“Sly, elegant and menacing, Rowan Beaird’s Tenderness is an intoxicating tale of love and danger, terror and deceit.” ―Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout
On a remote island off the coast of Virginia, family and friends gather to celebrate the wedding of Shay O’Connor and Andrew Pruitt. From the moment the guests arrive, all they can whisper about is the bride, who recently left the headline-making cult Synanon. Why would someone like Shay, an Ivy League graduate with a wealthy, doting fiancée, join Synanon? And has she really escaped their grasp?
Set in the tinderbox of the 1970s, Tenderness is a lit match, bringing hidden truths to light and asking if we can ever see ourselves or the people we love for who they truly are.
Coming July 21, 2026.