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If Not Heaven Arc Reader Interest Form

If Not Heaven is an upcoming historical literary romance currently undergoing its final edit.

Set in East Prussia in 1908, it follows Father Markus Engel, a village priest for whom god has long since fallen silent, and Philomena von Richthofen, a woman who believes in almost anything except the god he claims to serve. Their meeting begins quietly, with shared conversations, difficult questions, and the kind of understanding that arrives before either of them realises they are in love.

The novel explores faith, doubt, vocation, loneliness, and the tension between conviction and desire. It is a slow-burn romance concerned less with grand gestures than with the quiet ways two people begin to change one another.

If Not Heaven is for readers who enjoy literary fiction, historical fiction, slow-burn romance, and stories that take faith and doubt seriously without offering easy answers.

Length: Approximately 80,000 words / 300 pages

Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) are expected to be available around October–November 2026. By completing this form, you'll be added to the list of readers interested in receiving an ARC when they become available.

Content Advisory: This novel contains themes of religion, faith and doubt, vocation, suicide and murder, as well as consensual sexual intimacy, including masturbation. Intimate scenes are written in a restrained, literary style.

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