I really enjoyed this book, and the narrators brought this book to another level! The story is original, if somewhat predictable, and incredibly enjoyable; I look forward to reading more, 4 stars!

Never the Roses started off slow for me, but I’m really glad I stuck with it because the second half completely won me over.

The book is about Oneira, a sorceress who has retired and lives in isolated exile. Tired of war and destruction, the exile is a welcome semi-permanent sabbatical. She enjoys taking care of her garden and is joined by some uninvited magical creatures. Not much happens at first, and I’ll be honest—the beginning dragged a bit for me. I was about 30% in and still waiting for something to happen.

Then Oneira dreamwalks into her old rival Stearanos’s library, steals a book, and things start to get interesting. The sorcerer, Stearanos, wants his book back but doesn't know who took it or where.

The romance really came through, and the final chapters were satisfying. The tension between Oneira and Stearanos?? Chef’s kiss. Their banter had me giggling. The chemistry between them builds so well into sexual tension and yearning.

If you like a quiet fantasy with mature romance and good banter without much action and low stakes then this ones for you.

Tropes/Themes:
grumpy x grumpy
yearning
banter
enemies-to-lovers
slow burn romance
mild spice

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Big thanks to Jennifer K. Lambert, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I went into this novel blind not even reading the synopsis. I was pleasantly surprised to have this read to be a cozy and heartfelt romance with political intrigue, magic and star-crossed lovers.

Oniera was a different FMC than the ones usually in Romantasy novels. She is a strong sorceress but chooses to live in isolation. She has a love-hate relationship with humans but her morals for good win in the end.

Thank you to Bramble and NetGalley for the ARC. The audiobook was also fantastic! The dual POV was great and each played their parts so well.

Rating: 4⭐️/5

⭐️ 1.75 out of 5 stars (rounded to 2)
🎧 Format: ALC (audiobook)

Sadly, this one fell flat for me. I was really drawn in by the description and the potential of the plot—it had the setup of something I’d normally love—but the execution just didn’t land.

The pacing felt very slow, and the dual POV structure didn’t help. The way the story repeated scenes or thoughts between the two narrators made it feel even more dragged out. I found myself losing focus often, and despite restarting the audiobook five times, I still only made it about 75% through before deciding to put it down.

I also struggled to connect with any of the characters. The FMC in particular didn’t really pull me in—she wasn’t especially likeable or compelling, which made it hard to stay invested in her journey.

The voice actors had great emotional delivery and did their jobs well, but the accents used in the narration threw me off and felt mismatched with the tone and setting of the story. It made immersion even harder.

That said, I do think this book will find its audience—especially for readers who enjoy slower, more atmospheric stories. But for me, the pacing, character disconnect, and narration style just didn’t work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio!!

Actually a 4.25.

Okay so…imagine if two nuclear warheads on either side of a Cold War fell in love? That’s it. That’s the book. I’m not usually a big fan of romantasy, but I really loved this one. Oneira and Stearanos have an incredibly interesting relationship and dynamic with each other while also incredibly interesting characters separate from one another. I really liked the magic elements, particularly Oneira’s powers were pretty unique and really cool to read about. It’s kind of in a strange middle ground where it’s got all the elements of a cozy read, but with some pretty serious stakes, and I was definitely a fan of that.

So there’s going to be a sequel…right? I know the book was published today, but there’s going to be a sequel, RIGHT? I feel like this ended in such a way that there HAS to be a sequel, but with no further books announced I’m genuinely nervous. I loved this book, but as a standalone there are just WAY too many unanswered questions and characters with wide open arcs even without the cliffhanger ending. I think it could be an incredibly good series, but I’d really like to know that I’m reading a series up front.

This was a different set pace than what I'm used to but it was a welcome change. This was a sweet unfolding of self discovery as a sorceress who was used to inflict mass destruction, pain and death for a royal ruler retires from duty to live a mundane life as a recluse in the woods. Through the power of dreams, she embarks on a mischievous game of correspondence with her arch nemesis which blossoms into a friendship turned love interest.
As the story progresses, it romanticizes the simple pleasures in life, which are often taken for granted. It also emphasized the importance of facing your fears and owning your actions in order to accept the consequences and ultimately forgive yourself for your part.

As rival sorcerers, their love affair must remain secret for fear of being used against each other. But with warring kingdoms and power-hungry rulers, happiness is not easily obtained. The ending has my heart feeling devastated and left me wondering if that's truly the end for them or if all that's left is the dream of happily ever after.

I enjoyed the dual narration as both the male and female had a certain magic in their voices that pulled me into the story and kept me under their spell the whole time.

Oh, how I loved this book. It wasn't perfect, but it was achingly beautiful.

And after so many poorly written BookTok books, this book readily stands out. The writing was effective, gorgeous, and managed to describe concrete details while capturing the dreamlike quality of the atmosphere. The characters were mostly well-developed (I always want more character development, though) and, while there were some pacing issues in the beginning, I thought the majority was well-paced. It had a dash of insta-love, which usually annoys me, but not enough that it overshadowed the messages about healing and worth. I will definitely pick up the sequel!!!

Thank you Macmillian Audio for this advanced listening copy!!!!

Many things happened while reading this. One, I saw someone say there was a cliffhanger, which led me to believe this was gonna be a series. Then my NetGalley percentage marked 100% when I wasn’t even done with the book yet, so leading up to the 100% I was like oh this will be a good end and then new start for the next book. Then it reached 101% and I was confused, and then it seemed like the book wrapped up, but then the epilogue almost left it open? I’m confused. Can someone tell me if this was indeed a standalone or if there are more books. I think that knowledge would help me actually rate the book better.

I found the overall plot to be fun and interesting. I didn’t feel the love between the main characters. I felt like we got the FMC’s pov more than the MMC. Which made it hard to connect with him more. It was fun. But I felt like I was constantly missing something.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶

📚 Slow Burn, Impossible Love, Dream Magic, Fantasy, Tragic Past, Mythical Animals, War.

Oneira is a retired Dread Sorceress. She can walk in dreams and she took a rivals book from his library.

Stearanos, a Sorceress, finds her intriguing. He likes her and wants to have a secret romance with her. Unfortunately, his prince wants to start a war thus complicating things for both of them.

"I feel as if I've known you forever. What if I don't want to go on without you?" - Stearanos.

How do they end a war without killing each other?

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a bit slow paced, but I found elements of this book interesting especially the mythical creatures and, I can't forget about Tristan. The way the men reacted to each other and the bit of jealousy. I like Oneira's dream magic.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and MacMillan for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think it could use action sooner rather than later in the story. I enjoyed it and that ending. Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram.

3 🌟 It did take me a while to get into this book. I wasn’t head over heels for it as it started but about half way, I started to understand and get a bit more intrigued. This is about a sorceress that goes to a sorcerer’s home- to visit his library. Then Tristan shows up, when you read about it, you’ll understand!! It was super descriptive. It is a slow burn which I don’t mind, but this was different. Thanks to @netgalley for the Arc(releasing literally in a couple of hours). The writing is in 3rd person, that was a struggle to get thru. This reads like a fantasy, rivals to lovers, adult fiction.

This book is the “Thief of my heart.” It has healed my soul in ways I didn’t know that it needed. To then have the end break my heart into a million pieces. Actual tears were cried. It has finished me… and I loved it so much.

What you will find in this book:
- Cozy Romantasy
- Healing After Trauma
- Rival Kingdoms/Magic Workers
- Witty Banter
- True Enemies to Lovers
- Dual POV

It definitely has a slower pace than I usually read, but I felt like it needed to be for Oneira’s and Stearano’s story to play out in the beautiful way it did. I binged the entire book in less than 24 hours - simply needing more of it - and to know where their story would go.

The underlying themes and stories also just hit all the right notes in the current state of the world for me…. I know this is my own interpretation, but the tyranny of the monarchs in this and the way they controlled things with debt/money just felt so freaking accurate and applicable to the real world. Contracts that kept magic workers enslaved and forced them to do horrific acts… So real for this ex-corporate worker.

I have no notes - other than thank you. Thank you so much to Jennifer K. Lambert for this gem of a story - I will dream of it forever.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for the ALC. Chloe Campbell & Shane East were fantastic and I cannot recommend listening to this book enough!

“We’re happening to each other. Give it a try, Oneira. You have only your loneliness to lose. Let me show you how it can be.”

This book takes place in a gorgeous fantasy world, featuring powerful sorcerers and sorcereresses, animal familiars, decadent libraries, and magically powered daily life. Our FMC Oneira has unique magical powers, which she uses to create a peaceful yet isolated life for herself, as she tries to forget a painful history. She eventually uses her powers to sneak her way into the life of our MMC Stearanos, who has equally powerful (but different) magic. They start a delightfully witty correspondence via notes left in Stearanos' books and library, which escalates into real life encounters, and the crashing in of the outside world.

This is beautifully written with gorgeous flowery descriptions of the book's world. I adored the unique magic, which was creative and captivating. I truly loved the slow burn x irresistible attraction x playful banter elements of the romance. The characters have their quirks and personality that shines through, and there's some very sensitive exploration of dealing with trauma and past tragedies. There are a few lightly spicy scenes, but more time is spent on the witty banter and establishing their connection.

However, the overall read for me was an up and down experience because i felt some of the pacing of the story wasn't quite right Some parts felt too slow and kind of dragged out (like the start) while other parts that I felt deserved more attention were too quickly skimmed over (towards the end). I thought that several side characters had interesting individual stories that I would have loved to see fully explored, but they didn't really become the important parts of the overall story that I was hoping for. I think these were the things that had me feeling like it just did not hit all the notes I was hoping that it would.

That said, it's a magical story with so much beautiful writing and gorgeous metaphors, and deep feelings and meanings to everything. The audiobook narration is excellent, both the male and female narrators do a great job, and I really felt the character's personalities coming through with them. There is also a lovely detailed map in the ebook version!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars
🎧 Never the Roses by Jennifer K. Lambert

I’m honestly a little torn on how to feel about this one—but in a good way! It’s beautifully written with gorgeous world-building, and I absolutely loved that it starts where most fantasy books end: with the heroine, Oneira, retired. Yep—our leading lady, a powerful sorceress, is living a quiet life of gardening 🌹 and trying to heal from some seriously dark trauma after years of being an indentured magical weapon for a ruthless queen.

Oneira’s struggle to find meaning, purpose, and peace was so refreshing. As someone in their 30s still figuring out life (🙋‍♀️), I found her thoughtful, weary, but determined outlook really relatable—even if she’s technically hundreds of years old! I really appreciated the more mature tone woven throughout her story, especially in her sweet rivals-to-lovers romance with Stearanos.

Now, let’s talk audiobook: the dual narration by Chloe Campbell and the king of hot MMCs himself, Shane East 🔥, was phenomenal. Both narrators brought so much life, depth, and emotion to the characters—it’s seriously one of the highlights of the whole experience.

Where I struggled a bit was with the book’s identity (or maybe its tone?). At times, it felt like a cozy magical slice-of-life—think Legends & Lattes vibes—with gentle gardening magic, charming side characters, and warm library scenes. Other times, it got dark with political intrigue, betrayal, and murder à la Throne of Glass. The shift between these moods gave me a bit of whiplash, and I found myself wishing the story would just pick a lane and stick with it.

The pacing was also a little tricky. The actual plot doesn’t really kick off until about 30-40% in, so you’ll need patience for the slower, gentler build. I could definitely see some readers DNF-ing just because of the slow start. And then—plot twist—the ending felt rushed, with huge developments crammed into the last literal 3% that really needed more time to breathe. It’s clearly setting up for a sequel though, and I’m curious to see where it goes next.

✨ Overall:
A beautifully written, slower-paced romantasy with a mature, relatable heroine, enchanting magic, and incredible narration. If you’re in the mood for something quieter but still rich in emotion and atmosphere, this one is definitely worth a listen!

Thank you to Netgalley, Jennifer K. Lambert, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook!

Jennifer K. Lambert's writing is so beautiful. The story that she tells is so poetic.

This book is about two powerful sorcerers that have been fighting for opposing sides for a long time. A chance encounter between the two blossoms into a slow-burn romance in a world where they can't exist together.

I loved the magic and magical creatures in this world, I was emotionally attached to the main characters, and the story that was told was epic.

I can't wait for Jennifer's next book.

The concept of this book was so good, but the ending did not finish as strong as it should have. I really enjoyed the magic types that we saw Oneira and Stearanos use, and liked the political aspects as well. The chemistry was great, but I got annoyed by some of the supporting characters and the choices made by the main characters.

4 Stars

I’m honestly unsure how I feel about this story and struggled with how to rate it. It’s beautifully written and completely unique—it begins where most fantasy ends. This fantasy novel opens in a refreshingly unique place: the aftermath. Oneira, a powerful sorceress bound by a blood contract to a queen (and moonlighting for warlords who could pay), is now finally free. After years of being forced to commit terrible acts that chipped away at her soul, she’s bought her way out, raised her wards, and retired into isolation. All she wants now is to be left alone—with her books, her garden, and her baking.

That is, until three magical creatures slip through her wards and into her life. These unexpected companions—strange, magical, and full of personality—begin to stir something long buried in her. A sense of connection. Of curiosity. Of loneliness. And with it, a desire to use magic again.

On a whim (or maybe boredom), she sneaks into the dreams of Stearanos, her mysterious sorcerer rival, hoping to access his legendary library. She steals a book and unknowingly begins a playful war of letters and banter with a man she’s never met before but who may be the only person alive who truly understands her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It made me happy, it made me sad, and it made me care deeply about the characters. I adored all the magical creatures—especially the wolf-dog Oneira names Bunny. The pacing felt a bit slow at times, but I had to remind myself that this is cozy, cottagecore fantasy.

The last quarter of the book shifts tone, as the outside world crashes into their peaceful retreat, and the ending—bittersweet and a little tragic—left me hoping for a sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book.

This book was really beautifully written. I loved the main character, and that she was a dream walker. This was a different kind of magic then what is in most fantasy books. Her character development, her romantic development with M, and the way the book had to end (keeping this spoiler free) was so heartfelt, deep, and intriguing. The author left the door open for more, and I’m definitely going to walk right through that!

Thank you for the chance to listen to and review this ALC.
I want to love this, the cover and the synopsis drew me in like a moth to flame but it was not what I expected. The story had loads of potential, the magic system was intriguing, and the random unwelcome guests in the form of animals was fun. Now Tristan was the most infuriating part of this whole story along with our fmc being this impressive sorceress with the lowest standards known to man…. I actually fell asleep through about an hour of Tristan’s incessant whining and getting way too comfortable in a home that he doesn’t belong in.. and I’m fairly certain I missed nothing of importance. Then we end it all off with her just laying down to die with zero fight for anything.. it had so much potential then just went nowhere unfortunately. The narrator’s were absolutely fantastic and brought the story to as much life as they could. The author left the end open for a second book so I look forward to seeing more action in a possible next installment.

In the same vein as The Dream Thieves/Dreamer Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater and the Strange The Dreamer Duology by Laini Taylor, Never The Roses is the story of Oneira, an oneiramancer (a magician whose specialty is commanding the dream world), who is trying to live a peaceful redemptive life after retiring from a life of fighting wars for the queen who held her in financial bondage.

Once she has completed making her dream retirement home including her final resting bier, she decides to grow a type of rose that only grew in a place that she destroyed. She needs a book to help her with this endeavor and thus decides to borrow the book from her longtime rival’s extensive library via the dream world.

This, in turn, begins a rivals-to-lovers relationship.

That’s the synopsis. Now for the hard part…my thoughts on this book. I did enjoy this story. It’s very well written utilizing an adult level vocabulary but not an adult level of spice. The world-building is adequate and I enjoyed the magical companions who, one-by-one, appear to Oneira.

It’s dual-POV with portal magic and mild political intrigue. It’s mainly about two rivals-by-proxy who find that only they can understand what the other has been through and they build a relationship upon that common ground.

I will say that I enjoyed that they are both bibliophiles and there is a lot of homage paid to books and what reading and stories have contributed to the main characters’ lives. I especially loved that Oneira has been a longtime collector of books that she planned to read in her retirement. I can certainly understand the sentiment.

The conclusion is left a little open-ended which usually drives me crazy but I’m alright with this one. I’m just hoping that it is a standalone because, even though I enjoyed it, I’m not that invested in the world or their relationship to continue with a sequel.

So, all in all, this is a well written, low spice Romantasy novel that I found to be enjoyable but just lacked the pizazz to be anything greater than that.

The audiobook narrators are excellent and I found it ironic that Steve West, who narrated the Strange the Dreamer/Muse of Nightmares duology that I likened this book to, is actually this book’s male narrator, Shane East! Apparently, he uses East when it’s a romance novel.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my early listening copy. All opinions are my own.

3.5🌟- 0.5🌶️- 5🎧

this book was not at all what i expected and it took me a bit to get into the story. Oneira is a powerful sorceress who’s decided she no longer wants a hand in all the war and destruction, so she retires and lives a life of reclusion in her cottage. her magic allows her to walk through dreams in the dream world and one day, she steals a book from a rival sorcerer named Stearanos— and thus starts a sort of cat and mouse game between them. i really grew to love the romance and the gradual connection built between Oneira and Stearanos, it was emotionally charged and ran deeper than either of them could’ve imagined. the lengths she went to in order to help him and the way he felt pained to even ask anything of her was killing me. the ending was a punch right in the gut and i cannot forgive the author for that cliffhanger.. what am i supposed to do now?! my feelings about this were all over the place, but i honestly find myself randomly thinking about it since i read it.