Very good romantasy book! Got me out of a read slump! Certainly one of the best of 2025, can’t wait to read the next one! Very good world construction and characters!

first, thank you so much to Del Rey and Netgalley for the eARC and finished copy!

3.75 stars rounded up to a 4!! ⭐️

Silver Elite is an addicting debut novel! I literally read it within 24 hours because once I picked it up, there was no way I could put it down!

I really enjoyed how fast paced it was, and I thought the plot was interesting and the writing style kept me entertained the entire time!

I just wish we got to see a little more of the romance between Wren and Cross develop. It felt a little bit too insta-lust for me and while this is the first book in a series so there is time for it to show, I was just looking for them to have more of an emotional connection on page.

I'm looking forward to book 2 (especially after that amazing ending, WOW!!) and I definitely recommend this book for readers who are looking for a steamy romance dystopian novel!

6 star read for me! I'm OBSESSED with this book! It was amazing! It gives you all the divergent nostalgia you could want while also having its own unique storyline. If you loved Four, you'll love Cross. He is everything. I loved Wren too! Their banter and tension is top tier! I loved the slow burn between them as well. I have nothing bad to say about this book!

Very much divergent x fourth wing military vibes. A little predictable. I was instantly hooked, but I did start to lose interest after 50%. The pacing slowed down.

I had a hard time connecting to the main character. She was immature and impulsive, and I was hoping for character growth because she's only 20, but her actions seemed to get worse as the story went on. I was getting frustrated. Hopefully, her character will grow in book 2.

The romance was very insta lust. And I did have an idea of where it was going.

***Spoiler***

After his identity was revealed, their connection was held together by their history. Which we get very little glimpses of throughout the story. I was hoping for more. I felt like we got more relationship development between her and Kaine.

Also, even though this is an adult dystopian romsnce, the characters read very young adult. This could be a result of the audiobook, however.🤷🏽‍♀️

The ending fell flat for me, too. It's probably because I guessed it but also because it's very similar to Divergent. I don't normally predict plot twists or revelations, but this felt too obvious.

Overall, there were some enjoyable moments. The first half was bingeable, and the world was easy to follow. I would still recommend depending on the person because this was entertaining and I had a good time.


•Dystopian
•Forbidden romance
•Hidden/secret identity
•Touch her and die
•Rebellion
•Psychic
•Easy world building

thank you, PRH audio, for the gifted audiobook and netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 3/5

Wren Darlington is an undercover Mod in plain sight. Her abilities? Her training & past? All hidden from the Primes who seek to eradicate her kind. When she’s thrown into the clutches of the very people who are hunting her, she is forced to join the military’s most elite Silver Block… with the hopes of taking the operation down from the inside. The main hurdle in her way is Cross Redden, her commanding officer and the man she can’t stop thinking about. A lack of trust, lies abound… will Wren be able to survive as the fox in the chicken coop?

This book was EVERYTHING I needed. I could barely function when I wasn’t reading it! All I did was think about it, talk about it and wish I was back in Dani Francis’ story. THE HYPE IS REAL WITH THIS ONE! The world building was fantastic, the FMC was such an incredible black-cat character I feel so hard for, and our MMC was so fun to try to figure out. The tension was tensioning, giving me all the tummy swooshes, footsie kicks and shimmies that I love in a fantasy romance. I hadn’t read a dystopian story in a while either, and this book reiterated how much fun I find a futuristic storyline! You have GOT to get your paws on this story, and I simply cannot wait to see where the story takes us next. THAT ENDING!?!?! LAWD HAVE MERCY I am shooketh!

What I Loved About This Story:
-Dystopian & military romance
-Enemies to lovers
-Undercover identities & espionage
-Incredible magic system & story build
-Verrrrry nice spicy spice!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via the publisher, but my review is all my own. I’m so grateful I was able to read this book early!!

7 ⭐️ this book was amazing. I truly loved every single chapter of it. From the first chapter I was completely hooked and in love with this book.

I am so happy that dystopian romances are back and this one is close to perfect. The perfect combination between sci-fi, high stakes, undercover identities and romance.

I love Wren even though she is so impulsive. I can’t wait to see what other problems she gets herself into, but not more than I love Cross and how crazy he is about her.

Thank you Net Galley and random house for providing me an arc of this book. Can’t wait for book 2!

Oh my goddd THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED. I've been in the biggest slump and have not been able to beg out of it until THIS BOOK. This book is everything I was looking for and hoping I could find.

The PLOT??? Obsessed is an understatement. Wren gets thrown into enemy territory and has to protect herself while training as a recruit with the people she hates the most. Not a single part of this book slowed down, lost my interest, had me wanting to put it down. I LOVED every single thing about the flow of this story.

Our FMC Wren? a total badass. Sure she makes impulsive decisions, who doesn't? I LOVE her character development and absolutely every single thing about her. Her abilities are unique and interesting, I love her friendships and how she is to the people she loves.

Comander Cross? The enemy? The man she should absolutely stay away from at all costs? Obsessed with him. I would absolutely FOLD for Cross Redden without hesitation. Sorry to my husband, rip, because he just became my new book boyfriend. I loved seeing the different sides or him throughout the book. At first you just see him as a bad person, someone who everyone is afraid of. But once you go through the story, there is so much more that you're not expecting. He ended up being one of my favorite MMC, and I hope there is so much more coming.

The TENSION between these two? Impeccable. I was holding my breath, my eyes blurred because I was trying to read every single encounter between them too fast because the chemistry between them is absolute *chef's kiss* obsessed. SWOON worthy. I could easily read ten books about these two characters and NEVER get tired of it.

I absolutely Devoured This book. I have not been this engrossed in a story in awhile,The twists and turns throughout this story is top tier. The last few chapters were so intense and so so good I cannot wait to see where this series goes.

If you are nostalgic for YA dystopian novels from the early 2010s but with an adult twist, this book is for you. I found Silver Elite was the perfect blend between Divergent and The Hunger Games - this is what Fourth Wing wishes it was. I could not put this book down and ate it right up, high stakes, witty banter and the perfect amount of romance.

My only criticism is I felt the plot went off the rails in the last 20-30% of the book. The main character Wren made some truly mind boggling stupid decisions that I felt completely undermined her actions from the entirety of the book. Her main goal her whole life has been survival and YET that was the last thing on her mind!

That being said, I did have fun reading this book and honestly, that is what I am currently looking for in what I decide to read. I am interested to see where the plot goes in the next book and am looking forward to the sequel. Fantastic debut!

I absolutely devoured this book! Wren Darlington and Cross Redden are my new Feyre and Rhysand. This book is my Roman Empire.

Wren Darlington is a witty, snarky, powerhouse of a FMC. Her internal monologue had me cackling at times and forever pining for the morally gray Cross Redden. There was also whisper of a love triangle that kept things interesting.

Silver Elite has a lot of the tried and true romantasy tropes, but it never feels tired. I’ll admit I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but I was so engrossed that I didn’t even mind. The anticipation was electrifying and the slow-burn was everything. I’ll say it again, Cross Redden is my new Rhysand.

What really stuck out to me was the almost Orwellian atmosphere Francis created in this book. It was evocative and haunting, and pretty timely in my opinion. It’s safe to say I am fully on the Silver Elite train and cannot wait for book 2!

Read. This. Book.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey & Random House Worlds for the gifted eARC!

I went into this completely blind, and my goodness did it blow my mind! I DEVOURED IT (yes that’s right CAPS).

It had been a hot minute since I’d read a dystopian romance and it did not disappoint. I’ve seen some describe it as a dystopian romantasy, but for me, it more gave PNR vibes!

Perfect if you love:
• dystopian
• unique powers
• forced proximity
• slow burn
• enemies to lovers
• alpha hero
• badass & capable FMC

… & so much more that I can’t share without risk of spoilers!

At no point in the story did I know what was happening next, and I LOVE that in a book. It took me by surprise in the best way.

I really enjoyed both the MMC & FMC. He was broody, badass, and incredibly schmexy. She was clever, capable, and sassy! The slow burn was delicious, and when it combusted GOOD LAWD 🔥.

Anyway I HIGHLY recommend it to all my romantasy/PNR friends, because I think it’s one that will hook you all in!

Available in all formats & audio!

Thanks to @hambright_pr , @penguinrandomhouse , @delreybooks & @authordanifrancis for the advanced copy!

2.75⭐️

i’m happy that a lot of people are loving this book, sadly, i just wasn’t one of them.

the plot had some interesting moments, but overall it felt pretty predictable. that’s not always a bad thing, but in this case it often made things feel anticlimactic. either what i expected to happen happened, or something that seemed like it would be a big deal just got brushed aside way too quickly.

the characters felt pretty one dimensional to me, and i struggled to either root for them or feel anything against them. i was just kind of indifferent, even when big life or death situations happened — and that’s not a great feeling when you’re supposed to be invested. their relationships didn’t really pull me in either. most of them felt kind of shallow, especially between the MC and the love interest. from the beginning it was very instant physical attraction, which i’m not personally a fan of. the love interest was supposed to be mysterious, but to me he just felt kind of dull and lacked real personality.

the writing style also wasn’t for me, i found myself getting secondhand embarrassment more than once. the moments that were meant to be “hot” just made me cringe. a few memorable quotes from the love interest include: “i like it rough.” “you’d make a terrible whore, dove.” and “i’ve been a bad boy.”

on a more positive note, i did have fun here and there while reading. the world itself seemed interesting, and while the execution didn’t fully work for me, i can appreciate the concept. i think this could turn into a series that a lot of people will enjoy — even if it just didn’t click with me.

thank you to hambright PR and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a bingeable and amazing book! I want to binge the series, but I can't because it's not finished, yet. But can't wait to get to the books as they release.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review. This book is super addicting and is The new Fourth Wing. Cross is my new book boyfriend!

4.5⭐️

If you love series like Divergent, Shatter Me and Fourth Wing, then you need to read Silver Elite. As someone who loved the dystopian genre as a teenager, I had the best time reading this book. The tension and yearning were stop tier and the meet cute was so good (iykyk). I absolutely loved the commander/recruit dynamic and you’ll love Cross if you are a fan of MMCs like Four (Divergent) and Xaden (Fourth Wing). The story was exciting from start to finish and that ending was so intense! I cannot wait to get the next book!

What to expect:
🩶 Adult Dystopian
🩶 Hidden Powers
🩶 Forbidden Romance
🩶 Commander x Recruit
🩶 Military College

Thank you to Dani Francis, Del Rey and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not gonna lie, the first few chapters of Silver Elite had me a little worried. The beginning felt clunky, with a lot of world info thrown at me all at once, and I wasn’t quite sure I was going to settle into it. But somewhere around the 10% mark, things clicked—and from there, I was hooked.

Wren, our main girl, is hiding a dangerously illegal psychic power in a world where being “Modified” is basically a death sentence. She ends up forced into the military training program of her enemies, and instead of keeping her head down, she decides to play the long game and sabotage them from the inside. Bold move. I respect it. Her commanding officer, Cross, is the perfect storm of grumpy, lethal, and reluctantly intrigued—which, of course, makes for delicious tension. The banter? Elite. The slow burn? Painfully good.

The worldbuilding leans “just enough” rather than deeply immersive, and I would’ve loved a little more detail about how the society got to this point. But even with that, Dani Francis nails the pacing and character dynamics. Wren’s internal struggle between her past, her mission, and the very real connections she’s forming is what makes the story shine. She’s not just surviving—she’s choosing who she wants to be, and I ate that up.

This one’s for fans of psychic powers, military secrets, and forbidden attraction. It’s got that gritty, high-stakes vibe with a soft, beating heart underneath. I’ll 100% be reading the sequel.

4.75 ⭐️

I actually really liked this!!

So the cover was giving me Red Queen, Shatter Me, Hunger Games vibes - but I thought this dystopian stood on its own really well and honestly didn’t have too much in common with those series, so it felt very refreshing!

It was fast-paced and sometimes a little predictable, but other parts were quite shocking. I’m really looking forward to what comes next for all of these characters!

The romance was pretty insta list from the get go, HOWEVER that aspect didn’t overwhelm the plot imo and the romance itself went at such a lovely pace and felt so realistic.

The end of the book really gave me Mockingjay vibes (iykyk) so I really don’t know what to expect for the next book and where this series will go!

—

Thank you to NetGalley, Delray, & Random House for the ARC!

—

**** I wish the author had put a bit more thought/meaning behind writing a dystopian book specifically. I feel like novels in this genre should be, and usually are, written to comment on the world/society and its problems/injustices. So it’s disappointing that the author’s only apparent inspiration for her book was that she was craving a spicy, dystopian story 🙃 https://www.instagram.com/p/DJUTCGxKWhY/?img_index=1&igsh=MWhyZXRlM2JwcXl2YQ==

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♥️

Are you looking for your next book obsession?! You’ll want to check this one out!

OMG, YOU GUYS!!! The way this book is about to become my entire personality lol. 😍 I ateeeee this book up. I’m calling it now, it’s going to be the next big thing. It is my new favorite book of the year!

Okay, so this one is an adult dystopian romance full of secret identities, hidden & forbidden psychic abilities, an enemies-to-lovers forbidden romance with sizzling chemistry, banter, action, twists, an elite military training program, secrets, scheming, squad dynamics, rebellion, and more. I feel like I talk a lot about MMCs typically and I did love Cross (he’s cocky, smug, jealous, protective, and has secrets), but for this book, I have to talk about the FMC. Wren is bold, fierce, resilient, smart, and powerful. I thought she was a great FMC! I enjoyed reading about her wrestling with her morality when it came to her powers as well her stance on things when it came to the Command versus the Uprising. I love when a book explores that there are good and bad people on both sides of a war and how the lines between right and wrong can easily become blurred. This is something this book did really well! 

This book was fast-paced and high-stakes. The world building was well-done and smoothly incorporated (no info dumping). The psychic abilities are so interesting! (I’ve always been fascinated with that type of thing ever since watching Xmen when I was a kid). The writing and the storytelling were so engaging. It had me eagerly flipping the pages to find out what came next.

If you liked Divergent (but wanted it more adult) and/or Fourth Wing (and are okay with it not having dragons lol) and/or you enjoyed the forbidden magic and cat-and-mouse dynamics in The Crimson Moth, I really think you’ll love this book! Given that Fourth Wing and The Crimson Moth Duology are two of my personal favorites and this one had similar vibes to those in some ways, I absolutely devoured this book! It’s a new favorite for sure!

Thank you so much to Dani Francis, Hambright PR, Del Ray, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review! 🫶

"We spent our whole lives loving each other from a distance. We can do it for a little while longer."

This book literally had me hooked from the first chapter, I could not put it down. Wren was such an interesting character; she was very flawed and made some bad decisions, but she usually had good intentions or a justified reason for her actions. I mean she basically had no one she could trust, which had to feel so isolating.

Wren and Cross had some insane chemistry. Like they hated each other, but they mostly hated how badly they wanted each other.

There were a few betrayals that I was not expecting, but they did make sense, even though they made me sad.

One of the most interesting parts of the book was the way the modifieds were able to communicate with each other. It just added a layer of fantasy elements and gave more insights into the other characters. And the fact that she had to go through and remain undetected really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

books with similar vibes: shatter me, trial of the sun queen, red queen

you should read if you like/tropes: enemies to lovers, dystopian, secret powers, betrayal

full ratings:

plot: 5/5⭐
fmc: 5/5⭐
mmc: 5/5⭐
side characters: 4/5⭐
pace: 4/5⭐
writing style: 5/5⭐
relationship progression: 5/5⭐
couple’s chemistry: 5/5⭐
worldbuilding: 5/5⭐

spice level: 3/5🌶️
rating average: 5⭐

Infinity freaking stars! This book is my new Roman Empire—I cannot stop thinking about it. Silver Elite reignited my love for dystopian romantasy in the best possible way. The slow burn? Chef’s kiss. The tension had me kicking my feet, and the emotional stakes kept rising with every page. Without spoiling too much, there’s a whisper of found family on the horizon, and the ending? I’m still picking my jaw up off the floor. I devoured this masterpiece and didn’t want it to end. A solid 10/10—highly, highly recommend.

This was like X-men meets Divergent with spice. Well freaking done!

Of course, thank you first and foremost to the publisher and author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. 
Silver Elite is a story about a girl named Wren who possess psychic powers that she has to hide from the government that is actively working to get rid of "modified" people as they are called. She leads a pretty ordinary life until the day she shots an improbable shot that saves the life of a village kid. From that moment on Wren is thrust into the very military that she has been hiding from her entire life, under the watchful eye of the gorgeous general's son. See where I'm going with this? 
In any case, the story overall was pretty entertaining. It gave a lot of the YA academia love vibes. Definitely gave off Divergent vibes. I'm not really sure if this is a YA book or just straight up Romance/ Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There were definitely steam scenes that make me think definitely romance but at certain points the FMC felt very immature to me which gave off the YA vibes. Certain points in the book were also a bit predictable. But hey, if the formula works, why fuck with it right? 
Overall, I'm not mad at it. I'm definitely excited for book 2 and yes, I think it's worth the read.