Aether Spirit — Cecilia Dominic

Forgetting her is impossible. Remembering him could kill her.

When Chadwick Radcliffe arrives at Fort Daniels to assume the position of medical chief, the prejudice against his mixed heritage is no surprise. But he never expected to encounter the one woman who's beyond his reach-medically and emotionally. A steamcart accident stole three years of Claire McPhee's memories, and now as she helps soldiers cope with combat-related neuroses, she secretly hopes to find the key to filling that gaping hole. There's something vaguely familiar about Dr. Radcliffe, but every time she comes close to determining why, he pushes her away-and her hypnosis-induced memory blocks explode with pain. Chadwick knows the Eros Element can heal, but its unintended side effects are too dangerous to risk using it to bring Claire's memories out of the shadows. But with the key to the Union's victory buried in Claire's mind, Chadwick and Claire are forced to push past the boundaries others have placed on them-even if rediscovering their love risks their lives.

Warning: Vast amounts of Victorian mental health geekery and copious amounts of tea were poured into the writing of his book. No matter how pretty the aether is, the author cautions readers not to try using it to manipulate others' emotions. The side effects could be atrocious.