Nettie Hogan, aka Lily

Nettie Hogan — Known as Lily at the Pearl, the upscale gambling hall and brothel in Never — seems to glide effortlessly through the high-society world of gilded poker tables and expensive perfume. She’s a strikingly beautiful young woman with dark eyes that seem to hold the secrets of the whole town. Beneath her polished exterior, however, lies a heart that yearns for something more than the fleeting touches and whispered promises of men who don’t know her real name.

Though she’s carved out a place for herself in the Pearl’s glittering world, Nettie is no mere object of desire. She’s an artist at her core, with a mind full of stories, poems, and dreams of a love far more real than any she’s experienced. Her passions are hidden behind the mask of Lily, but she carries them with her always: The deep ache for romance, for a connection that isn’t bought or bargained for.