The Butterfly and The Moth

By Tella Alvarez

The Butterfly and The Moth

A haunting new adult contemporary novel about identity, trauma, survival, and the dangerous ache of belonging.

Some people are born butterflies, delicate, admired, and effortlessly drifting through life beneath golden light. Others are moths, drawn to the fire even when they know it will destroy them.

Dahlia Monroe has spent her entire life surviving the dark. Raised in instability and shaped by trauma, she's learned that survival means expecting the worst, trusting no one, and never mistaking temporary warmth for safety.

But when a DNA test reveals a sister she never knew existed, Dahlia is pulled into the glittering world of Sapphire Cove, a coastal town built on wealth, beauty, and carefully constructed illusions. Suddenly surrounded by luxury, privilege, and a family that seems too perfect to be real, Dahlia finds herself trapped between two versions of herself: the girl she had to become to survive, and the one she might have been if life had been kinder.

Then there's Sterling Hale. Daisy's best friend. Sapphire Cove's golden boy. Beautiful, guarded, and impossible to read, Sterling sees through Dahlia in ways no one ever has before. As their connection deepens, Dahlia begins to realize that some people are drawn to each other for the same reason moths chase light: because sometimes the things that burn us feel the most like home.

Lyrical, emotionally raw, and atmospheric, The Butterfly and The Moth is a story about grief, class divides, identity, sisterhood, first love, and the invisible scars trauma leaves behind. Perfect for readers who love emotionally intense contemporary fiction with poetic prose, morally complex characters, and slow-burning emotional tension.

For fans of:

emotional new adult romancedark contemporary fictioncoming-of-age storiestrauma-informed character journeysatmospheric small-town dramadeeply emotional slow-burn romance

Content warning: This novel contains themes of trauma, violence, addiction, and sexual violence.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DYMQSXB3
• ISBN13: 9798312250244
• Release Date: February 2025
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 514 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.2" x 5.5"