**Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC**

Honestly, the only thing I can really say about this book is that I am disappointed. It has such promise from the first third - the characters were intriguing, the world seemed interesting to dive into, and the plot seemed really cool too. However, the world building is what really killed the experience for me. I've read the entire book and still am confused about a lot of things with the world (the differences between Starvein and Xolani with what makes Keepers entirely different). There's a lot about the setting itself that wasn't clear either, like how the Sanctuary is set up and the school overall. The ending was also fairly predictable but honestly, that would've been entirely overlooked if it weren't for the lack of world building. 3 stars for the promise of what could've been :')

I couldn’t get into this at all, the ideas are incredible, but I just couldn’t get on with it, I’m not sure if it was the writing style or what, it just wasn’t for me unfortunately

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!

This is a fast paced romantasy read that had me hooked from the start. I enjoyed this story, the characters were intriguing. There is some spice as well but it doesn't go to far so seemed more ya. There are some twists so that helps keep it going along to. I can see this story progress more and I'm excited for the next one.It was an enjoyable fantasy book!

I really enjoyed the concept of this story, but I wanted so much more.

It definitely reads as a young adult book more so than a new adult book in my opinion. The characters were rather juvenile, heavy topics, such as the fmc’s past, were mostly skimmed over and mentioned as little tokens, and the writing was rushed.

With more attention to detail and more development, I would’ve absolutely adored this book.

📖 Book Review 📖
Keeper Of Scarlet Petals
A.N. Skye

I had high hopes for this book and I enjoyed the first half quite a bit but around the 40% mark my enjoyment had dwindled somewhat. That may be partly due to my personal preference of the story feeling rushed and what I believe crucial world building glided over.

Apart from those miner complaints I enjoyed the banter between the main characters and how the friendships are formed/grow. There was some mild spice and tension between the two MCs but in my opinion it was lacking.

I received a ARC of this book via netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely honest and my own.

Thankyou to @Netgalley for gifting me the first book as an ARC 💖

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me access to this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

« Agh. I hate this. Why couldn’t stabbing things just fix all my problems? »

Rating: 3 ⭐️
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Format: ARC Ebook
Pages: 364
Spice: 1 🌶️
POV: Third POV
S/S: book #1
Check trigger warnings for any book

Being a Keeper sounds like being a nanny for rich adults, what a nightmare.

I’ll say that I did enjoy Jasmine as our main character, even though we don’t know much more about her from the beginning to the end of the story. She’s bad at being a Keeper, she’s good with her sword, she comes from the gutters and she has something else going on with her. Nothing evolved.

Asher follows the same fate, other than the reveal we have at the beginning which creates the plot, nothing else evolves.

Lydia might be my favorite and we barely see her. And Pina lolll

Plot-wise, it’s quite predictable. Nothing was very surprising. As for the world-building… Other than the Sanctuary and one history lesson that wasn’t very clear, we don’t know anything of this world. The magic system was confusing as well. The Starvein and the Xolani? Their differences weren’t clear…

The romance was fine at best. A rivals to friends to lovers? It felt very sudden and just a « well might as well make them lovers since they’re stuck together » and not a thought-out relationship.

So overall, the writing was enjoyable, however, the story wasn’t outstanding, nor was the romance. I don’t think I’ll pick up book two.

Favorite quotes (MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS):

« The first and final steps in the path of a Keeper were death. Their order was not one of glory, nor was it one of joy. »

« You can’t read my mind. You aren’t Starvein, so you don’t have any magic in you. You’re just a competent asshole. »

« Tomorrow’s match will be fun. That match never came. »

« Silver eyes. You are a Xolani. »

« Failure was impossible. It wasn’t - it couldn’t be an option. »

« This is assistance. I’m giving you advice. » « Telling me to stop being bad at something is not advice. » « That kind of just sounds like an excuse to keep being bad. » « How is this meant to make me feel better? » « It’s not. It’s advice. »

« Just because I don’t know how to fly doesn’t mean I can’t point out when a bird is drunk. »

« Truce, but it’s going to mean you’ll have to try not to be insufferable for too much of the day. » « Please don’t make unreasonable demands. »

« He nodded to the pan, and Jasmin tried to pretend she wasn’t vividly aware of the warmth of his hand against hers. »

« Let’s head back to my room and see if you can manage to stress me out enough to force my magic to awaken, shall we? »

« Pain can be overcome. Broken bones can be surpassed. Your mind must not break. »

« It was wrong, but he couldn’t pull his gaze away. She was beautiful - but not as beautiful as she was when she was awake and smiling. »

« For now, all he could do was lie there and try not to feel too guilty about how much he was enjoying the feeling of Jasmine beside him. »

« You are drawing magic from the Xolani. Congratulations. You have found a new way to disappoint me. »

« Ask before you touch her. She’s not your student. She’s my Keeper. »

« Watcher help me, I think I’ve fallen for Asher. »

« You’re mine. I’m your Keeper, remember? » « I’d never even think about forgetting it. »

« Maybe you would be better suited to cleaning toilets. You have the intelligence of a steamed rat. The gutters grew smarter on the day you left. »

« If you stress about something you can’t control, you only suffer twice. »

« Yes, Jas. I passed. Qien judged that the three of us defeating an assassin was slightly more difficult than fighting another Keeper. »

« Rougher. I don’t need protection. »

« That’s very… romantic of you. » « What can I say? I’m a pretty fantastic person. »

Leena - Leena.reader review - @leena.reader on tiktok and instagram

I just finished and for me personally this book had everything to be good but it didn't hit me like I thought really, it does have magic, not properly a world building but people with magic who have keepers to help them, like protetores sadly I didn't understand the Scarlet Petals thing or why it is associated.. Again I had high hopes for this book and I did liked Jasmine and Asher but the story didn't hit me like I thought, I really saw it very very predictable

2⭐️1🌶️
I only finished this book because I received it from NetGalley and I am grateful that I did. This book was in the best way I can stated it…just ok.

I really liked the idea of the story. Close proximity friends help each other fight off assassins to keep each other safe. The fighting scenes were the only things I enjoyed reading as it seemed to finally come together during those points. I also liked a strong FMC.
However the chemistry fell flat, the world building wasn’t enough, and the first person thoughts to 3rd person restatements grew exhausting. It was really hard to stay focused with our FMC mental triads.

Not a lot of swearing and super simplistic writing makes it okay for an older YA but not my cup of tea for sure.

This book really surprised me. I thought the concept was really cool and I breezed through this book. This book read more like a young adult fantasy book with mininmal spice. This series has so much potential and I would like to read the next book to see where it goes! I loved Asher and Jasmine and I think their relationship could be built even stronger in the next book.

“The first and final steps in the path of a Keeper were death.”

"Pain can be overcome.
Broken bones can be surpassed. Your mind must not break."

This book was unexpected. I have to admit that I came into it completely blind, without any previous idea of what to expect. And I was pleasantly surprised!!! A fantasy book with Keepers and people with magic, it is perfect for people who loved Vampire Academy but without vampires!!! In a rivals to lovers, forced proximity, reverse grumpy sunshine fantasy romance story, Asher and Jasmine will have to figure out what’s happening when his life is put on the line. And when more secrets and plot twists were uncovered, I found myself very intrigued by the possible consequences of it all. the magic system is interesting and the plot development sparked my curiosity enough to keep me focused on the action and the turns of events. The main characters were good and their dynamics (both with one another and with other people) were fun and enjoyable. There were some quite entertaining romantic scenes (some spicier than the other) that I appreciated and liked more than I should have. And the ending made me feel like I need book two now!!! Overall, I’m really glad I had a chance to read this !!

"If you stress about something you can't control, you only suffer twice."

"If you don't have something in life worth fighting for, then you have nothing worth winning for."

Thank you to A.N Skye, Aethon Books and NetGalley for giving me a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

The overall plot of this book was intriguing but the character relationships lacked a lot of foreground, and the lack of world building was a big let down. I would’ve preferred to know more about the King, the Kingdom and the way the Starvein/Keeper system was set up. I really enjoyed the magic system- although this did get confusing towards the end of the book.

I would’ve also liked to see more of the Asher and Jasmine dynamic before the events of the book started. To me it read as though they were just sparring partners which then jumped to an all-consuming love that came out of nowhere?

The book read more like a YA fantasy than a new adult fantasy, and the spicy scenes added very little substance to the character’s relationship growth

.

I think this book had a lot of potential, and I would defintely keep reading the series.
I feel like the magic system here was really unique and I loved learning all the intricate little details involved.
The characters were very cute together. Unfortunately, I feel like the pacing was off in the book and around the middle I started to get bored.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I’d like to thank NetGalley and blank for allowing me to read this book before its release in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure where to begin. The bones of the book are good, but I need a lot more elaboration.

Our FMC, Jasmine, grew up on the streets of Whitewater Kingdom until she was saved by the king and brought to Sanctuary and given the opportunity to join and train as a Keeper. Keepers are trained to basically be bodyguards for Starveins when they are called upon by the king. Starveins are the members of nobility that possess magic and they also study at the Sanctuary to fine tune their magic when they come of age.

All Jasmine focuses on is the fighting aspect of her training, constantly sparring with a guy named Asher, who mysteriously leaves the Keeper program and no one knows why. Jasmine is furious as she just lost her sparring partner, but is called upon to be a Keeper for a lesser Starveins whose family was just murdered. She’s not even through her first year of training, but is told she must leave and will have to continue her studies along the way.

Turns out, Asher is the lesser Starvein whose family was murdered. Jasmine is furious and happy that her friend didn’t just disappear without a goodbye, but why didn’t he mention he was a Starvein? Why was his family murdered? Your guess is as good as mine for the latter.

Jasmine and Asher go from friends to lovers as they try to navigate this new obstacle together. Asher can only use his magic when him and Jasmine have physical contact.

Assassins continue to turn up from a group called the Last Light.

Professors are of no help and are super sus the whole time. You never know who is really involved.

This book was fast paced, but too fast paced as I feel a lot of information was left out and not in a good way. I have more questions than answers and it doesn’t really seem to be making sense.

Scarlet petals are never mentioned and basically Asher’s family is killed because their bloodline was more resistant to magic than others and the Last Light wanted to take their souls???

Ending seemed super rushed and just all over the place. Not sure I will be reading the second book whenever it comes out as I had trouble following along in this one.

Keeper of the Scarlet Petals - A.N. Skye.

“To be a Keeper is to dedicate one’s life – and heart – to protecting another.”.

Written with a dual POV this book follows Asher a Starvain mage and his keeper in training Jasmine former rivals who are forced together to act as bait.

With the forced proximity this slow burn romance will have you will have you rooting for their relationship from the start. With the story unfolding captivating us as we start to understand the cursed magic which they must defeat together, we one will tell if they will survive the path they have been dealt.

The first book in a new romantasy series I am interested to see how the story continues for these characters.

Keeper of the Scarlet Petals was three stars for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

This book has a lot of promise and some readers may really enjoy it. It started out really well and held my interest. However, it kind of fell flat for me. The world building was a little flat for me. And the characters were a little too one dimensional. The story was great though!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. It took awhile for me to get through the book because it took a lot for me to keep interested. For a starting author it wasn't bad.

Have you been missing Harry Potter? Hunger Games? Wynx Club!
.
.
This you need to read!
Theres so much magic, a little complicated, but we tangle it along with the protagonists as they figure out why their lives are being turned upside down!
Jasmine, Jas, comes from living off the streets, she was chosen by the King to train as a Keeper( ones in charge of protecting Nobles).
Asher, a former keeper gets plucked from his old life after his family is murdered to train as a Starvein ( Nobles with magical Prowess)
We navigate the tumultuous waters with these two as they figure out their new roles, together and apart, make new friends, deftly deal with assassins and crazy Professors in their quest to survive!
PS! I loved that she thought that the oil required to cook an egg would be almost half a litre! Abysmal cook as I am too!!

Being a Keeper means you’ve trained and put down your entire heart and soul to protect high ranked people. It’s what Jasmine wanted to do since she’s escaped the slums on the street and learn to master sword arts in class. She had a tough past, and being assigned the role of a Keeper to Asher after an incident within his family, her rival, have proven how powerful she really is. I really like to see how a woman is represented as a “guardian” for a
man and her skills in protection him really shows how strong and smart she is, and even though they’re rivals, she makes sure he’s always safe and well taken care of around him 🥹. Yes it’s her job to do but with all the banter I love to see this soft side of her checking up on him and all. Who wouldn’t?

The mystery and magic gives the story a big push and the reader learning the magic system, as well as Jasmine and Asher, is really interesting. Both working together to figure it all out is within the twists and turns of the dark side of the story is really sweet and it’s a big step for them to actually understand and get to know each other. I’m a sucker for forced proximity and the story has really gripped on to it which I looveee to see!

Although I couldn’t quite connect with Asher. I mean, he’s really sweet and funny. He’s the one who knows how to make Jasmine take an extra deep breath through all of it, but other than that it wasn’t something special about it. The love part was a bit rushed as well and even though this story is said to be NA, it had more elements of YA the more I read. It didn’t put me off though and I still enjoyed the story. So if you’re more of an YA reader I would totally recommend this!

Thank you NetGalley and A.N. Sky for the eArc 🤍

“Think, and determine who you are. Because, if you do not, all you will ever be is the woman you were.”

The description of this book caught my interest immediately! I love a fantasy book with a strong FMC and a slow burn romance. I thought it was interesting that the story was about a woman who was assigned to protect a man, when generally it’s written the other way around.

I had high hopes and I really wanted to like this book, but I lost interest a little less than half way through.

First of all, this book is listed as a NA and it felt very young adult. Other than the spice, everything felt very typical of the YA genre. The characters lacked depth, and their interactions come across as juvenile. I didn’t find myself particularly drawn to any of them, and I honestly didn’t really care what happened to them. We are told very little about their pasts, and even the things mentioned are pretty vague.

The world building is simplistic, which can be nice at times, but I don’t think the reader is given enough of a description to imagine it well. I was left confused about how the kingdom functioned, where exactly the Sanctuary was in relation to everything else, and even how the magic system worked. The characters would come to a conclusion about something (like the siphon or how their magic was connected), and I just didn’t understand the reasoning behind it.

I was also left underwhelmed by the romance. It happened very quickly. She didn’t have any romantic feelings towards this guy, then all of a sudden she is like “I love him” and two seconds later they are ripping each other's clothes off and saying “you’re mine.” It had no emotional impact for me.

I think there is potential for this story as the series continues, but based on the first book I don’t feel inclined to read the sequel.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not sure how this book got to this point but it is full of errors. That aside, the writing is unfortunately atrocious. Interesting premise but needs serious work.