3.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you TOR, Netgalley, and Jennifer K. Lambert for the ARC!

Never the Roses had a really interesting premise but the lower rating is due to the pacing.

While I really did enjoy the story, it just felt slow until the last 20% I liked that this was a different take on the romantasy genre but I think there needs to be a little more plot to build this story up. I don't mind a slow burn at all so that was fine and I liked the banter between the main characters.

The ending was an emotional rollercoaster and after that I will definitely be picking up the next book! I look forward to seeing how this plays out.

Oneira has retired from working with her queen and has now become bored. She wants to read something new and remembers that her nemesis, her enemy Stearanos Stormbreaker, has an amazing library, and decides to travel there through Dream to reach his library and decides to take his current read on cultivation of a particular rose.

Stearanos awakens and knows someone was in his home. He realizes his book was taken and leaves a note knowing this thief will return and he’s determined to outwit them and catch them and find out who it is that could get past his wards and keep him asleep.

Thus, starts a game between two of the most powerful sorcerers out there trying to outwit each other and maybe fall in love?

This book is not what I expected. Or it is, but took a moment to get where I wanted it and expected it to get to.

The first I would say 40% is rather slow. It’s a lot of Oneira and her inner thoughts, what she’s doing while retired and meeting her creature/animal companions. And when I say slow, I mean sloooow. It took awhile to get into the actual story I felt like, and once we did at the 40% mark, it got much more interesting.

And once it go interesting, it got interesting and fun! I adored the banter between the two of them. I loved how there’s a clear connection between them, but Oneira being the stubborn one she is refuses to accept it. I thought Stearanos, for being such a grump actually came off as super kind and romantic and I fell in love with him. The romance is devastatingly romantic, and dare I say a tragic forbidden one? Ah it was so good. I love a good slow burn romance with an untraditional ending. It just stirs the emotions and the heart and I loved every moment of it.

There’s also more happening outside of their bubble with a war happening and the two of them trying to prevent it, but the book primarily focused on the two of them and their romance.

There definitely is a world in this book and I wish we could have explored it more and learned about it more because there was a lot of interesting things mentioned and people, and gods/goddesses and I wanted more or to understand it. It’s obviously a fantasy romance versus a romance fantasy. The focus is solely on the romance really. Which I loved, but it would be neat to read more stories from this world. Plus, I loved the magic system and wanted more of that too, or who the creatures were, more detail on them.

Overall, if you get past that hump at the start, it’s a wonderfully romantic story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed Never the Roses—it was a fresh, engaging fantasy with just the right mix of tension! What stood out the most for me was the banter between Oneira and Stearanos; their dynamic brought so much life to the story! Their interactions felt natural, with just enough spark to keep me invested in every conversation. The world-building was solid, and the pacing kept me turning pages. Overall, it was a satisfying and memorable read! Thank you, NetGalley!

I went into this completely blind having applied for the ARC on Netgalley for the blurb. I was expecting the romantasy type of book I'm used to, but this was definitely not at all what I imagined. Never the Roses is a different almost cozy type story with an elitist world and older MCs that I found refreshing given characters continue to be in their late teens/early 20s. I enjoyed the world building, animal companions, and magic system; however, I felt the plot was lagging. I wasn't invested until 2/3rds of the way through, but I felt that it had to do with the 3rd person POV. The ending felt rushed and sudden, which I think could have been fleshed out better had their been more progress within the book rather than at the end. If you're looking for a romantasy that feels a little bit like Wooing the Witch Queen but nontraditional characters with a slow pace, this book is for you.

✨Tropes✨
⭐️ Magical Familiars
🌙 Letters
💫 Morally Grey MCs
⭐️ Cottagecore
🌙 Dreaming, but Magic
💫 Tragic Romance

I was really excited to get in to this book. The story sounded amazing. But unfortunately it just didn't do it for me.
I felt like the author left much to the imagination. There could have been much more descriptive detail. The two MCs fell in love but hardly had any interaction in my opinion. The concept of the story was great and I think that it had a lot of potential but I just wasn't impressed.

To start, this book has an absolutely gorgeous cover that immediately caught my attention. I went into this book completely blind and based solely on the cover, so I was surprised by how cozy this was. That’s not to say that there aren’t stakes in this story, but the cozy nature of it makes it not feel as dire. It’s also a slower paced book, and I have love/hate relationships with slow paced books. I love the back and forth between the two MCs especially the secret library visits. Additionally, both characters were interesting and well developed. I really appreciate the care Lambert gave to the FMC as she struggled with moving forward after choices she made during the war. It’s easy to see why she craved a different life. I also appreciated how direct the MMC was. Fair warning, the ending will leave you shattered and wanting for more. The audiobook for this was truly magical. I binge read it in one sitting, and loved that separate narrators were used to voice the different POVs. I was especially impressed by Chloe Campbell — the FMC is so complex and Campbell nailed her character. Both narrators brought clear narration that was engaging and easy to follow. I would definitely recommend the audiobook for this.

This was such a beautiful surprise. I will admit I at first was not drawn into the book yet the more I read the more invested I became. Oneira’s journey and redemption arc I am personally living for. I love Stearanos and Oneira’s interactions are both witty and humorous. If you love a fun romance arc this book is for you. If you are looking for mass magic or a battle this book doesn’t quite have that but for me personally that did not take away at all from this beautiful story.
Thank you to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I will be making my book club read this, I seriously had the BEST time with this. The vibes were perfect and the balance between plot and romance was just my type.

Thank you to Bramble and Jennifer for entrusting me with an early copy!

Multiple POV, romantic tragedy, mythical animal companions, secret romance, tragic pasts, attempts to stop war, dreaming magic, unique approaches to magic, driving your nemesis nuts, library and gardening nerds, betrayal, world where magic users are indentured

Oneira has retired and built herself a home away form everything. She just wants to be left alone and stay far, far away from war and her past. In a world where magic users are bought as children and tied with impossible to break contracts, she has been forced to do horrific things and treasures her freedom. But besides her mythical animal companions that appeared to live with her, she is quite lonely. And bored. One day she decides to somewhat recklessly waltz into the fantastic library of her theoretical nemesis, Stearanos, and poke at him. This sets off a delightful back and forth that ends up with him finding her. But war is on the horizon again as Stearanos' king and prince get greedy with Oneira no longer guarding her previous queen. What will Oneira do when faced with the choice of getting involved to try to save lives?

O.M.G. This was a slower paced book just based off the cozy start and retired lifestyle, but it still packed a huge emotional punch! It was beautifully written and the magic was so interesting in the different ways Oneira and Stearanos approach it. I also adored these two picking back and forth at each other, it was the absolute best. I felt allll the things and ended this one in tears. I'm so excited for the next book!!

I just finished this book and I’m not okay. I cried through the end and then just sat there like… wow. I haven’t felt this kind of emotional punch from a book since Blood Over Bright Haven, and that one wrecked me too.

This is one of those quiet books that sneaks up on you. I saw the Goodreads rating was sitting around 3.75 and went digging to see why, because I adored this. What I found was a lot of DNF reviews saying it was too slow. The pacing, for me, was part of what made it so good. It’s immersive and reflective. It lingers in emotion and grief and guilt and longing. It felt almost cozy at times, even though it’s about some really heavy stuff.

The main character, Oneira, is a former battle sorceress who’s done horrific things in service to her queen. She’s finally bought her freedom and just wants to disappear. That’s where the story begins, with someone who’s spent her life breaking things trying to figure out if she’s even allowed to rest. That hit me hard. She isn’t written as sweet or haunted by a tragic backstory. She’s deeply flawed. She questions whether she’s even a person worth loving. I loved her for that.

Reading about older characters in a romantasy made such a difference for me. As a middle-aged reader, it felt like someone finally wrote a story that spoke to where I am in life. The romance here is quiet and intense. There’s one scene that I highlighted like five pages of because the emotion was so raw and beautifully written. It was one of the most emotionally intimate things I’ve ever read.

The writing is gorgeous. The author doesn’t hold back on vocabulary. I had to look up a few words, but I loved that. The prose is rich and layered without ever feeling heavy. I stayed fully engaged the whole way through.

The ending broke me. I cried hard. I’ve heard the author already has a sequel written, and I’m holding on to that like a lifeline because I’m not ready to leave this world or these characters behind.

If you’re into character-driven fantasy that leans into emotional depth and slow unraveling, this one is something special.

The pacing in the first half of Never the Roses is what brought my rating down, and in this reader's opinion, much of it suffered from telling us too much without telling us much at all. I believe that if we had gotten right to Oneria's and Stearanos's rivalry, and then their romance, it would have benefited this story immensely. Instead, from the start, we get much of Oneria's retirement from war-making, and I get it, we did need some type of back story, BUT immersing readers into a slow-paced write-up of Oneria's daily life after she left her Queen was not it.

Also, we don't get much interaction between these two until late in the book, and their romance moves extremely fast. As I said earlier, I would have appreciated more interactions between them from the start, as they both are likable characters. Both are tired of "warring" for their respective kingdoms. Oneira, however, was able to "get out" of her contract, whereas Stearano's wasn't. By speeding their romance along, it convoluted the subplot of Oneira being dragged back to the very thing she left, and it all felt anticlimactic, especially with how Never the Roses ends.

All and all, Never the Roses was just okay for me. I will be honest and say I expected more. But if you're into romantsy with a cozy, sweet love story with a twinge of darkness between two rivals; then this is for you.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thanks to Bramble and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Never the Roses is a quietly haunting romantasy with a dark, introspective tone. While the story didn’t fully capture my attention until the final third, the writing is solid and atmospheric, with a strong sense of internal conflict and emotional weight.

The female main character is a guarded, solitary figure—deeply skeptical of others and preoccupied with themes of death and absence. She’s also a dream-walker with magical abilities and a mysterious past as a kind of retired warrior for a larger cause. That element was intriguing, and I hope it’s explored more in future installments.

The male main character is her rival—a mage-warrior from a different faction—and their initial meeting is sparked when she steals a book from his library. Their relationship unfolds as a slow burn, built more on subtle power plays and banter than sweeping romantic gestures.

This isn’t an epic fantasy—there are no large-scale battles or sprawling political intrigue. Instead, the focus is on magic, psychological tension, and character introspection. Much of the story takes place within the FMC’s own head, which can feel isolating at times, but adds emotional depth. I didn’t fully connect with the romance until late in the book, when the dynamic between the leads finally clicked and the pacing picked up.

Overall, Never the Roses is a moody, character-driven fantasy that will appeal to readers who enjoy slow burns, magic with a psychological edge, and heroines wrestling with ghosts—both literal and emotional. A solid debut with the promise of more to come.

Lyrical, tender, and quietly powerful.
Never the Roses is a slow-burn romantasy with a haunting atmosphere and poetic prose. It leans into emotional depth over action, with themes of grief, guilt, and healing woven through every page. If you love character-driven stories, subtle romance, and magic that feels like memory, this one’s for you.

2.5⭐️
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group/Bramble. NetGalley and Jennifer K. Lambert for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had some pretty high hopes for this book. Rival sorcerers to lovers, forbidden love and slow burn are the ingredients for a perfect romantasy for me. Especially with the comparison to Circe and The Ashes and the Star Cursed King. Unfortunately, the book just fell flat for me.

Written in third person there is two POVs, one being Oneira who has retired from her position as the queen’s sorcerer and looks to spend the rest of her days in a remote forest, hoping for peace. When she decides to make a reckless journey into her rival sorcerer’s library, stealing a book on rare roses, it sets off a series of events and encounters that lead to forbidden relationships and wars that require the ultimate sacrifice.

Being completely honest, I was so bored throughout the majority of this book. Oneira was such a simple character that I lacked any interest in the development of her story. Add to that the fact that there is barely any dialogue or true plot progression until at least 3/4 of the way through.
The premise was intriguing, especially the whole forbidden love trope and note passing, only to realize there was a total of like 5 notes passed with little to no flirtation (more implied than anything, and even that was a stretch). The ending was also very lacklustre and frankly a bit predictable as “devastating” as it was meant to be. And it seems there’s a hint at a sequel that I most likely will not read.
Really the only thing I liked about the book was the animals and the descriptions of the scenery and the Dream. That’s what kept me the most interested and I wish the rest of the story had captivated me as much.

i did not enjoy this book. i found the pacing to be extremely slow. i understand world building but i felt like the beginning of the book was trying to be world building but, it failed at it.


the characters were extremely frustrating to the point that i wanted to dnf this book. the characters gave me nothing and then the pacing was horrid, i was genuinely fighting to not dnf this.



also i felt like some characters and plots were so unnecessary. they didn’t bring anything to the book.


i do feel like the romance was incredibly rushed. it felt like one page to the other they were hard core lovers. i didn’t like that.


i gave it 3 stars because i did enjoy it more in the middle than i did the beginning and ending. the small portion in the middle that i liked saved it from getting 2 stars.

What a beautiful fairy tale! The extraordinarily powerful sorceress Oneira has retired - her power and strength have kept the two biggest kingdoms in check for years, but she finally has bought her freedom - all she wants is to be alone and free. As her heart slowly begins to mend, she becomes desirous of more to read - an impulse makes her decide to find a book from the library of the powerful Stearanos, her magical opposite. The tale unfolds from there into a wonderfully lovely fantasy that brings these two wounded souls together. It's well worth a read - this should appeal to readers who enjoy women's fiction, romantasy, and fantasy - there's romance, characters with life experience, and a magical world to engage the imagination.

4/5 Stars
2.5/5 Spice

There was so much I loved about this book: the trauma and healing, the friendship-to-romance arc, and the simple life of cooking, growing, and working with your hands. It was all very well done. I especially enjoyed the banter between Oneira and Stearanos.

I also appreciated so much that they were older characters who actually acted their age. And Oneira is tall! *chef’s kiss (Can we please be done with the “traumatized 90lb teenage girl” trope?)

The animal companions were a great bonus, and I hope we see even more of them in the upcoming books.

There is a part at the end that I didn’t agree with personally; however, I understand it was necessary as a cliffhanger for the next installment.

I'm giving it a 2.5/5 for spice — there’s some explicit body description, but overall, it's mostly fade-to-black.

Oh my god this was SO cute. I had no idea what to expect and this had the perfect blend of high-octane action and stakes, and cozy internal reflection. I absolutely loved the characters and the way they changed and grew, and the ending was gorgeous!!!!!

A romantasy primarily focused on the romance and character building with some background world plot to push the story on. I enjoyed the reflection on grief and healing, but I am left wanting a bit more from the ending. I really appreciated some mature main characters!

*Received as a free ARC*
I'm sorry, but absolutely not. The single chapter inside the head of the sex slave was totally unnecessary and made the whole book creepier. Everyone is enslaved to the upper class and have no real choices? Lovely. And let's not forget the ending which is trying to set up for a sequel but given the rest of the book, I cannot fathom giving that a try. Probably someone super enjoyed this, but I did not.