels empty and blames herself for the disintegration of her family. In the midst of her turmoil, she meets Fox, a gentle new friend who is wise, soulful, and clever, yet oddly naive about the ways of the world. Fox offers her understanding and a chance to...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Unhallowed Halls
    Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. She's too smart, too quiet, too weird. After the deadly incident that destroyed her only friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Agathion College is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven of wood-panelled halls and dusty books, on a remote Scottish moor. For...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Erasure Initiative
    I wake up, and for a few precious seconds I don't realise there's anything wrong. The rumble of tyres on bitumen, and the hiss of air conditioning. The murmur of voices. The smell of air freshener. The cool vibration of glass against my forehead. A girl wakes up on a self-driving bus. She has no memory of how she got...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Begin, End, Begin
    WINNER OF A 2018 BOOK OF THE YEAR ABIA Bestsellers. Award-winners. Superstars. This anthology has them all. With brilliantly entertaining short stories from beloved young adult authors Amie Kaufman, Melissa Keil, Will Kostakis, Ellie Marney, Jaclyn Moriarty, Michael Pryor, Alice Pung, Gabrielle Tozer, Lili Wilkinson, and Danielle Binks, this all-new collection will show the world exactly how much there is...
    By Amie Kaufman and Ellie Marney and Melissa Keil and Lili Wilkinson and Gabrielle Tozer and Will Kostakis and Michael Pryor and Danielle Binks and Jaclyn Moriarty
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Clancy the Quokka
    Here's Clancy the quokka. So friendly and charming.His innocent face is entirely disarming. Clancy the Quokka is super cute, but also has a super cheeky habit of raiding picnic food, so when he spots a magnificent birthday cake, how can he resist? After the mayhem he creates, will Clancy learn his lesson? A funny and thoroughly entertaining picture book featuring...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Hardback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Flummox: How to Make a Pet Monster 2
    Have you ever wanted a pet monster? If you are like me, the answer is no, because you think monsters don't exist. If you are like Willow, the answer is yes definitely. Willow and I found an ancient spell book called the Bigge Boke of Fetching Monsters, which shows you how to make real monsters. We made Hodgepodge, who's a...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $1899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Smidgen: How to Make a Pet Monster 3
    Have you ever wanted a pet monster?I definitely did NOT. Monsters sound DANGEROUS. But then Willow and I found the BIGGE BOKE OF FETCHING MONSTERS and we accidentally made Hodgepodge. He is my best friend. Then we made Flummox, but she went to live with our neighbour. So now Willow wants to try again. I think this is a BAD...
    By Lili Wilkinson
    Paperback
    $1899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Young Adult

View all
  • Song of the Saltings
    On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Eight years ago, it should have taken Lotta. Instead, the monster spared her and claimed her pony, shattering tradition and anointing her both folk hero and object of suspicion. Now...
    By Rachael King
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Tell Me with Kisses
    From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in the Tell Me series, where Kamila Hamilton is caught between the two Di Bianco brothers after they burst back into her life. From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in...
    By Mercedes Ron
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Release Me
    The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment. Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her...
    By Tahereh Mafi
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Language of Dragons
    The most exciting debut of 2025 – an incredible fantasy Dark Academia, perfect for fans of Babel, Fourth Wing, and the Scholomance trilogy. EVERY FIRE STARTS WITH A SINGLE SPARK. Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons. London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules,...
    By S. F. Williamson
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Shatter Me: Shatter Me series 1
    Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a gripping dystopian novel that plunges readers into a world where society is on the brink of collapse. At the heart of this chaos is Juliette, a 17-year-old girl with a fatal touch—literally. For 264 days, Juliette has been imprisoned in solitary confinement, her only crime being an accidental touch that resulted in death....
    By Tahereh Mafi
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cozy Corner
    Relax and unwind with this adorable colouring book – it’s time to get cozy! Step into a world of calm and comfort with Cozy Corner, featuring 45 beautiful hand-drawn pages ready for you to colour in. Settle into your very own cozy corner with these brand new colouring pages! This follow-up to Coco Wyo's beloved Little Corner promises a new...
    By Coco Wyo
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book): the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator of the Year
    When Bunny, Monkey and friends discover a glitch in reality, life gets even crazier than normal: Bunny declares himself The Woods' Magical Protector, Pig becomes a superspy, plus there's complete metal Monkey mayhem! Experience the laughs and chaos in Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book), the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator...
    By Jamie Smart
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Summer I Turned Pretty
    The Summer I Turned Pretty is now a major new TV series on Amazon Prime! If you loved The Kissing Booth and Jenny Han's smash-hit Netflix movie series To All the Boys I Loved Before, then you'll adore this gorgeously funny, romantic story! Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this....
    By Jenny Han
    Paperback
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is the New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that has captivated readers globally. Now adapted into a major BBC series, this intricately plotted and intensely gripping novel is being lauded as a modern classic in young adult literature. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an intelligent and determined high school student, is looking...
    By Holly Jackson
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Powerless
    OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! THE INSTANT NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON. ‘Nothing short of epic’ - Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls ‘A thrilling fantasy with the most delicious slow-burn romance’ - M.A. Kuzniar, bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood ‘[A] titillating debut’ - Publishers Weekly ‘A masterpiece’ - Goodreads Reader Review ‘Everyone needs to read it’ -...
    By Lauren Roberts
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
    Louise Rennison for the Dork Diaries generation - hilarious, relatable and full of heart. The first book in the hilarious new series for children by the bestselling creator of Hurrah For Gin. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks follows Lottie Brooks, who is 11 and feels like her life is already officially over. Not only is she about to...
    By Katie Kirby
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip
    The fourth book in this hilarious bestselling series full of friendship, family, and first experiences from the creator of Hurrah for Gin. Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments, and plenty of lols. Woe is me. So much...
    By Katie Kirby
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Young Adult lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all